Nintendo Alarm Clock Beats GTA 6 Release

A Nintendo interactive alarm clock was likely not on your 2024 bingo card, but here we are! Besides the newly announced Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, the company has also unveiled a cryptic Switch Online playtest.

Nintendo Releases an Interactive Alarm ClockFree Alarm Updates Coming Soon!

Nintendo has introduced the "Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo," an interactive alarm clock priced at $99. "Alarmo reacts to your body’s movement with game sounds," Nintendo declared this morning, "so you can feel like you’re awakening in the game world itself." The Alarmo includes alarm sounds inspired by various Nintendo games, such as Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, and others, with extra alarm sounds arriving later at no cost.

This interactive alarm clock operates by ceasing its alarm only when you "completely leave your bed," which Nintendo suggests you can view as a "short victory celebration"—getting out of bed is, certainly, a significant hurdle on some mornings.

For setup, choose a title from the current options, select a scene, set the alarm time, and Alarmo will manage the rest—this is where the interactivity begins. You can wave your hand in front of the alarm clock when it sounds, but this only reduces the alarm volume. Remaining in bed too long will heighten the alarm until you rise and move.

The Alarmo alarm clock uses a special "radio wave sensor," according to Nintendo. The alarm leverages the reflection of radio waves and gauges your distance from the alarm clock as well as the velocity of your movements.

"The key feature is that it can discern very subtle movements, and unlike cameras, it doesn't need to film videos, so privacy is better protected compared to cameras," Nintendo developer Tetsuya Akama said. "Since it uses radio waves, it can be used in dark rooms. It can also detect movements even if there are obstacles, as long as the radio waves can pass through."

In addition to the announcement, Nintendo shared that Nintendo Switch Online members in the United States and Canada can purchase Alarmo online via the My Nintendo Store, for a limited time, ahead of the general release. "All visitors to the Nintendo New York store can purchase Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo in person at launch while supplies last," they additionally confirmed.

Nintendo Announces Switch Online PlaytestApplications Begin October 10!

In other developments, Nintendo has also announced that applications for a Switch Online playtest run from October 10, at 8:00 AM PT / 11:00AM ET until October 15 at 7:59AM PT / 10:59AM ET. "We will perform a test called Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program related to a new feature for the Nintendo Switch Online service offered for the Nintendo Switch™ system," the company shared in its announcement.

Up to 10,000 participants will be chosen, and those based outside of Japan will be selected based on a first-come, first-served basis. Nintendo said applications will close early when "the number of accepted participants has reached its limit." Interested participants must meet the following criteria:

　⚫︎　You must have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership as of Wednesday, 10/09/2024 03:00 p.m. PDT.
　⚫︎　You must be at least 18 years of age as of Wednesday, 10/09/2024 03:00 p.m. PDT.
　⚫︎　Your Nintendo Account must be registered to one of the following countries: Japan, The United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain.

The Switch Online playtest runs from October 23, 2024 at 6:00PM PT / 9:00PM ET to November 5, 2024 at 4:59PM PT / 7:59PM ET.