Key points
- The FCC certified a Nintendo device identified by the model number CLO-001 in late September 2024.
- The mysterious gadget has a rectangular shape, basic Wi-Fi capabilities, no battery, and has a mmWave transmitter that could be used to detect proximity or motion.
- The device could be some sort of accessory for the Switch 2, Nintendo’s next console that is expected to be announced soon.
A mysterious one Nintendo device with a rather unusual combination of wireless technologies has been certified by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While the gadget is almost certainly not the Switch 2, it could be related to Nintendo’s next console.
Nintendo had previously given itself a deadline of late March 2025 to announce the Switch 2. But a recent increase in the frequency of leaks supposedly detailing the company’s long-awaited device has suggested that the Switch’s successor could be unveiled much sooner, around late September or early October 2024.
FCC certifies Nintendo CLO-001 device
A product that could be related to Nintendo’s next console has now passed the FCC. According to a September 20 filing spotted by The Verge , the US regulator recently tested a “wireless device” identified by the model number CLO-001. Aside from that descriptor, another indicator that this gadget isn’t a gaming console is its shape, as the label’s location diagram suggests it has a rectangular form factor with rounded edges. The same goes for the fact that it doesn’t have a battery but is powered exclusively via USB-C. Nintendo bundled it with the same cable that normally ships with Switch consoles for testing purposes. For clarity, the Switch 2 is expected to retain the hybrid form factor of Nintendo’s 2017 console.
Nintendo CLO-001 has basic wireless connectivity features and a radar
In terms of wireless connectivity, the CLO-001 supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio, which leaves it behind the Switch, which can also communicate over 5GHz connections. Between its modest Wi-Fi hardware and lack of a Bluetooth adapter, it stands to reason that the mysterious device isn’t intended for high-volume data transmission. And while its Wi-Fi 4 technology is somewhat old, the product incorporates a more modern mmWave sensor in the 24.059 to 24.239GHz range. Such a transceiver module is typically used for proximity and motion/gesture sensing in certain smart home gadgets, such as the Google Nest Hub, which includes a 60GHz Soli sensor.
The Nintendo Switch line of consoles and accessories use a model number format HXX-xxx, where X is a letter and x is a number. For example, HEG-001 is one of the OLED Switch models, while HAC-015 denotes a left Joy-Con controller.
In any case, a mmWave radar isn’t something you often see in consumer electronics, so its presence in the CLO-001 could be critical to the device’s functionality. The gadget itself was filed with the FCC in late August 2024, with Nintendo requesting a six-month confidentiality period before the regulator releases actual photos of wireless testing that would reveal the product’s design. This is standard practice for FCC filings, and doesn’t necessarily mean the device won’t be announced well before late February 2025.
Given the recent influx of Switch 2 leaks, it’s plausible that the CLO-001 is somehow related to Nintendo’s next console, which is expected to hit the market in Q2 2025 and will therefore likely need to be certified soon. But it’s currently unclear whether the gadget is a new version of the company’s Switch charging dock or if it’s intended for an entirely different purpose.
Nintendo
- Founding date
- September 23, 1889
- Headquarters
- Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Parent company
- Nintendo
