Rumor: New Information on Next-Gen "Nintendo NX" Console

DuelPixels:
Below you will find our source, Geno, disclosing a large sum of information pertaining to the new Nintendo console, dubbed Project NX, and whats to come after this information dump.

[DivineAssault]

mmmmk.. I cant wrap my head around how this would work but sure.. I know nintendo innovates so i wouldnt be surprised if they pull off something crazy awesome..

[breakpad]

if these rumors are true here it comes another fail..why Nintendo ? why you cannt just make a damn normal powerful console with discs,internet and TV output ?...in japan may have some success but everywhere else will be a flop ... imagine yourself a 25+ man to roam around with a Nintendo pad to play games, while all the chicks around have an ipad, samsung or smthing serious (not that Nintendo isnt a serious company..but is a serious game console developper) ...so NX will end where it began, it will be used again as a home console only but again with less capabilities in comparison to the competitors...

[itBourne]

Nintendo for consoles needs to say fuck the 3rd party. They need to be the Apple of consoles. Say you have to own us because we are Nintendo and we have something that isnt available elsewhere. They need to move their top things to the console... They need to say Pokemon is coming to console on the serious factor, you have a full real Pokemon Game on console the real deal. They need to say we have a fully new Zelda, a NEW Zelda, not another 1990's/early 2000's game Zelda. Professor Leyton, is a full graphical blast, Fire Emblem yes we got that.

Literally, with how many generations (by generations... I mean amount of generational people not pokemon generations) Pokemon has impacted. They say full proper 3d MMO Pokemon, and did it well, nothing else would matter. 20 million units sold first year easy..

[itBourne]

BTW, does anyone realize here that Nintendo doesnt NEED to do a damn thing? Their handhelds are going to sell out the ass no matter what, they have a HUGE cash reserve and have investments/ownership in soooo much more then video games.

[fei-hung]

Nintendo does well due to Nintendo games and quirks. The Wii was an anomaly.

For the next Nintendo console to be successful it won't be due to power or third party support, but how well they can market it right, price point for what it is and first party games support.

The WiiU had the least amount of games I was interested in. I can't believe we only got one 3D Mario game, no Star Fox to date, no new Zelda to date and no 3D Donkey Kong game.

Nintendo need to realise the Wii was a one off and to get their next machine to be successful, they must make games that Nintendo is known for. Might even be worth outsourcing work to Playtonic and asking them to create a new Banjo style game.

[Rayven]

Why does it seem like I'm the only one who read the article?

It says right there that the NX will be comparable to Xbox One in terms of power and that one of the 3rd party publishers that was given a dev kit describes NX as one of the easiest consoles to port to.

This tells us that NX will be like the other consoles this gen in terms of power and ability to play third party games.

What I really like about it though is how innovative they're being. First, instead of an HDMI cord, they provide a wireless HDMI dongle. So convenient.

Then it was said that it will have a bluetooth feature where you can connect your phone to NX, meaning if you receive a call or text, it will show in your screen.

TL;DR
NX is like the other consoles this gen in terms of power and capability plus other convenient features according to rumor.

[MrSec84]

Nintendo absolutely needs to get 3rd party back on board,IMO the way they can do that is by removing the boundaries between their handheld and console customers, along with actually making games that appeal to the same audience that buys 3rd party titles.

Identical processing architecture to the competition, a known API (like Vulkan) and easy to use development tools, with good development support to the development community and Nintendo would be set.

It makes no sense to only focus on the Nintendo only audience, as it's clear that market is shrinking (you only have to look at the sales of 3DS and Wii U compared to the predecessors to see that's true).

Nintendo can both cater to their core audience and newer gamers if they unify their development of games between handheld and console.
The tech exists to make this happen.

It's impossible for a handheld running games at 720p to be able to handle the graphical settings of even XB1 at that resolution, but it can be done at 480p for a mobile platform.

It makes more sense for NX to have more than one device, a handheld running games natively at 480p with the same graphical settings as PS4 and XB1, while the console could do it at 1080p 60FPS using a GPU similar to AMD's Polaris and a Zen or Puma AMD CPU.

Unless the NX handheld gets it's processing performance supplemented by an external device like PC, PS4 or XB1 and that boosts it when you go home or to a friends house and play NX games there.

Hopefully with all of these rumors starting to get more prevalent Nintendo will be having a conference soon to start talking about what NX really is and showing what it can do.

[DarXyde]

I think it sounds very interesting and has tremendous potential to get back third party support. It doesn't sound like people will buy it for multiplatform titles, but it also means it's pretty much guaranteed support thanks to its incredible ease of development that aligns with the best selling current gen console.

And frankly, if the information here is true, it sounds like it's poised to become the most modern console out without losing its identity as a console.

In my opinion though, if you could just take PS4 code and compile it and have it run on NX, it makes more sense to have its power be comparable to PS4. That way, specs are better matched and it's less work for developers.

It'd be nice if it was more powerful, but it still needs to be affordable. A Nintendo console with enough power to have third party support? Count me in.

I hope it does well in reviving the Japanese console market. Sony and Nintendo can work together and do something incredible here.

[n1kki6]

Maybe the 25 year old isn't their target demo anymore.

[MrSec84]

I really don't get why anyone would disagree with what I posted earlier, it's all fact, especially Nintendo needing to get 3rd party back on board.
I mean the purpose of a business is to make money and as a console manufacturer if your core audience is shrinking (which is a fact for Nintendo), then you should branch out in the kind of games you can get on the platform.

Nintendo making games that appeal to the western 3rd party audience doesn't prevent them from still making their core Nintendo games, especially if both or all of their platforms going forward can run anything Nintendo makes.
They wouldn't have to make a handheld specific 3D or 2D Mario game, it can run on both platforms and that then opens up development resources that would normally only make Mario to make more than that one kind of game.

Also as a byproduct of Nintendo getting more gamers to buy their systems they'll likely sell even more copies of a Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc.
Just because newer gamers will be trying out Nintendo games.
This is how Nintendo grows their customer base, not by continuing to make the same games over and over again, with a few additions here and there or just refining the same formula.

It doesn't work from a business perspective, it's like a mad person doing the same thing and expecting things to change, you're just stuck in the same place and people get bored.

I have to laugh at people who can't recognize reality, especially gamers that insist they like a company and want them to survive, yet they only ever want them to keep making the same games, which is eventually going to kill the company.

If you're a gamer you want as many games as possible, of quality on the platforms you play on. Nintendo have an awesomely talented group of developers and they're wasted if they can only keep making the same kinds of games or their handicapped into making the same game, with a few tweaks to keep 2 platforms each generation filled with games. We can already see that making a bunch of handheld Zelda games and the core console going without for years has effected the sales of the core console.

Imagine a Nintendo that made a bunch of newer IPs on a regularly bases like Splatoon, alongside the standard games the company are known for and you don't have to buy 2 platforms to play all of them, you can just get the one that suits you.
Of course you can still buy both pieces of hardware if you like, for options on where you'd like to play and the games are never going to be held back by handheld level hardware, they just scale to fit the platforms.

