The device will probably never be launched commercially

Jan 8, 2013 07:22 GMT  ·  By

Disney owns a patent for a handheld gaming device that seems very similar to the final incarnation of the Nintendo made 3DS, which appears to be still in the prototype phase.

VentureBeat has uncovered the patent application that was filed back in June 2011 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The official description from the patent reads: “Techniques for displaying content using an augmented reality device are described. Embodiments provide a visual scene for display, the visual scene captured using one or more camera devices of the augmented reality device.”

The rest of the information offered by Disney is also close to the requirements for a modern handheld.

Since 2011, Disney has announced that it is focusing on PC and next-generation video games and has also bought both Marvel and LucasArts.