In a recently approved patent, product images show designs by Tencent for a new handheld gaming console that sure looks a lot like a Nintendo Switch.
Tencent is a Chinese holding company that has become quite the familiar name within the games industry. The company started by releasing mobile titles that were popular in the Chinese market before finding international success in Call of Duty: Mobile and the mobile port of PUBG. From there Tencent also raised eyebrows through the numerous investments they made in international gaming companies such as Epic, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and even completely purchasing Riot Games.
This new patent would not be Tencent's first foray into gaming consoles, having released a home console in China back in 2016 called the Tencent Gaming Platform(TGB) Box. Even more interestingly, however, is that Tencent obtained exclusive distribution rights of the Switch in China in 2019. The patent in question was filed in October 2020, and was just now approved on March 19 under the simple name of "Game Console." With the associated images released with the patent's approval, it is easy to see that the console looks just like a Switch.
There are a few key differences between the two consoles. On the surface level, Tencent's patent does not include removable controllers, which does make the kickstand on the back, similar to the Switch's, a bit of an odd inclusion. Going deeper, Tencent's patent is for a console that runs on Windows, similar to their TGB Box, and also mentions the use of PC-level hardware. The console even goes so far as to have a Windows button beneath the d-pad as well as the words "For PC console gamer" on the back of the device.
Tencent's interest in expanding into the handheld console space does not come as a surprise. The company has shown an interest in getting involved in every aspect of the industry, including launching its gaming platform, WeGame. Tencent's apparent attempt to emulate the Nintendo Switch is also not a surprise, as the Switch has had considerable success in China.
However, this is still just a patent and does not necessarily guarantee that Tencent will release anything. Tencent has filed multiple patents of a similar nature going back to 2016 with little to show from most of them. Getting regulatory approval in China is also a high bar to get over, but Tencent has enough experience to navigate it successfully. Only time will tell if Tencent's handheld console becomes a reality, but it does seem possible that Switch could have a big new competitor to deal with.
Source: Nintendo Life