This is the best thing for Nintendo and I really hope they do this.
I'd love to see them making more new IPs like Sony have been. Maybe with NX Nintendo will start to be the company they always should have been all this time.

@n1kki6: You realize that the very gamers that Nintendo was making games for in the NES and SNES era would have continued to buy Nintendo's consoles if they'd actually made games for them right?

Thinking how you have is precisely why Nintendo lacks in sales now.
You don't just make games for a tiny portion of the market, especially when the 25 year old or older are the ones who actually have purchasing power now.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I'm sorry infected but what many gamers are asking for is for Nintendo to at least be up with standards of other platforms I don't even think power is the issue so much as architectural design and then having a real stable set of features.

If they are once again going out of the loop and seeking some sort of gimmicky concept it very much could be their last console as nothing is really wrong with that other than their complete lack of standard features.

Because you're sarcastically saying we need another console that's like the other two but isn't it clear the fans have spoken with their wallets and went with the other two?

Doesn't that tell you clearly those gamers do not want Nintendo is currently offering?

So your advice is for them to continue to be more different and continue to fail? I'm not sure that sounds like a wise idea.

[Philface]

@ED: So you say Everyone who owns a PS4 or Xbox or both is willing to buy an other console which does noting new? I don't think so. And even for sake of Nintendo games, people could have bought the Wiiu as secondary console. True is they have to pick up features from today's gaming but on the other hand they have to be different in a way.

@MrSec: These are not all facts but certainly very good IDEAS.

[never4get]

"supplemental computing device" is serious. powerful 4K/3D gaming console.

[WiiU-Dude]

That is why releasing this year is so important. It means XB1/PS4 have only been out for 3 years. Neither of those companies will hit until 2018 at the earliest, but likely 2019. If Nintendo has at least XB1 power and has up to a 4 year window and is crazy easy to port. It may very well be a success. Especially if it somehow seemlessly integrates with their new handheld.
If they waited until next year and DIDNT make their machine a powerhouse then yes there would be trouble. Imagine the current tragetory. IF Sony and/or Microsoft releases 2019. That means the NX wil be on its 4th year. Nintendo could theatrically release in 2020 , be out 5 years (the traditional system cycle) and by waiting then make a machine more powerful than Sony or XB1 - if they wanted to!!
Just a thought.

[hay]

Looks cool. As cool as IPhone slapped to the WiiU controller wireless connected to the PC can look.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Phil - I'm not entirely sure where you got that impression I do not believe that the industry currently can support 3 consoles in terms of third party games I believe the majority of gamers that may have purchased a Nintendo console to also play third party games have moved on and are currently on with PlayStation 4 and Xbox one I don't believe again the industry has room for a third player in terms of third party games as I believe Sony and Microsoft now own a large chunk of that market right now.

I believe Nintendo does need to get 3rd party support back in order for their system to even be a slight success but I also believe that ship has sailed long ago in the gamers that were willing to support the platform to play some of those titles have moved on elsewhere they've kind of lost their business to other companies that are doing consoles much better and getting greater support because of it.

Even if they get a title like GTA people have to understand having the next GTA doesn't mean you have the best version of it in also doesn't mean your networking is the best for such titles consider if they're not up to snuff with their networking service people may prefer to play that game elsewhere where it's a better network setup.

Considering how low wii u sales are I actually believe that ship has sailed with a large number of consumers a very very long time ago. The huge installed base of Call of Duty GTA Mass Effect Assassin's Creed Etc fans are likely already established on the main big three platforms.

[Ninja_G_Aidan]

With all the chicks watching you play a Nintendo?! You sound like a virgin mate. Me personally couldn't care less what people think about what I be doing.
I bring that 3ds into the middle of a rave and you watch the bitches around me digging into me while I play Super Mario.

[rainslacker]

@itBourne

Interesting take.

Funny thing though, Apple doesn't really have anything unique despite their marketing saying otherwise. They have a user base, relevant hardware, and their system is pretty accessible to developers of all types...two things Nintendo hasn't been that great on with on their home consoles in a while(Although Wii had user base). That's why Apple has support, not because they offer something so unique that people just have to have it....although a lot of people do buy them for that because Apple Marketing is very good.

[Philface]

@ED: I have to admit it wasn't well worded what I meant. What I wanted to say is that it won't be enogh for the NX to be an console that clones PS or Xbox in terms of 3rd party support (which is mandatory at this point) and graphics. Non-Nintendo fans will not buy the NX if they already own a PS or Xbox or both just because of Nintendo games. If there was this intreset in Nintendo games from those people more Wiiu consoles (as secondary console) would otherwise have been sold.

Nintendo has to bring something new to the table to convice people to buy there new product.

[dcbronco]

@Rayven

The problem is given the chip sizes coming this year this is a perfect opportunity for Nintendo to leapfrog the competition. I know they're cheap, but they can be cheap and still boost power well past Sony and Microsoft. You would think they learned from Wii U. This would mean they haven't.

They think their problem was porting. The Wii U was as powerful as the PS3 and Xbox 360. But it was late to the generation. Only Nintendo fans are going to buy a last second entry that only matches the ability of consoles everyone but the blind already knows are underpowered. Nintendo's ticket to great sales is a much more powerful console. Selling for $249 won't do any thing for you.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@phil- I see, agreed. They need something new I'm not entirely sure third party support can save them but they at least need to try or they might need to consider going third-party themselves as a publisher.

[pcz]

Whatever Nintendo do will most likely be a good idea in principle, but Sony or Microsoft will simply take that idea and do it better in their future consoles.

IE Nintendo might make a hybrid between handheld and console, but it will be flawed it will be ugly and weak, it will be bulky etc Sony or micro will then come along and do it 'properly'

Unfortunately this is the way it has been since the Wii, since Nintendo are seemingly unwilling to invest the money required to give us the technology we dream of, instead we get these horrible cheap incarnations of what are good ideas in principle

[Seraphim]

My concern with all that power is size. if it's too small does it have adequate cooling for all that power? The concept and details were interesting in the article were interesting. Though some very trivial and overall useless. I fail to see the need other than pure addiction or laziness that requires you to synch your phone with your console to answer calls and/or read texts.

Personally I think Nintendo really needs to work on their first party development studios. Expand, envision, enrich. Obviously those who solely own a Nintendo will appreciate 3rd party support, which they do need. Especially if anyone in this day actually only owns a Nintendo console. For me and others the real selling point are original & new IPs. Zelda, Mario, Samus, Kirby, and so on are all great but they should be looking to expand. And why does it take so bloody long for them to release a new Zelda, Metroid, ect? What always keeps PS fresh is the new and interesting IPs. That's what has always set PS apart for me. MS has had a good number as well while overall, Nintendo just lacks. So that's where I see them setting themselves apart and selling to gamers who are looking for a complementary console. Expanding their development force to keep franchises releases more often along with taking some risk and developing some great new IPs.

[indysurfn]

WHAT!? The wii was not BULKY compared to the 360 or ps3. In fact both those consoles was WAY bulkier than the Wii.

AND the wiiu is WAY more compact than the PS4 and the xbox one. I have all three of them! Your either purposely lying, or DONT KNOW! your just preaching douchbag assumptions.

