Nintendo NX release date, news and rumors


The path to the NeXt Nintendo system

We may have known the Nintendo NX’s release date for some time now, but now finally a report published by Eurogamer has given us our most detailed look yet at Nintendo’s new system.

Mostly the report confirms much of what we knew previously. The console looks set to run its game off cartridges (a feature not seen in a Nintendo console since the Nintendo 64), and appears to be something of a console-handheld hybrid.

Users will be able to carry the console with them while they’re out and about, but will be able to dock it when at home in order to play games on a big screen.

Also interestingly, the report claims that the console will come with detachable controllers which will clip onto either side of the device’s screen.

It was reassuring to read the report, after the console’s completely absence from E3 2016, where Nintendo didn’t share a peep about its new console.

However, with Sony having confirmed the existence of the PS4 Neo just before E3, and Microsoft announcing its next big console Project Scorpio, the NX is set to face some stiff competition from its rivals.

Nintendo’s response? Silence

Nintendo hasn’t revealed much about the Nintendo NX, but thanks to a recent earnings call we finally have a release date for Nintendo’s next console, and it’s happening in March 2017.

The company has hinted at a dramatically different system in the NX, but has kept tight-lipped on what shape the console will take. We still have no official word on whether or not there’ll be a portable element like the rumors suggest, or whether there’ll be a fitness tie-in.

What we do know is that Nintendo might have its eye set on making the NX the company’s first VR console. In a shareholders meeting the company admitted it was “researching” VR technology, according to someone who was present.

Twitter’s NStyles attended the meeting in Kyoto and claims Nintendo’s Shigeru Minamoto said Nintendo was researching VR but has concerns about users playing for long periods of time.

He also added that Nintendo wants to release a device that carries value, is affordable, and wants parents to “feel at ease”. Typical Nintendo to care about our eye health while the rest of the market charges forward haphazardly.

Further, the Nintendo NX may support some form of heart rate-monitoring hardware. According to Commercial Times, a Chinese integrated circuit design company called Pixart has been ramping up production of itsCMOS-based hear-rate monitoring sensor that will go into several next-gen VR headsets and – more interestingly – Nintendo’s next home console.

What we know so far:

The Nintendo NX will be unlike any console the company has on the market, according to new Nintendo President Tatsumi Kmishima. In one of his first major public interviews since transitioning to President of Nintendo, Kimishima opened up about the Nintendo NX to Time’s Matt Peckham.

“As far as NX goes, I’ve said it’s different and obviously a new experience,” Kimishima said. “That being said, I can assure you we’re not building the next version of Wii or Wii U. It’s something unique and different. It’s something where we have to move away from those platforms in order to make it something that will appeal to our consumer base.”

There’s good reason for the expediency: while Sony (and to a lesser extent, Microsoft) can potentially match their earlier successes with their latest batch of consoles, the Wii U will almost definitely go down in history as Nintendo’s worst-selling console.

Just how dire is Nintendo’s need to jump ship on the Wii U? It’s currently sitting at around 10 million units sold, and even a new Legend of Zelda game won’t likely double system sales to the point where it can match the GameCube’s near 22-million sales mark, let alone the Wii’s 100 million unit high-bar.

The path to the NeXt Nintendo system

Nintendo NX

Nintendo’s greatest successes were due to the company taking its biggest risks. Its top-selling portable was the Nintendo DS, a portable console with a second, touch-enabled screen that many scoffed at before it revolutionized handheld gaming.

Likewise, the original Wii far outpaced every previous TV-tethered system, and it did so by treading its own path, eschewing the standard controls with a revolutionary motion-controlled setup that some competitors are still attempting to mimic.

If Nintendo wants to see the NX succeed it’ll need to etch these lessons into memory. Should it follow in the footsteps of the 3DS or Wii U, however, all hope may be lost.

The Nintendo 3DS originally stumbled, and Wii U has outright failed is truly differentiating themselves from their direct predecessors. Both assumed that the previous generation’s record-breaking install base wanted more of the same, so they both came with extensive backwards compatibility and names that recalled the previous generation.

The 3DS only broke out of its funk after drastically dropping its price while also debuting a new Zelda and 3D Mario game. The same might be in-store for the Wii U, though the reveal of the NX means its clock is ticking.

