A new source leaks what could be the first ever photos of the Nintendo NX controller, providing an image that matches up to a previously reported Nintendo patent.

Back in December of 2015, a report emerged that Nintendo had filed a new patent for a game console controller that many believed to be for the NX hardware that Nintendo has been teasing for months now. The controller certainly seemed to match the kind of innovation that Nintendo has been known to bring to the console market, and now a photo has emerged of what appears to be a brand new controller that appears to sync up with the previously posted patent schematics.

The image was provided to Alexander Maier at Dual Pixels, and has been provided by what appears to be a new source who goes by the name Idriss2Dev. The small scrap of paper beside the controller in the full photograph has "You will say wow!" scribbled on it, and if the photo is in fact the upcoming controller for Nintendo's new console, that's an understatement. The controller is like nothing the gaming world has ever seen before, and although the photo is a little blurry, the hardware appears to be cutting edge.

Destructoid's Laura Kate Dale ran the image through a program that is often used to tell if an image has been Photoshopped or substantially altered, and though the photo in question has been saved over multiple times, it is largely consistent and appears to be the real deal. It is also important that, whatever gamers' predictions for the Nintendo NX may be, that the controller in the leaked photo could be developmental hardware and the final product could be drastically different when it becomes available at retail.

Of course, all of this must be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless of how real the image is, there's no guarantee it is related to the NX despite its resemblance to the Nintendo patent - in fact, there isn't even confirmation that the patent itself is for technology related to the NX.

Still, if rumors regarding the Nintendo NX's release in 2016 end up being true, it would make sense for the Japanese video gaming giant to have been testing controller hardware by now, and the leaked photo could be a result of a tester sharing a little more than Nintendo might have intended with the general public.

Still, the image leak is an exciting rumor that could end up being a substantial clue as to what the Nintendo NX will bring to the world of console gaming. While everyone seems to have their own theories regarding what could make the Nintendo NX a success, Satoru Iwata was confident as far back as a year ago that the technology would completely change the way gamers use a console. If someone as well-respected within the industry as Iwata was comfortable making those claims, then it stands to reason that Nintendo really could be developing a total game-changer.

What do you think of the possible leaked controller? Will the leak force Nintendo's hand and make it finally reveal the console it's been teasing for so long? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Dual Pixels (via Destructoid)