Why are you commenting on EVERY NINTENDO article with misinformation? WHY?

[rainslacker]

I put out there before the reveals of this gen that one of the companies could come out on stage and show a hybrid mobile/home console solution. I said it might be Sony, due to the rather firm rumors that the 720, as it was called at the time, would probably go the traditional route of just being a home console(features weren't as discussed then). I posited Sony due to them having interest in both spaces and how heavily they seem to be interested in the Vita at the time, and Nintendo having already released the WiiU, I thought an actual hybrid console would combat any appeal that the WiiU Gamepad had, and take it to the next logical step.

I never considered that about 3 years later, Nintendo would be on the cusp of releasing such a system, but it is a rather logical step for Nintendo as well...albeit rather quick as far as generations go.

I think it might be too soon to count Nintendo out. They have some obstacles to overcome for sure, but they can hit gold when they run with a good idea. I think at times though they hold back the brands potential by trying to keep the price in the family range, as well as trying to hard to keep this family friendly image which isn't selling their systems to that great a degree. It sells their software for sure, but that's only good for Nintendo, not the numerous 3rd parties out there.

Not saying Nintendo needs to stop being family friendly, just restructure their advertising to not portray just that aspect of their consoles. Thought there was hope this gen early on, but Baynoetta was kind of an anomaly on getting more mature content, and even that was limited in appeal due to it's presentation being more Japanese than Western.

[thisismyaccount]

del. pointless comment

[-Foxtrot]

Long as it has a normal, traditional controller I'll be fine

If they continue with the game pad then they've lost me...why waste money on it

[masso9112]

Normal, traditional, and PLEASE high quality, their last controllers left a lot to be desired mostly in terms of analog sticks (nunchuck,wii classic controller, gamepad, wii u pro controller) they have A LOT of dead space, and feel cheap and toyish

[3-4-5]

* So many Nintendo haters out there mad because Nintendo refuses to conform to what THEY want, and instead has the nuggets to do their own thing once again.

* Haters are going to hate....that is all it is.

* Can't wait to see the games for the NX.

It's going to be more powerful than the Wii U and that is all that matters for specs really.

The games that focused on art style on the Wii U look beautiful, and the NX games are going to look even better.

[n1kki6]

mrsec84 do you know how target market segmentation works? Not everyone is the core demo even if a product can and will appeal to all. The wiiu didn't sell, but it was obviously geared towards family friendly and kids. It didn't work out but that was the target demograohic. Arm chair marketers on n4g. I could certainly go into ROI and ROMI but I think we all agree the wiiu missed the mark. Still doesn't mean the core demographic is a 25 year old male gamer. If anything it's probably the 35+ crowd who were there in the 80s and now have kids along with the younger handheld gamer and core 3ds owners. But I doubt the 25 year old is the core demo. Marketing 101 you can't be everything to everyone and if you try you will fail. Market analysis would say the 25 year old gamer is already satisfied and that market is filled. A third system competing for the same targets dollar would be even worse than identifying and opportunity and creating a market.

[Haru]

Sounds like a powerful portabile console which you can connect to your tv via a hdmi dongle so you can enjoy your games on the big screen while playing at home or you can play them on the mini screen on the go It's a bsically a 2in1 which doesn't sound that bad

[Kalebninja]

You're joking right? i dont understand why people keep trying to say its a handheld, its not, Reggie himself said it was a home console 8 months ago. a handheld couldn't dish out the same graphics as a current gen console and it would overheat for sure.

[ABizzel1]

"The closest in terms of “power” it gets to is the Xbox One"

The Wii U has already been surpassed by mobile / tablet hardware with:
Adreno 430 / 530, (400 / 400 - 500 GFLOP)
Tegra K1, X1, (350 / 512 GFLOP)
PowerVR GT7800 / 7800+ / 7900, (350 / 350 / 600 - 800 GFLOP)

Mobile graphics have jumped, and what it really boils down to is just how much Nintendo is planning on selling NX for at launch. On top of that all of these formats are going to be last-generation since new fabrications are releasing this year, which means Nintendo can get these specs for much less than they would normally cost.

That's a 350 GFLOP - 800 GFLOP handheld (more than likely 350 - 512 GFLOP). That performance is slightly greater than Wii U, but with more RAM, and a more traditional architecture it simply means porting PS4 / XBO games down to low settings and dropping the resolution down to 720p which is fine for a mobile game.

As far as the handheld goes this is the greatest rumored news I've heard for NX handheld version, because it's exactly what I've been saying Nintendo needs spec wise, and software wise.

It's basically an evolution of the Wii U gamepad, that doesn't look like a fisher price toy, that improves upon the streaming tech via HDMI, has significantly better mobile integration (and probably PC and console as well via streaming), a little more focus on multiplayer (this needs to turn into a lot more focus on MP), and AR.

It's everything Nintendo needs, and everything I wanted to hear to before I even gave NX a second thought. Now they simply need games (which hopefully will be there in masses), a good looking product (Samsung meets 2DS....hmmm), and a great price $299 or less depending on the performance.

The only thing that's weird is the 100x Vita, and 50x Wii U. If they're talking about overall performance power, that's not happening. The Vita is 51.2 GFLOPS, and Wii U is 352 GFLOPS. That would be a 5.12 TFLOP handheld, and a 17.6 TFLOP console..... top end GPUs are over $600 and only in the 6 - 8 realm while running at +200w.

However what makes perfect sense is if they meant 10x Vita, and 5x Wii U, which translates into a 512 GFLOP handheld (which fits perfectly with the above mobile specs), and 1.76 TFLOP console (just a tad below the PS4's 1.84).

[Kalebninja]

@ABizzel1 what do you not understand about REGGIE HIMSELF saying its a HOME console, HOME! you're delusional as hell.

[jholden3249]

What do YOU not get about the fact this DOES WORK AS A CONSOLE, via the wireless HDMI dongle.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I've been saying for months now that I believe they're leaving the console market and exclusively going handheld and they're compensating to the console owners by having an out to the TV so they could play their games on the TV screen similar to the PSP 3000.

So in some respect it can be treated like a home console but also treated like a dedicated handheld.

It wouldn't shock me if they made this move as their hand helds get more success than their consoles and they could also no longer fragment there install base and instead have all their studios working on one device versus having it split.

It makes complete sense for them to go full force on their hand held it makes complete sense for them to no longer seek a dedicated console solely. They just cannot compete with Microsoft and Sony in the console space and I just don't believe there's room for a third player.

[Kalebninja]

Jesus I can't believe any of you seriously think that its going to be a handheld, when E3 comes around I'm going to make sure to call everyone out on their stupidity.

[Satou]

@Kalebninja They're downvoting you because the rumor is, the console IS a handheld. Hence, the hybrid handheld/console. Think like a severely oversized handheld, almost console-like with wireless hdmi-dongle to connect to the tv.

I for one, hate the idea of a handheld/console hybrid and hope they're two separate machines.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Kale-: relax it's merely speculation.

No one is "stupid" in this respect, Its again merely speculation.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

If it's a portable the games will look no better than or worse than Wii U graphics on a TV.

