Nintendo's new $100 alarm clock wants to turn waking up into a game

By Grace Snelling

Nintendo's new $100 alarm clock wants to turn waking up into a game

Are you a gamer who can't wait for the Switch 2 to finally hit shelves? Well, that's unfortunate, because it's not out yet. But fear not, because Nintendo is offering you something else in the meantime: an alarm clock that tracks your sleep patterns.

The $99.99 Alarmo is a smart clock that's designed to let you and your kids "wake up in the world of Nintendo." It's programmed with sounds and icons from Super Mario Odyssey; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Splatoon 3, Ring Fit Adventure; and Pikmin 4 (with possible additional titles if you link your Nintendo account to the clock). The small gadget has an appealing early 2000s tech aesthetic (anyone remember the Mickey Mouse TV?), tempered by the somewhat dystopian twist that it's powered by a motion sensor that tracks your every move.

The stated goal with the alarm clock is to make waking up feel like a game. After the Alarmo goes off with music from the Nintendo title of your choice, it responds to your body's tossing and turning with in-universe game sounds -- and even sends a more "persuasive" character (like Bowser, for example) to convince you to get up if you stay in bed too long. Physically standing up shuts off the alarm and cues a celebration scene.

Beyond its alarm functions, the clock also has a "Records" feature that collates data on your sleep patterns, sort of like an ultra-basic sleep tracking wearable. And just like a classic alarm clock, the Alarmo is controlled via physical buttons up top rather than a touchscreen. The device uses radio wave tech to detect motion, which the company began working on at least a decade ago.

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