Electronics corporation Sharp will supply Nintendo with new a free-form LCD screen that will be used in future hardware, according to a reporter based in Osaka.

　　A Japan Times article claims that Nintendo is the first company to adopt Sharp's new line of LCDs, which can be bent and formed into many different shapes.

　　Citing unnamed sources, the report explains: "Nintendo is expected to use the displays in its new portable game consoles to replace the Nintendo 3DS lines, or for a recently announced device to map sleep quality, which the company wants to market by March 2016."

　　It adds that Nintendo's deal has brought Sharp's plans forward by about a year, with mass production now set to begin in "early 2016".

　　With regards to Nintendo's own plans, Japan Times suggests the group is "considering creating a hole at the centre of the display, making it doughnut-shaped".

　　Sharp's new LCD technology allows displays to be moulded into many unique shapes, as shown in the video above.

　　If true, the deal would mark a continuation of Nintendo's partnership with Sharp, which provided auto-stereoscopic displays for the Nintendo 3DS. GameSpot has contacted Nintendo for comment.

　　In October, it was revealed that Nintendo has begun hiring staff to help work on future platforms, including a hardware architect.