[ABizzel1]

This is true for the most part. The games should perform a bit better since mobile hardware has GPUs that are roaming around the 500 GFLOP range (40% - 50% more powerful than Wii U), and 4GB of RAM (2x as much RAM).

So games should look similar, but run better. The huge benefit is the architecture will be very similar to PS4 and XBO, which means ports can be much easier across all 3 platforms, as well as PC and mobile.

Hardware is important and for a handheld this is pretty much top tier in 2015 / 2016, but a massive library of software is even more important.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

@ABizzel1

I always hear people say mobile GPUs are more powerful than last generation but I can guarantee you the CPU power isn't. Also are you talking about the top end Mobile hardware that cost twice as much as the PS4?

[DivineAssault]

That would be really cool.. It says porting is the easiest ever seen and power matching that of PS4. Games are super expensive to make so maybe they'll get ports from this gen until Sony/M$ decide to move on.. Half of the games this gen were remasters anyway so they can catch up with software pretty quick.. Maybe theyre done making handhelds and will have portable home consoles from now on..

Does it just plug into a wall while your away from a TV or have a decent lithium battery? It has bluetooth for your phone/tablets too.. I wonder what thats for.. Either way, i love their 1st party and have faith in what theyre going to do so im on board.. This a rumor and they couldve made changes since Iwata's passing.. Who knows but ill be playing Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Smash, etc on NX one day for sure regardless what people think about its horsepower.. I also have PS for other games..

[ZayZay_11]

"Developers have described to me more than once that it visually and functionally looks as if “Samsung and the Nintendo 2DS” had a baby."

What?

[Idiedgoodbye]

lol I haven't read the article but that sound's funny. Hopefully it's a mistranslation haha.

[DivineAssault]

Yeah, wtf is Samsung supposed to look like? Do they mean a Samsung tablet?

[iTechHeads]

Look at a Samsung phone or tablet and then look at the 2DS.
You know a baby has features of its parents right? Use your imagination.

[Idiedgoodbye]

Nintendo has the potential to be awesome but they limit themselves by producing kid friendly entertainment. I don't know what NX is but hopefully it doesn't disappoint and is on par or better than a Ps4. I wont be buying one until half a decade of time passes, just to see if it flop's or not.

[ABizzel1]

Based on the rumor, this is the handheld version, and it's more than likely around 1/3 the power of the PS4, which isn't bad for a handheld.

The console isn't really being talked about, outside of the 50x Wii U, which doesn't make any kind of sense, and I think that's a misprint for 5x Wii U, in which case the NX console will be pretty much identical with the PS4 in performance, and if it launches in 2017 it should be $250 at launch.

[Idiedgoodbye]

Oh ok so there's still hope for the home console I hope.

[jholden3249]

I don't think you're getting it.

This IS the console. This IS the handheld. It's one unit.

Read the article.

It's basically on par with Xbox One, but as a handheld unit (that's pretty freakin impressive). Can stream HDMI to any TV wirelessly using "an evolved version of the Wii U gamepad streaming technology". And the OS is basically the same as other 2 consoles. Developers claim they "just dump the source code, compile it and it's done." Said "easiest device they've ever ported to".

That means their 3rd party problem are over as well.

So think about it. Nintendo games, 3rd party games, is a handheld as strong as Xbox One but wirelessly streams 1080p to any TV so it works as a console also.

That sounds freaking awesome! (If it's true of course) .

***You say why buy one if I have PS4/X1? Well, number one, Nintendo games on the go or on TV (and by consolidating console/handheld the software output will be twice as much), number two, 3rd party games on par with Xbox One ON THE GO, which will look WAY better than PS4 on a smaller screen. Not to mention all the cool extra features the article mentioned.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Completely agreed with Jhold

I've been saying this for months and months as I believe they are trying to find a common ground even Nintendo themselves have stated there next platform will have the most support ever put into a platform meaning that it's likely going to have all their studios 100% working on the device simply because it will not be fragmented with another device meaning it's very likely it's both.

So we don't have to worry about the handheld getting an animal crossing in the console not, all the games were released on one device and if you want to play it on your TV sure if you want to take it on the road that's fine too I don't believe they're seeking to create a dedicated console any longer as in this day in age maybe it doesn't make sense for Nintendo to go that route again people the PSP 3000 very much works this way.

[DarXyde]

And why is that an issue? If it's rated E, it's more accessible.

...not that this had ever stopped clueless parents from buying their kids Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.

[BenRage3]

You are so correct, but most won't see the irony in your statement.

[iTechHeads]

Don't expect it to be anywhere near the PS4 in terms of power. Like you said yourself, Nintendo makes family friendly consoles/handhelds. So unless they do a completely 180.....its not going to happen.

[rainslacker]

OK....number 4 alone makes this dubious to me.

"The closest in terms of “power” it gets to is the Xbox One, but an app idea is Wii U x50 and Playstation Vita x100. The key is that all the tech is exactly the same hardware layout as the PS4 and Xbox One which then combine it with the OS’s strong emulation functions and compiler means that any game that can run of a Playstation 4 or Xbox One can easily run on the NX with near-zero modification to the original source code, especially if it runs in Android OS or Unreal Engine 4. This is allegedly why Nintendo has given out the dev kits so late, as one 3rd Party dev put it “It’s the easiest device we’ve ever developed for. You just take your code, compile it and it works.”"

Not the hardware part, but the emulation part.

First, the X1 and PS4 do not have the same hardware layout. They both use the same architecture, but that doesn't include all the special stuff included in each, and Nintendo isn't going to be releasing a console which has similar hardware to both from both, because it would drive up the cost significantly.

It doesn't matter how good the emulation is, there is absolutely no way Nintendo could get away with emulating PS4 or Xbox code on the system. With Xbox software, there is an API issue that Nintendo uses OGL, and XBox uses DX.

These things are not just a recompile and call it done kind of thing. On top of that, the code that's supposedly being emulated is copyrighted, and can't just be used in such a way.

Even if compiling to new code, there is no way around the fact that certain functions just won't work without modification to the source code, and if this were true, it indicates that Nintendo is using a very high level API, which doesn't actually bode well for more powerful games.

Near Zero modification to source code is just a pipe dream, and it removes any special hardware that's available within either system.

Android OS routines are very high level, so that's probably not a problem. Unreal can be high level, but developers with the full engine usually tailor quite a bit to achieve greater results, and I can't imagine how Nintendo can just rip off API functions to such a degree to allow what is improperly being called "emulation".

The rest of the stuff is mostly OK, and hard to discredit. Seems reasonable in some places, questionable in others, but mostly inconsequential without more context.

Then there's this line

"You just take your code, compile it and it works."

I'm sorry, that sounds like high level code to me. High level code works. It's the mid to low level stuff which is such a pain in the ass...especially when doing cross console...regardless of platform similarities.

[ABizzel1]

I think you're diving too deep into the technical.

I think it's more just the fact that the NX is likely using the same architecture, which makes porting significantly easier.

