Nintendo Wii U patent covers 3D high-def tablet

The Wii U's tablet controller boasts a touch screen and gyroscopic controls, but according to newly surfaced patent filings, it could also one day sport a high-definition 3D display.

As spotted by Kotaku, Nintendo's patent filings for the Wii U surfaced online this month, and they reveal the company could develop a 3D-enabled Wii U controller.

The filings also indicate that Nintendo considered making the tablet controller capable of running in high definition at 1080p. As was revealed at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Wii U itself sports visual output at that level.

Nintendo's patent filing is not a concrete indication of what the company plans to do, only that it has the right to do so, should it choose to.

Nintendo had previously said it was not interested in 3D for the Wii U.

Nintendo first showed off the Wii U at its media briefing at E3 2011, letting show attendees go hands-on with the console. The system's final hardware configuration will be at E3 2012, and the system will ship worldwide this holiday season.