Mysterious Nintendo Device Certified by FCC, Switch 2 Fever Is Hurting

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Key Points

  • The FCC certified a Nintendo device identified with model number CLO-001 in late September 2024.
  • The mysterious gadget is rectangular in shape, has basic Wi-Fi capabilities, has no battery, and contains a mmWave transceiver that can be used for proximity or motion detection.
  • The device could be some sort of accessory for Nintendo's upcoming console, the Switch 2, which is expected to be announced soon.



Mysterious Nintendo A device with a rather unusual combination of wireless technologies has been certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). While the gadget is unlikely to be the Switch 2, it could be related to Nintendo’s next console.

Nintendo previously set a deadline of late March 2025 to announce the Switch 2. But the company's recent increased frequency of leaking details about the long-anticipated device has led to speculation that the Switch sequel could be revealed much earlier, as early as late September or early October 2024.


FCC certifies Nintendo CLO-001 device

A product that could be related to the next Nintendo console has now made its way through the FCC. According to a September 20 certificate spotted by The Verge, the U.S. regulator recently tested a “wireless device” identified by the model number CLO-001. In addition to that descriptor, another indicator that the gadget is not a gaming console is its shape: according to a diagram of the label placement, it has a rectangular form factor with rounded corners. So is the fact that it lacks a battery and is powered solely via USB-C. Nintendo included it with the same cable that typically ships with Switch consoles for testing purposes. To be clear, the Switch 2 is expected to retain the hybrid form factor of Nintendo’s 2017 console.

Nintendo CLO-001 FCC Certificate Bottom Side Label


The Nintendo CLO-001 has basic wireless connectivity and a radar.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the CLO-001 supports a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio, which is inferior to switches that can also communicate over a 5GHz connection. Given its modest Wi-Fi hardware and lack of a Bluetooth adapter, it’s no surprise that this mysterious device isn’t designed for heavy data transfers. While Wi-Fi 4 technology is quite old, this one integrates a more modern mmWave sensor in the 24.059–24.239GHz range. This type of transceiver module is commonly used for proximity and motion/gesture detection in some smart home gadgets, such as the Google Nest Hub, which includes a 60GHz Soli sensor.

The Nintendo Switch line of consoles and their accessories use the HXX-xxx model number format, where X is a letter and x is a number. For example, HEG-001 is one of the Switch OLED models, while HAC-015 represents the left Joy-Con controller.


Still, mmWave radar isn’t something you’ll find all that often in consumer electronics, so what’s in the CLO-001 could be key to the device’s functionality. The device itself was filed with the FCC in late August 2024, and Nintendo has requested a six-month confidentiality period before releasing actual photos of the wireless tests the regulator conducted and revealing the product design. This is standard practice for FCC filings, and doesn’t necessarily mean the device won’t be announced much earlier than late February 2025.

With the recent surge of Switch 2 leaks, it’s possible that the CLO-001 could be related to Nintendo’s next console in some way. It’s due for release in Q2 2025, so it’ll likely need to be certified sooner rather than later. However, it’s currently unclear whether the device is a new version of the company’s Switch charging dock, or if it’s intended to serve a different purpose entirely.

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