And as far as source code goes, the PS4 and XBO currently do the same thing when moving PC code over. They games are buggy, crash, and have fps all over the place, but overall the source code still pretty much works. A couple of devs said this much at launch for those consoles (I think the Crew was one of them). Even the time I've spent with debug units, it pretty much works (it's not flawless at all, but the content does run).

I agree the wording seems a bit pipe-dream, but what I take away from it is that the NX handheld at least will be much easier to develop for, has a very similar architecture to the PS4 and XBO (which makes sense, since AMD pretty much confirmed they're working on the NX for Nintendo).

[rainslacker]

I've come to find out this was translated, so it's possible the meaning is different than what was written. Personally, I've never worked on a AAA game that would just work to such a degree that minimal changes to source code were needed, which made the whole concept of being able to port so easily rather dubious. The more optimized code gets for one console this becomes even truer. I have however made games using engine provided tools which don't delve too deep into the low level which can be ported fairly easily. The idea of emulation, which was misused terminology, just isn't feasible in the way it was used here, however, I think the more appropriate term would be it has high portability due to it using many of the same architecture related coding...which is why many games are easier to port now. However, the less a game delves into the low level, then obviously the more high level it will be, which isn't what you'd see in high end AAA games or even mid-tier games, but rather more of the low-mid level indie stuff from devs which don't have as strong of a command of interfacing the API's directly through the engine.

[ABizzel1]

@letas_go

I don't, I just work in the technology field, so I work with software engineers, hardware developers, designers, and more frequently, and personally I'm a Communications major / computer science minor who builds PC's, has to stay on top of new technological devices, Samsung certified, Apple certified, mobile distributor, and a budding software developer...

So unlike the majority of n4g, I have a sound and informed opinion on the majority of this material, because I'm in the region where most of this news makes it's way into the US, and often visit the other part of the US where most of the development manufacturer's are, so I get to see and hear a lot about unreleased technology all the time.

Kind of like how I knew about the Galaxy S7 aka Samsung Hero, and the fact the Gear VR was free with the phone, before the announcement was made. There's also several more "free" things that come with the S7 that's going to make it a 1 stop shop, so to speak as Samsung is trying their best to get marketshare from Apple, because the cellphone market has pretty much peaked in major countries like the US, JP, and most of continental EU. So all that's left in those regions is to steal marketshare from one another, and if you're getting capable of getting 4 expensive pieces of hardware from Samsung, then that's an incentive to switch. Also polls are down for iPhone's and with over 40% either unhappy or not impressed by their current iPhone compared to their 1st / 2nd iPhone. And over 60% of iPhone users still have iPhones from the 5 & 4 lines, with over 20% having the 6 line, and just under 20% having a 3 or older. This is why Samsung has been making their devices look more and more like iPhone's, and why Apple is suing so much, because Samsung is trying to steal a big chunk of that near 80% of iPhone 1 - 5 users when they're eligible to upgrade, and having a phone that looks like an iPhone in design, OS format layout makes the switch easier.

So I just post the information out there, and let the trolls disagree with me, then comeback a month or more later and give the I told you so.

As far as the NX goes, I don't have any concrete details over it. But technologically speaking, the specs should perfect for a device that should be tablet sized.

AMD micro APU,
Octo-Core CPU (more than likely Performance Quad + Energy Quad)
500 GFLOP GPU (about 40% more powerful than Wii U, almost 10x Vita)
4GB of RAM (Coming standard in many smartphones 4GB of RAM already)

Nintendo can go up or down on these specs to make sure price : performance is fine, but for a handheld those are great numbers.

[Aenea]

Yup, when I read that I said "bullshit!". It's not possible, the X1 and the PS4 have their own APIs, games use those APIs, it's highly unlikely Nintendo implemented both of those APIs. Even if they could, technically, I doubt they are even allowed to, legally.

Which means that a "just compile and it works" is not gonna happen.

Sure, if you use an unmodified Unreal 4 engine and use nothing specific for any console then it might work, but even then it's doubtful that you don't need to change some things to make it work better on the NX...

[ChickeyCantor]

Once compiled those "APIs" are nothing but machine code.

[Aenea]

@ChickeyCantor

You clearly don't know how an OS (or DirectX or PS4's equivalent) works do you?

An API is nothing more than a description on how to use and call a specific routine located inside the OS and/or a shared library.

So no, once the game is compiled the game won't run without the OS and/or shared libraries it needs.

[rainslacker]

My original comment was based on a translation to English prediction from the "source" in question. After I realized it was a translation, I took the time to try and see what he was likely trying to say based on logic and reasoning based on my own knowledge of how such things work. I was a bit quick to jump the gun on calling it out on this point, because logically, some of the things I said obviously aren't going to happen.

One major key thing i talked about was the word "emulation" being used. Nintendo could not just emulate code from the other systems, however, the quote is likely talking about how building from the devs source code is much easier, albeit, I can't for the life of me imagine it's as simple as the quote makes it sound(possible hyperbole or looked at in relation to current practices).

The only thing that I can stand by from my original comment was the fact that the higher end a game gets, the chances that porting is simple will not be anywhere near the same experience for the dev, because, as you point out as well, those games do not use stock API's, but rather developer built routines which may not work between systems....even if they use the same architecture.

A good example would be a game for X1 that takes advanage of ESRAM would need some major changes to work on the PS4, because the PS4 handles it's frame buffers differently.

While differing API's do hinder portability, there are a lot of tools which handle the translation between them(I make such tools myself). The only thing that can't be translated easily in most cases is those routines which deal with any unique hardware within a system...like ESRAM in X1, or those routines which run better on the higher bandwidth RAM in the PS4.

API's themselves only deal with the software end of the spectrum. They themselves do not handle how the software interacts with the hardware itself, with the exception of low level API's. Even with similar hardware or even the same architecture, it doesn't mean that all commands would be available to all the systems. The API interfaces with the OS, and the OS handles the connection to the hardware...although this can be circumvented with low level API's.

[rainslacker]

@Chickey

Everything becomes machine code. The compiler uses the API to determine what machine code to make, however, a compiler has to be able to translate that code to specific builds in order for it to work.

Technically speaking, any source code of a language available on a system, will work on said system assuming the compiler can interpret the source code to create instructions. However, any programmer that uses C or C++ will tell you, that at times, even common C/C++ code does not always translate from one system to another directly, even if built within a compiler that supports said system(often rare for C nowadays, and C++ in it's PC form is laced with a lot of framework so it's not as much of an issue, These frameworks are just a higher level of a kind of API, although not API's in themselves). On console however, framework programming is minimal or non-existent, and used more for system interaction tasks like saving a game or accessing a feature of the OS. That being said, any framework that may exist, also will not translate to another system and will have to be rebuilt...although modern engines take care of this pretty seamlessly.

The problem is, is that different API's can, and often do, tell the compiler a different way to handle the software, and often times, those different ways aren't compatible between systems, or aren't as efficient between platforms...thus why code specifically being built for one platform won't just work on another, and Nintendo can't just rip off code to make it work because those processes are copyrighted. Even the tool makers have to license such things from the API or console makers for cross platform tools.

