Nintendo announces new hardware, but it’s not the Switch 2 – it’s a bedside alarm clock

TL;DR: The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is a standalone, bedside alarm clock that comes pre-loaded with themes from five top Nintendo games including Super Mario Odyssey, Pikmin 4, Ring Fit Adventure, Splatoon 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Each game affords seven alarm varieties, called scenes. Nintendo said additional games will be available via free updates as they become available.

Nintendo has introduced a new hardware device that was first teased in an FCC filing last month. It’s not the long-rumored successor to the Switch but rather, an interactive alarm clock featuring immersive sounds and music from the Nintendo universe.

When the alarm sounds, it will start playing tunes from your game of choice – either in gentle mode to nudge you awake or in steady mode, which gets more intense the longer you stay in bed.

Built-in motion sensors respond to your movement, letting your snooze the alarm or turn it off simply by getting out of bed. It even responds to movement with game sounds – for example, the sound of coins from Super Mario Odyssey or ink splats from Splatoon 3.

Should you prefer a more traditional approach, button mode lets you control the alarm by physically pressing a button.

Alarmo isn’t just for waking up. Enable sleepy sounds, and the gadget will play soothing music and sounds to help you unwind at night. There is even an option for hourly chimes themed to your chosen title.

The alarm clock’s motion sensors also power its sleep tracking functionality. Dubbed records, the feature lets you see how much you move around in your sleep – a handy metric but one that feels a little out of place on an alarm clock that I assume is marketed to children.

Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo will be available at retail starting in early 2025, but Nintendo Switch Online members in the US and Canada can purchase it right away on the Nintendo Shop. Pricing is set at $99.99.