In today’s cramped gaming world, every manufacturer needs to have their own unique feature to get your dollar. The PlayStation has their fancy touch pad controllers, and the Xbox has Kinect. Nintendo, it seems, has a new trick up their sleeve. According to Eurogamer, the Nintendo NX console will be a portable handheld console. But, it will have it’s own display for on the go gaming with two detachable controllers on either side and a dock that connects to your TV for living room gaming sessions.
The system should be cartridge based, and powered by NVIDIA’s powerful Tegra mobile processor. Despite this, the system will not be running Android, as some earlier rumors have suggested. Nintendo will be brewing their own custom operation system for the NX.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the only first-party game that has been confirmed for the system—so far. As it gets closer to the release day I am excited to see what other classic Nintendo games come to the NX. Joining the new Zelda title, a few Wii U games are rumored to be ported over to new console such as Splatoon and Smash Bros.
The concept of a console that is equally at home, on the road, or in the living room is not completely new. For example, there is a handheld third-party SNES clone that can hook up to original controllers and a TV called the Hyperkin SUPABOY. However, this may be the first time that one of the big boys have made something similar.
The Wii U was a disaster from launch, but Nintendo’s DS and 3DS consoles were wildly popular. Given the success of their last two handheld consoles, it’s no surprise that the next one would be a living room system that can double as a handheld. That being said, it is a bold move. The NX is sacrificing power for the sake of being portable, and thus it won’t stand up to the current generation of home consoles.
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has forgone extra power and top of the line graphics for their vision, but it’s risky. “Serious” gamers are getting harder to please, and Nintendo is banking on the clever gameplay they are known for and the gimmick of having one system to do it all. It will be interesting to see if their new concept will be a success.
The Nintendo NX is expected to launch in March 2017.
Source: Eurogamer