For instance(used for example only), if Sony has a specific way to handle a page swap to meet compliance, and the X1 does it a completely different way, then the compiler trying to write a page swap on X1 will return an error if there are other functions attached to that page swap because the process will be different, and the X1 hardware would not allow the routine to execute. If it did build to X1, it could potentially cause all sorts of problems.

[Skate-AK]

Some pretty interesting info here if it is true.

[Zodiac]

Very specific examples, which means to me that its either entirely false or entirely correct. I don't think you can have any "middle ground" with rumors that are so specific.

[TheGamingArt]

The idea of associating it with Samsung and Android worries me... Sounds like the right direction though... just worried about execution.

[XXXL]

Sounds interesting.

[Hunkaloverbear]

Would sit nice next to my xbox one and ps4

[Killz4Twinkies]

Exactly

[Killz4Twinkies]

Day 1

[Booyaka619]

Nice, might buy it, will be a great addition to my ps4 and pc, the only combo that is required this gen.

[fanboysmackdown]

If it's only as powerful as the X1 and PS4 that would be a joke. By the time it releases this fall, it will be three years into the X1 and PS4 and Nintendo would cheap out again and I won't be interested again in buying a Nintendo console. Get your heads out of your ass Nintendo and stay current and quit living in the past.

[Aenea]

As powerful means that the coming 3 to 5 years the games coming out for the X1 and PS4 can be ported to the NX without too many performance issues.

Nintendo's first party games never have been all that graphics intensive so those won't be an issue either.

So why would Nintendo introduce a much more powerful console while they won't need the power for their 1st party games and the 3rd party games probably go for parity anyways and don't use it either.

Only thing that would be smart if it's a bit better so that 3rd party games easily run with a steady frame rate...

[Satou]

Well to be honest, Ninty 1st party games need less graphics because of their pronounced art style... an Xbox One level console will do well at 1080p(30/60)... And 4k isn't coming around to consoles for almost a decade...

So in terms of power, they're right about where they need to be...

I've gotta say though, it would have been far smarter to make the NX as powerful as PS4 instead of X1. They'd have some serious longevity, get all the best ports, and be considered for games like Final Fantasy VII Remake. Best would have been 30% more powerful than PS4, but Ninty will never consider beating the competition by a large margin.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

They tried offering something new and exciting with the Wii U, but fantards who are so stuck in the past that they can't look at anything that isn't a Dualshock without disdain and contempt shot the console down before giving it its dues.

[SpitTake]

IF you actually know DualPixels, you know that all their rumors are massive BS.

[Ninja_G_Aidan]

It's on other websites coming up with the rumours.

[PaleMoonDeath]

Just make it powerful god dammit.

[Dreamgod247]

Basically where getting Wii U on steroids. This also explains how easy it is to port Zelda Wii U to NX.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Except there's no concrete evidence that Zelda U is coming to NX in any form other than through backwards compatibility with Wii U, so that theory holds no water at all.

[mEATgrinder]

Needs to have more power as next gen Sony & MS could be as early as 2018 or as late as 2020 and with resolution gate both companies are aware that power sells consoles, expect some real powerful machines. The NX could look like an antique from the start.

Sounds like there is some handheld element to it, like 3DS that you can leave the house with. Comparing to mobile phones suggests there is some removable/wifi element to it and the main console is just a hub for remote play in or away from house

[R6ex]

Yup. Unless its at least twice as powerful as the PS4, I'm not interested. I already have a PS4 and a 980Ti PC ... don't need no antique from Nintendo.

[Zero_Suit_Samus]

You had to make sure and put 980ti for your PC so we'd all know how awesome you are. Seriously if you're all about power maybe you shouldn't be in this article complaining in the first place.

[jholden3249]

Guess you place no value on Nintendo games on the go, Nintendo games on the TV, 3rd party games on the go, and all the cool features your PS4 and PC can't do. Not to mention that it will basically be on par with X1 for TV console play, but on the handheld unit itself with the smaller screen? It's gonna LOOK twice as good as PS4.

I play for the games, not the graphics. Not to say graphics aren't impirtant, but as long as the game is aesthetically pleasing it's good enough.

[Matology]

But that 980 TI PC of yours, like my R9 390 PC does not play Nintendo games unless emulated.

Zelda, Metroid, Starfox, Splatoon. If Ninty can get the balnce right, bring thier quality games plus some 3rd party games as well as some of the popular android content Ninty are back in business.

Price it right, get the support and people will lap it up.

[alvgamin4lif]

@jholden3249
"...Nintendo games on the go, Nintendo games on the TV, 3rd party games on the go..."

This is what I'm hoping for. I love portable gaming so if nintendo can pull this off then it'll be awesome! Plus it may also end up doing way better in Japan than the wii u since they prefer portable gaming over console gaming.

[melonfarm3r]

I smell shit.

[Artemidorus]

If this is true then it's already a flop.

[ninsigma]

Interested in why it's a flop?? The only worrying bit is the only as powerful as xbox because I was hoping they'd release a more powerful console than what's already available so they stay relevant for longer. Other than that it sounds great.

[Artemidorus]

Because they don't listen to the mainstream and come up with bizarre ideas and the power is laughable being 2016.

[ABizzel1]

Based on everything discussed so far it seems to be a tablet like device, (pretty much a refresh on the Wii U Gamepad with actual hardware and a better design).

There aren't many tablets running around here at an affordable price, packing more power than an XBO and PS4.

The big piece of information I want further clerification of is the 100x Vita and 50x Wii U, which is more than likely a translation error, and should read 10x Vita for the NX handheld, which is very possible at 500 GFLOPS. and 5x Wii U for the console, again which is very possible at 1.76 TFLOPS and just slightly below the PS4's 1.84 TFLOPS (80 GFLOPS or 0.08 TFLOPS, which will have absolutely no real impact performance across both platforms).

It's not a powerhouse, but that's not what Nintendo needs. A $400 NX is an instant failed system for Nintendo, they're going for good performance at low prices and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the handheld and the console both cost $250 at launch.

$250 for the handheld seems high and a mistake like the 3DS, but you look at the tablet market, and the price : performance is amazing at 500 GFLOPS for 2016. And like the 3DS they can always introduce a NX lite version that cost $199 or less for the mass audience.

And by 2017 we can expect NX console to be a great value offering performance right on par with PS4 at a price of $250... The problem here is that the XBO slim and PS4 slim will likely be out by this time and also $250 which could be troublesome for Nintendo's console unless it has a very impressive niche or features to make it the primary buy that holiday season.

The NX handheld I see refreshing the handheld market, and surpass the 3DS sales.

The NX console I see doing better than Wii U and hopefully GameCube since it'll have solid hardware, and at least 2 years on the market with PS4 / XBO (I don't see them launching new consoles until 2019 / 2020, especially Sony who want's 2020 at the earliest). NX consoles success depends primarily on features and software, and as long as Nintendo gets games from:

*1st hit franchises and retired franchises,
*Full 3rd party JP support / at least mediocre 3rd party west support / and 3rd party AAA indie exclusives,
*And features and online 2013 gamers come to expect

Then it should be just fine in it's 5 year year lifespan and do at least 30m - 40m and possibly more if they nail software across the board.