Nintendo NX

How will the NX be different?

For the NX, a new control method is in the works after the Wii U’s controller/touch-screen hybrid failed to inspire widespread developer support.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata even said as much when first announcing the console, saying it will incorporate a “brand-new concept.” When you take into account the other major change Nintendo revealed during that same event (a commitment to develop smartphone games), Nintendo’s 25-year-old dual-pronged strategy of leaning on both a portable and home console could come to a close this decade. Even though the 3DS is currently Nintendo’s saving grace, developing a games-only portable device is becoming more and more of a risk in this day and age.

Ever since the release of the GameCube Nintendo has consistently had the least-powerful system on the market. Given how much stock Sony and Microsoft put into creating cutting-edge tech, that’s not likely to change. They’ve done touchscreens, they’ve done motion-controls … heck, Nintendo was doing VR two decades ago, so what’s the next possible realm to tackle?

With the NX, currently rumors are suggesting that Nintendo will create a console-portable hybrid. The Wii U dipped its toe in letting users take their games on the go by letting them play on a Gamepad as long as they were in proximity to a Wii U console. But if Nintendo creates an Xbox One/PS4-level system that you can take on the go, then you’re playing with power.

How powerful will the NX be?

Without an official announcement from Nintendo, it’s hard to say exactly how powerful the Nintendo NX will be, but we can make some assumptions based around the reports that are available.

According to the Eurogamer report, the NX is set to contain a version of Nvidia’s Tegra chip which was last seen in the company’s Nvidia Shield. Unfortunately the nature of this chip means that it’s not possible to draw direct comparisons between it and the competition from Sony and Microsoft.

The Tegra X1 (which reports suggest is currently running inside NX dev kits) might be the most powerful mobile chip currently on the market, but at the end of the day it’s a mobile rather than a desktop chip, and this means that it’s unlikely that the console will match the power of the PS4 or Xbox One.

However, we should stress that we currently don’t have any more specific information on the exact specifics of the Tegra chip that will make it into the final console, and as such all of this information is subject to change.

What does the NX need to succeed?

Nintendo NX

If I had to pick one thing? Better launch games.

The Nintendo DS was the rare exception to the rule that successful Nintendo consoles debut with an all-new Mario or Zelda game (remakes and 2D Mario retreads don’t count). Nintendo was smart to hedge its bets and shift development of Twilight Princess to both its old and new hardware, and it could do the same with the NX to maximize exposure of the next Zelda game.

Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy were amongst the highest-profile releases for their respective Nintendo consoles, and there’s no surer bet to launch a Nintendo console alongside than an all-new Mario game. If a game with a name “Super Mario Universe” debuted the same day as a new Nintendo console, the hordes of lapsed Nintendo fans could likely return to the fold.

Nintendo NX

However, Wii Sports and Wii Fit proved that Nintendo doesn’t need to (and perhaps shouldn’t) lean on a new IP to become a smash hit if new tech is impressive enough. If Nintendo creates a console-portable hybrid and can come up with a simple concept that encourages players to both take the tech on the go and tether it to a TV, a good pack-in game can offer proof to the casual crowd, while the launch day Mario or Zelda game will capture the hardcore.

Nintendo NX price will be a major factor

In addition to their unclear identities and unexciting launch slates, high initial price tags were the biggest roadblock for Nintendo’s most recent portable and home consoles.

For the NX to succeed at launch, it needs to be the cheapest video game hardware on the market, and by a large margin. Whether it’s due to creating the next control innovation or breaking tradition by selling hardware at a loss, you can rest assured Nintendo won’t bungle launch pricing for a third consecutive console.

Nintendo’s previous generation of consoles, the DS and Wii, gained traction by launching at $150 and $250 (£99.99 and £179.99) respectively, so whether it’s focused on dominating your living room or your public transportation commute, Nintendo knows where the sweet spot lays for pricing its consoles.

When will we see it?

Currently Nintendo is targeting a March 2017 release date, according to a recent earnings call.

The Wii U was first teased ahead of E3 2011 and debuted in 2012. The 3DS was first announced in early 2010, a year before it came out. The DS was teased in 2003 and revealed in 2004. The Wii is the rare exception because it was teased at E3 2004, shown for the first time a year later, and released over a year after that.

