Nintendo announces new device, but it's not what you think

Important takeaways

Nintendo has unveiled the Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo, an alarm clock that plays music and sounds from popular Nintendo games.
The device uses a motion sensor to detect when the user has gotten out of bed, stopping the alarm.
At launch, users can choose between alarms inspired by Super Mario Bros. Odyssey, Splatoon 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and more.

While the gaming world breathlessly awaits the reveal of the Switch's successor, Nintendo has announced a completely different piece of hardware: an alarm clock that plays sounds from various Nintendo games. Ever since Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed it earlier this year, fans have been eagerly awaiting the official unveiling of the company's next big console with little more than unverified leaks and rumors to hold them over. The official word is that the tentatively named Switch 2 will appear sometime before the end of the current fiscal year in March 2025, with some reports still claiming Nintendo's reveal could happen later this year.

Meanwhile, Nintendo has plenty of new games and other products in the works for 2024 and beyond, including upcoming titles such as Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood and Super Mario Party Jamboree. In recent years, Nintendo has branched out into lifestyle products such as Pokemon sleepa mobile app that monitors a player's sleep patterns and unlocks new Pokémon based on how many hours of rest they get during the night. Nintendo is now introducing a new device to make waking up in the morning a little more fun too.

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Earlier today, Nintendo of America posted a video for its latest device, the Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo. As the name suggests, Alarmo is an alarm clock that plays music and sounds from popular Nintendo games such as Super Mario Bros. Odyssey, Splatoon 3and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Like most alarm clocks, music plays at a predetermined time, but Alarmo picks up the pace by playing sound effects in time with the user's movements to help them get out of bed. When the user finally sits up, a triumphant fanfare is played to signal the end of the alarm.

Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo starts a gamer's day in style

The Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo works by detecting a user's movements with a built-in motion sensor, and automatically stops when the user gets out of bed. This means that, unlike other alarm clocks, the user does not have to press a button to stop the alarm manually. But Alarmo's sounds become more intense the longer it takes the user to wake up, with one example playing Bower's ominous theme from Super Mario Odyssey.

At launch, fans will be able to set alarms inspired by five Nintendo games, including the aforementioned games in addition Pikmin 4 and Call Fit Adventure. Each theme comes with a variety of different “scenes” or alarm variations with their own music and sounds. By connecting Alarmo to the internet, players will be able to download more alarms through free updates that will be available later, with two examples being Mario Kart 8 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Alarmo is packed with other features such as “sleepy sounds” that play when the user goes to bed at night, records that keep track of the user's sleep patterns, and an hour function that signals the start of a new hour. While Alarmo isn't the big Nintendo announcement fans have been waiting for all year, it looks like a fun and innovative way to start any gamer's day. Nintendo's recently announced Alarm Clock is currently available in early access for Nintendo Switch Online members in the US and Canada, as well as at the Nintendo New York Store. A wider retail release is planned for early 2025.