Nintendo might finally be slowly returning to form, with these release.

[Philface]

@ABizzel: This is all speculation based on rumors no confirmation.

[Donnywho]

The last project of their late president. For Iwata. It's like 5 am, I'm sick and wrecked, and I think I'm gonna slip Kirby into the NES. Just seems like the right thing to do.

[1nsomniac]

When everybody already has a current console or both. Why would anyone want to go & buy another one 3 years later that is almost as powerful as the weakest console you own already??

If it's dirt cheap then fine, but why would Nintendo want to sell a dirt cheap console. No one is going to pay for expensive new equipment if it already outdated. It's going to be almost 5 years out of date on its release day. Makes no sense.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Sounds great, especially those control sticks. Xboxone power is a shame though.
Doubt the rumor is true, but if it is things could change between 2014 and the actual release.

[jholden3249]

Keep in mind this is a handheld unit at its core. To be as powerful as Xbox One, as a handheld, is quite the achievement. So powerful in fact that it's wireless console functionality still puts it in the ballpark of current gen consoles. I can't imagine they'll be able to do much better than that (without the price being $600)

[LOL_WUT]

And that's the reason why they should've just went with a traditional setup by giving us a normal console and not a handheld. ;)

[Sokol]

I love the idea of two in one home console/handheld device. Can you imagine Zelda and Mario Kart at Xbox One visual potential with all of your friends and online community connected to the NX.

I personally believe the power is more then enough, Nintendo should focus on the games, games, games and improve the online stability.

I always loved the Wii U gamepad, it would be great to see it improve.

[Last_Boss]

1.Make it powerful & accessible.
2.Return good 3rd party support, and promote them.
3.Make it region free.
4.Put proper strength back into IP's, by taking away all eyes on the 3DS.

[81BX]

I like what i read! I hope its all true.. i love that they end their meetings with "for Iwata"! This project will showcase the heart and soul of Nin, i plan on supporting it from day1.

[alvgamin4lif]

If the NX turns out to be something like the one shown in the photo (as in I want a portable console) then I'm buying it day one.

[feraldrgn]

If it does end up looking similar to that, then they've learned nothing.
Gamepad needs to go, the tablet idea was a bad idea.

[DarXyde]

The game pad is one of the BEST features of the Wii U. It's basically a better realized remote play, but even that is an oversimplification.

Do you at least own a Wii U? The pad is quite comfortable and useful. For Smash, I prefer the pro controller but in no way is the game pad bad. It offers security, more immersive uses in game if you're not using the second screen function...And if you are, you can use it if your TV is in use by someone else.

I don't get some if the Wii U criticisms that just fly. And frankly, the odds of most of its critics owning one are slim since, you know, it could be selling much better. Perfect console? Not at all. I Judy don't understand the hate for the game pad.

[feraldrgn]

To be honest, no I don't own a Wii-U.
Partly because I don't like the idea of the gamepad, I've used things like it before, looking down close & then further away just hurts my eyes & is awkward.
A console is all about playing on the big screen, we have handhelds for smaller portable screens.

The other reason I don't own a Wii-U is that I don't like splitting my time up between machines & there aren't many Japanese 3rd party RPG's that I could enjoy.

I'll be getting a NN3DS in the future though, or maybe even the handheld version of the NX if rumours are true & it's 2 products.

[jholden3249]

With all due respect, the gamepad was a fantastic idea. Two screens is staple in all of Nintendo's hardware now.

With that said, this does not use a "gamepad" according to the leak. It's a handheld/mobile unit as powerful as Xbox One that uses an advanced wireless HDMI streaming technology evolved from the gamepad wireless streaming tech of Wii U to run the games in 1080p on any TV or device with an HDMI input (for the wireless dongle).

So basically it's a handheld on par with current gen consoles that also functions as a console without the need for HDMI cables.

Now, Idk about you but I think that's about as rad as it gets.

[BenRage3]

Did the article confirm wireless 1080p? For some reason I can no longer access the article. But assuming the system is near the strength of the Xbox One, well that system struggles with 1080p at times, so wouldn't it stand to reason that it's either 720p to 900p? Not that, that's a bad thing for a handheld. The concept sounds awesome to me.

[garrettbobbyferguson]

Don't own a WiiU but have used one quite a bit. That tablet controller is wonderful. It is amazing that it doesn't feel bulky or clunky to use. And the screen mirroring during multiplayer matches is just excellent.

[feraldrgn]

Well if it's a handheld & it doesn't have just touch screen controls from other concepts or the design from this article as well as a steady stream of 3rd party support, I'll probably consider getting one. If it's a console the controller is a very important part.
Comfortable & hassle free.

To respond to your 1st sentence though, 2 screens only work when they're close together because you only need to adjust your eyes to look up or down, rather than further & closer. See DS, 3DS, NN3DS.

[Father__Merrin]

I haven't got a good feeling about this. I predict this will flop and likely to be the final straw in home console business the Wii is entirely to blame..

[ShadowKnight]

It's not going to flop

[Artemidorus]

If them rumors are true then yes it will. Who the hell wants wireless hdmi with a handheld and a power of a console that once provided 720p and 30fps games.

It's Nintendo again not listening. It's 2016 we want decent graphics decent stories decent fair prices.

[BenRage3]

So, it's going to flop, because...you don't have a good feeling about it...well your cogent argument has convinced me. I think the console is going to flop based off of my feeeelings!

[GoPanthers999]

Day One if this is true! I travel for work and take my 3DS right now. I always think how I would love to take my Xbox One, but it is way too bulky. Sounds like NX will be lightweight and should have great 3rd party support.

[KentBenMei]

Sounds terrible. Match PS4 at absolute minimum or bust.

[ChickeyCantor]

> The closest in terms of “power” it gets to is the Xbox One, but an app idea is Wii U x50 and Playstation Vita x100. The key is that all the tech is exactly the same hardware layout as the PS4 and Xbox One which then combine it with the OS’s strong emulation functions and compiler means that any game that can run of a Playstation 4 or Xbox One can easily run on the NX with near-zero modification to the original source code, especially if it runs in Android OS or Unreal Engine 4. This is allegedly why Nintendo has given out the dev kits so late, as one 3rd Party dev put it “It’s the easiest device we’ve ever developed for. You just take your code, compile it and it works.”

This makes little to no sense at all. This would rack the price up tremendously.

[Aenea]

You said this above as a reply to my post, doing it here so you get a notification:
"Once compiled those "APIs" are nothing but machine code."

You clearly don't know how an OS (or DirectX or PS4's equivalent) works do you?

An API is nothing more than a description on how to use and call a specific routine located inside the OS and/or a shared library.

So no, once the game is compiled the game won't run without the OS and/or shared libraries it needs.

[ChickeyCantor]

> You clearly don't know how an OS (or DirectX or PS4's equivalent) works do you?

I do. Im a programmer after all.

> So no, once the game is compiled the game won't run without the OS and/or shared libraries it needs.

