The PlayStation 4 “Neo” leaked, the Xbox One “Scorpio” was mooted, and now it’s Nintendo’s turn, with Eurogamer getting the scoop on the NX’s unusual hybrid portable design and reporting in quite comprehensive detail.
The main takeaways are that this is not a traditional console like the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, with Nintendo once again aiming to do something quite different. Eurogamer’s sources say that it’s a portable device first and foremost, with a tablet-esque display that has detachable control elements on either side, like a more modular version of the Wii U’s Gamepad. A base station can then be used to connect this to your TV and play games on the big screen.
However, the actual brains of the device are within the handheld screen, making this a portable device first and foremost. That doesn’t mean that they will necessarily have to skimp on processing power, but this isn’t going for the performance crown against the PS4 and Xbox One, let alone their upcoming hardware revisions.
While many have expected Nintendo to tap up AMD for a chipset – AMD have one games-related chipset contract that has yet to be revealed – Eurogamer’s sources say that it will be based on Nvidia’s Tegra chipset, with the X1 in current developer kits, a chip which is currently seen in the Shield Android TV console and Google Pixel C tablet. A separate tech analysis of this by Digital Foundry notes favourable comparisons to the previous generation PS3 and Xbox 360, which the Wii U has been comparable to in terms of performance. The NX ought still be a step up over the Wii U, in other words.
Downloads will naturally be available, but in terms of physical media, this will ditch disc-based games in favour of cartridges, which are better suited to portability. Cartridges also have loading time advantages compared to discs, and this ought to allow Nintendo to sidestep the current generation’s issue of needing to install data to a hard drive. Eurogamer suggest that cartridges will be 32GB, though they’ll likely come in a number of different sizes.
Last but not least, they say that the NX console reveal is now planned for September, with a keen focus on the console’s portability in a much simplified message about what the console can do.
Taking all of this in, what do you think? Would this be a good move by Nintendo, to continue to do something different from their competitors?
Source: Eurogamer, Digital Foundry
Matthijs
We can only hope this is their last twitch with another retarded console. Death to Nintendo hardware yah to software. MarioKart on PS4 and Xbone will be awesome. Great controllers, great online, great graphics.
May Nintendo’s next console fail like the average us president!
Lyts1985
Colour me disappointed. I was hoping for a device comparable to the current gen consoles, a proper home console, whereas this doesn’t seem a huge step up from the Wii U. I can also imagine people getting confused between this and the Wii U gamepad or even the 3DS… “Why do Nintendo have two portable consoles for sale? I’ll just buy the cheaper one”
Urgh :-(
Lyts1985
Or “Why have they brought out an updated Wii U controller when they don’t release games on the Wii U any more?”
I love Nintendo and will likely end up buying it at some point just for the 1st party games, but I’ll wait for it to flop and drop in price first.
When will they learn? Can’t they see from the success of the PS4 and X1 what the consumer has an appetite for? Especially given this’ll be competing for shelf space and consumer cash with the Scorpio and Neo…
Starman
So they went all super top secret for this?! Hardly worth it, can’t see Sony or Microsoft stealing any of the ideas from this.
Kennykazey
But there are other companies who might, if true.
Avenger
To be fair you can see from this comments section why they want to keep it a secret. If they can keep it a secret they can decide what info gets channeled and when, they can ultimately control the image and message of the NX.
This leak has scuppered that, and people’s first impressions are going to be skewed as a result, especially if part of the bigger picture is missing.
ron_mcphatty
I really like the idea, they’ve given themselves the opportunity to do a lot in terms of variety and I’d still put money on a VR mode with a plastic headset this thing slots into. They’ll need to match the Wii U for graphics and port a few big games over to draw some attention and make sure there’s no confusion between this and the DS. If they can pitch a good price, competing with cheap gaming Windows tablets like the Linx Vision 8, then they don’t need to go up against the likes of Sony and Microsoft, Nintendos aren’t for bleeding edge graphics and twitch shooters, I think they’ve made that super clear now.
Avenger
Excited for this. Don’t currently shag Xbox One or PS4, so I don’t hate it and wish it to doom.
Kennykazey
The idea of having all of Nintendos first and second party efforts targeting a single platform is quite exciting! Basically, no more prolonged draughts.
NicholasHeathfield
I would say the diagram doesn’t look plausible, and I certainly hope it’s not the design. That thing is not a DS replacement, and it is not a home console replacement either. It’s an inferior Vita knockoff with ergonomics as bad as, or worse than, the WiiU.
They would be better off keeping it nice and simple: a DS type portable that uses cartridges which can also be used on a home console, which has more processing power and switches on all the advanced graphics settings automatically. The home console then beams over basic data over wireless for secondary things to display on the DS screens. When away from the home console, the main screen moves over to the DS top screen and secondary information is all shown on the touch screen.
I didn’t think it had to be spelled out to Nintendo.
JR.
I was hoping for a more traditional console to compete with the PS4. I don’t want this.
mclarenrob2
Didn’t they learn from the relative failure of the Vita ? Nobody wants a portable console!
The Lone Steven
I don’t think they need to look at the Vita due to the 3DS being rather strong and doing well. The Vita was dead on arrival as Sony had no real intention of supporting it.
The Lone Steven
Nintendo, you know how the Wii U failed? Yeah. This is going to fail quicker as well, it’s kinda going to be competing as a tablet against consoles and PC. The tablet market is getting full and developers may not want to develop for a tablet when they can just do so for the consoles. Granted, it means that we may see some IOS/Android games getting ported over but really Nintendo? A tablet?
Why not just the Wii on steroids? Do that and it will work. Not the Wii U that was meant to be the Wii on steroids but failed because of a tablet controller.
Looks rather uncomfortable to use, the controller.
Is this meant to be a successor the the 3DS? I mean, i can see it being that but the Wii U is dead and….
what is this?
ron_mcphatty
I can’t be arsed to make any intelligent points so I bet you a £5 PSN voucher that this NX will sell at least twice as well as the WiiU in the first three months! Do you feel lucky, punk? ;)
The Lone Steven
I see your £5 and i raise you nothing as i’m a broke ass unemployed punk.
The Lone Steven
Also, do you own that comment? If so, we don’t need TSAgamblinggate to occur. :P
ron_mcphatty
Ooh, what was the first gamble gate about? It sounds rural.