Forget Switch 2 – Nintendo just released a $100 interactive alarm clock called Alarmo

ByVanessa

Oct 9, 2024

Forget Switch 2 – Nintendo just released a 0 interactive alarm clock called Alarmo

While the gaming world waits with bated breath for Nintendo to announce Switch 2, the company behind Mario has once again surprised fans with the announcement of a completely unexpected piece of hardware: an interactive alarm clock.

“Have you ever wished you could wake up in one of Nintendo's playful worlds?” the company asked in a statement to the press. “Well, it’s time to stop dreaming!”

The Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo is an interactive alarm clock designed to “add some Nintendo charm to your home and everyday life.” Alarmo will be released in early 2025 at a price of $99.99. Nintendo Switch Online members in the US and Canada can now purchase it via the My Nintendo Store.

Alarmo features motion sensor technology that responds to your movements. This means you can set the alarm clock to snooze just by moving and stop it by getting out of bed. You can choose from 35 scenes inspired by five Nintendo titles – Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4 and Ring Fit Adventure – then set a time and let Alarmo do its work let.

Here's the official blurb from Nintendo:

In the morning you will experience immersive sounds and music from your chosen scene. Wake up to the sounds of the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and his friends, start your daytime adventure with Link and Princess Zelda, or start anew with the Inklings from Splatoon 3. And these are just a few of the experiences you can wake up to!

That's not all – you can also check the recordings to see how much you move while you sleep, set an hourly chime to match your chosen track, and switch between continuous and gentle modes for your morning alarm. In continuous mode, the alarm becomes more intense the longer you stay in bed, while gentle mode offers a more consistent level of intensity. There's also button mode for a more traditional, tactile “press the snooze” alarm clock experience. You can even use Sleep Sounds to help you wind down with soothing music and sounds at your designated bedtime.

This is how it works. Before the alarm sounds, a character from the title you selected will wait patiently on the screen. When the alarm sounds, you will hear gentle tones specifically tailored to the scene you have selected. Then a visitor comes. After a few seconds, someone (or something!) from the scene you selected will appear. You can then wave your hand or move your body to make the clock quieter. Depending on the title you selected, you may also hear coins or other familiar game sounds when you interact with Alarmo.

At some point your visit will end and gentle sounds will play again until your visitor returns. (This repeats several times if you stay in bed.) If you stay in bed too long, your alarm will get stronger and you'll get a visit from someone more “persuasive,” Nintendo warned. (Yes, it's Bowser.) When you get all the way out of bed, the alarm goes silent and you're treated to a brief fanfare of victory.

As with releasing patches for its video games, Nintendo will update Alarmo for free with scenes from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons as they become available.

It should be noted that Alarmo is only compatible with single to king size beds. According to Nintendo, it should be placed facing the center of the bed, within arm's reach and no higher than 20cm above the sleeper. If there is more than one sleeper in bed, Nintendo recommends using Button Mode for “the best experience.”

And if you're worried about Alarmo spying on you as you sleep and telling Nintendo how much you're tossing around, the company insists the device “doesn't transmit any information” to the Mario maker.

It's not the Switch 2 announcement we expected, but Alarmo is new hardware from Nintendo that's always worth getting up for.

Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].