Of course not, but it mentions emulation on certain parts. In the post you're replying to I already said that it makes no sense. It would not only be a complex system ( far too complex to house xbox and PS4 libs ) it will also be expensive to have hardware running that accommodates it.

You talk about API stuff, but those are high level things. Once compiled the game is nothing but machine code.
Wine on linux also mimmicks the win32 libraries. So I don't see why it would be impossible. Im just saying it will be too complex and expensive.

I think it's pretty evident they don't mean a 1:1 copy running it. That doesn't work. It's most likely talking about optimizations to the specific hardware set in the Ps4 and xbox. The rumor is just obfuscating the actual context to nothingness. They'd still need to compile it trough Nintendo's SDK.

[Aenea]

Yeah, duh, of course once a program is compiled it's machine code.

And yes, I never said it was impossible, I said they might legally not be able to reverse engineer the API and implement them on their own.

They would have to do what Wine did but with the specific DirectX11 used by the X1 and the API used on the PS4 and of course all the other OS calls they make.

And yes, API is high level, like I said, it's basically a description of a function, a program using it compiles it into a function call into a DLL/shared library that actually implements the stuff the API describes or it's a call straight into an OS routine.

Again, an API is nothing but a description, but the functionality behind it is implemented somewhere (OS/DLL/shared library) and they would need to implement those if they wanted to run a game without changes...

[weirdo]

nx will probably blow away the xbone in performance. looking forward to trying one

[Ninja_G_Aidan]

I get really excited about the new rumours of every Nintendo console but unfortunately when the consoles release I get really disappointed.
Wii U and 3ds was horrible releases. After less than a year they cut their price dramatically. Also there was no games for the consoles for a long time.
I'm hoping this new Nintendo NX does the complete opposite and the company succeeds for everyone's liking.

[Emme]

Say, this hdmi streaming, is that a reliable thing ?

[WickedLester]

Sounds like it's basically a form of screen mirroring which phones and tablets have been doing for a while. I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone and a Roku 3 and I can do screen mirroring with those devices pretty well, and that's pretty old tech. I can play my mobile games and watch streaming video on my TV using this and it works pretty well. There's a little lag but again, it's pretty old tech.

[Emme]

Ah, ok, I was wondering if thats the same, that doesnt rquire a special app ?

[WickedLester]

I think it's built into the Android OS which if Nintendo is using a variation of, it would make sense that it has similar functionality.

[InTheZoneAC]

sooner or later we'll find out how good or terrible this system is. And the one's that are so quick to defend Nintendo should just kept their mouths, keyboards, and mice shut because more often than not Nintendo has failed us in the home console department.

[ruefrak]

The two biggest concerns I have with this are price and multiplayer.

If this is true, the price of that kind of power in a small form factor is going to be really expensive.

And if it is a portable, how does multiplayer work (which is a staple of Nintendo systems).

I'd take this with a huge grain of salt.

[jay2]

This is terrible news. its on par with a 7 yr old console the xbox one. I've got a very bad feeling this will be a desaster!" i'm waiting to see if the 3rd party, stupid mp stuff eg friends code etc and launch line up is good. I only ever bought 2 games for the wii u, rented the rest.

[iTechHeads]

That concept picture looks horrible.

[brando008]

Awesome update

[Yetter]

“It’s the easiest device we’ve ever developed for. You just take your code, compile it and it works.”

Well thats promising at least

[sk8ofmnd]

Am i the only one that thinks if a next gen console (9th gen) from nintendo is only as strong as a console that came out 3 years ago they are already messing up? How hard would it be with the passing time to be a tad bit stronger and still be on the same pricetag. I mean i believe they could appease even the 3rd parties with having the best smoothest running experience. Console owners are always boasting that they want the best running version, why cant nintendo have that??

[BenRage3]

The inference here is that this is a portable system that can connect to the TV via the HDMI wireless dongle. The system would have to be less powerful in order to make it affordable. But if it is in the Xbox One's range, well, that's actually a remarkable achievement. A portable Xbox One on the go, easy to port to, connects to every device, can be played on the TV, and with that--Nintendo exclusives? And Pokemon will be by default playable on the big screen in HD. It becomes the only device of it's kind in existence.

If Nintendo's studios only have to focus on a single platform as opposed to spreading their developers out between two systems, and even if Nintendo doesn't regain all of the 3rd party support, it will be able to sustain itself much better than before with 1st party games.

[sk8ofmnd]

That will appease nintendo fans but what it do to sway the other happy console owners? Will that be enough to gain marketshare with or from sony and ms fans...

Again this is all speculation and rumors as ninty has yet to put any of this to rest.

[WickedLester]

@sk8ofmind

Why do you assume that NX will have to be bought by current console owners to be successful? Last gen, nearly 300 consoles were sold by the 3 console providers. Between PS4 and X1, only 60 million units have sold so far. This gen hasn't even come close to reaching critical mass. Add to that the potential mobile market and you begin to realize that there's a HUGE market left for Nintendo to tap into. But Nintendo needs to act pretty soon. The longer they wait, the more potential buyers they'll lose to Sony and MS.

[BenRage3]

If it can regain 3rd party support I think it can attract the gamer demographic outside of the traditional Nintendo fans.

However, since the system (assuming the rumors are true) is a portable platform with a multi-connectable ecosystem that can connect to all of the devices we all are addicted to, it has the potential to attract many non-gamers who love new gadgets. It sounds like Nintendo is trying to reinvent it's image, which is necessary because the Wii brand is no longer attractive to the average consumer. A smart move.

It's going to be a wait and see game for you and I. But if the rumors are true, it is my opinion, for whatever it's worth, that the system has a ton of potential. I would buy one, and I game on all platforms.

[jznrpg]

I don't care what the console(at least somewhat powerful) is as long as the games are good.

[Germany7]

I'm not sure if this is the best time to release a new console with the same specs of the current generation, Nintendo should create a brand new and powerful console for the next generation only,.

Even if Wii U is not considered a success, Nintendo is doing fine financially with softwares for Wii U, amiibos and the success of 3DS.

[BenRage3]

Their stock is currently worth 16.67 USD. It was worth over 70 USD before this generation started. I'm sorry, but by their own standards, this generation has been an abysmal failure.

And the inference here is that this is not a traditional console, but a kind of console/handheld hybrid, which is perfectly timed because it's killing two birds with one stone. Those two birds being relatively flat sales across both of their current platforms. Nintendo already stated recently that 3DS sales for the year are going to be less than expected.

[Emme]

It needs to be UHD compliant.

[MicrosoftMackin]

I honestly can say I don't care anymore about anything Nintendo(besides Zelda and xenoblade) there are to many rumors and not enough facts over this past year. I'll check it out on release to see what gimmicks they have.

[Warshade]

As long as this means 3rd parties can port the same games that go multi-plat on ps4 and xbone but I can play them on the go, in bed, or anywhere using nintendo's device. Does not sound bad. Still I will be cautious before buying. If they game it we will play there!

[imnotarobot]

Not sure how I feel about this, doesn't sound like Nintendo's style.

what does this mean for split-screen co-op? Nintendo is really the only console that supports split screen to a degree, which is something I love about Nintendo.

other than that, I do like the concept.