Nintendo Hits Snooze On Plan To Introduce A Sleep Tracking Device

Back in October 2014, Nintendo went off on a health tangent when it announced plans to develop a sleep and fatigue tacking app that would help optimize your slumber time. Nothing much had been heard about the project since, until yesterday, that is, when the Japanese games giant confirmed it has been put to sleep indefinitely.

We were certainly intrigued by the device, which was unrelated to gaming, when it was revealed. Roughly the size of a hand, it was designed to sit on a bedside table from where it would use microwave sensors to monitor sleep data throughout the night. That data would then be analyzed to provide pointers on how to a user could improve their sleep and rest cycle.

qol-sleep-design

Those plans and design don’t really matter now. Wired reports that Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed that the ‘quality of life’ device has been canned, although he did add that Nintendo isn’t ruling out other projects in the health space in the future.

Wired translated the following quote from Kimishima, made at a Japanese language Q&A with investors following Nintendo’s Q3 2015 earnings report:

In regards to the Quality of Life [device], which was not mentioned in any of today’s questions, we do not have the conviction that the sleep-and-fatigue-themed [device] can enter the phase of actually becoming a product. We no longer have any plans to release it by the end of March 2016. On the other hand, we still believe there are things we can do in the general category of Quality of Life, and we will continue to study the possibility of expanding into this field.

Nintendo has plenty of other activities to keep it busy this year. Not only is it (finally, FINALLY) venturing into mobile apps and games, but its next-generation console is due for release in the second half of 2016. Lots to look forward to, but for now that won’t include helping you rest up.