Nintendo hits snooze on Alarmo’s public release

Alarmo – Nintendo’s bespoke alarm clock, which offers users the chance to wake up with a collection of noises from games like Mario and Zelda – was set for a general public release this January. However, that is no longer happening.

In a post on social media, Nintendo revealed Alarmo will remain a timed exclusive for those Nintendo Switch Online members until “early” March.

“After that, it will be available to buy from selected retailers in certain countries,” a Nintendo of Europe X post reads. “Thank you for your understanding.”

The company did not elaborate on which certain countries it was referring to. At the time of writing, a similar post has not been published on the Nintendo of America’s X feed.

Word of today’s Alarmo delay follows news in December that the gizmo would not be released publicly in Japan during the originally planned timeframe. Writing last month, Nintendo blamed its “production and inventory situation” for this decision.

Alarmo retails for £90 here in the UK, but is it worth it?

“As it is, it feels like Alarmo has untapped potential and too high a price tag as a result. I understand the attraction of keeping things simple, and I can also understand a need to be cautious around what an internet-connected device tracks in people’s bedrooms,” our Tom wrote in Eurogamer’s Alarmo review.

“But, for now, Alarmo costing £90 makes it hard to recommend. Its motion detector is fun, and I do love that Nintendo still has the capacity to surprise with something like this (especially as the world waits for Switch 2). But for a company dedicated to making such compelling games, this is a device which forces you to come up with your own.”