Nintendo NX

We’re hoping for a big reveal later this year if Nintendo wants to build up a good amount of steam for the console’s launch next year. The only other option would be to pull an Apple-style announcement on the day of release, but we don’t think Nintendo has quite the same abilities as Apple in that regard.

The continually-shrinking portable landscape has led to Nintendo’s first major third-party game development, and the Wii U’s poor sales performance has likely sped up the NX’s timeline.

Source: techradar.com

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25 Comments
  1. Reply Bell Feest August 12, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    I own and XBox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Wii, and Wii-U. Come at me, bro. GOSH.

    I also owned a PS3 before I sold it to get the PS 4. GOSH.

    GOSH!

    And no, despite your assertions, Xbox Live was never hacked on the level that PSN was hacked. I remember that time… because I went for a very long time with no access to PSN. I've never had any such issues with XBox Live.

  2. Reply Crawford Christiansen August 12, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    describe this "was never hacked on the level that PSn was" thing please?

  3. Reply Dr. Daniela Legros PhD August 12, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    You didn't need a "gaming rig" to play most games on your pc. Usually people could still play just fine, and the pc would still be more useful than a gaming machine that only plays games.

  4. Reply Issac Breitenberg August 12, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    time travel? what does time travel has to do with anything? lol. are u retarded?

  5. Reply Ms. Yvette White August 12, 2016 at 5:50 pm

    its shit, crap, and sucks tbh. ce is the shittiest overrated game of all time. that game cure my insomnia

  6. Reply Sylvester Metz August 12, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Forgot the "Oh gosh…"

  7. Reply Bonita Romaguera August 12, 2016 at 7:24 pm

    hey dude, ever heard of sega SATURN??? its the equal of ps1, and 64

  8. Reply Russ Considine August 12, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    and thats why halo isnt special, and just overrated. its just like every other fps out there

  9. Reply Guadalupe Stroman Jr. August 12, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    OH GOSH, did you know that shitbox got hacked many times too? Or you actually dont own a shitbox, so you dont know it?

  10. Reply Agnes Kautzer August 12, 2016 at 9:17 pm

    how is shitbox live superior than psn? be detail please?

  11. Reply Mandy Schultz August 13, 2016 at 12:54 am

    PC Graphics ability was, is and likely will always be the more powerful machine.

  12. Reply Edwina Roob August 13, 2016 at 1:04 am

    I hope it takes 30 minutes to boot up and start actual game play like the original Wii console. By the time you got the thing powered up and replaced the batteries in the remote, it was bedtime or time to leave for school.

  13. Reply Mr. Dagmar Gislason DDS August 13, 2016 at 1:07 am

    I'm a Wii owner, is it worth buying a Wii U purely for the release of 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild', when it's possible that not long after, Nintendo won't release many more "exciting" games post-release of the NX? Should I just wait for the NX?
    (BIG Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask/Twilight Princess fan)

  14. Reply Dr. Braeden Maggio August 13, 2016 at 1:14 am

    Which is why XBOX Live was superior to PSN. But your point is completely moot as you now also have to pay for PSN.

  15. Reply Napoleon Beahan August 13, 2016 at 2:26 am

    and halo is actually metroid primes sad clone

  16. Reply Louisa Aufderhar MD August 13, 2016 at 2:31 am

    My point was that you needed a pretty decent (expensive) PC back in the day to play most of the games that the Xbox ran quite well. You were not going to get a PC that could run Doom 3, Max Payne or Half-Life 2 at reasonable levels for the price of the OG Xbox. In fact, the almost exact GPU in the Xbox was a Geforce Ti500, which retailed for $349 alone for PC.

  17. Reply Heloise Macejkovic August 13, 2016 at 4:18 am

    Lol, most people couldn't care less about doom 3. You need exclusives to sell games, not power.

    Look at how the 3DS and the DS make tons of cash for Nintendo, because they are weak and have game exclusives.

  18. Reply Mr. Karley Price Jr. August 13, 2016 at 4:30 am

    I knew this when I was 7 yrs old, exclusives are what matters. Why do people happily play shallow and boring games with graphics over a good fun game on a "weaker" system?

  19. Reply Javon Hand August 13, 2016 at 4:54 am

    For one, it didn't get hacked…

  20. Reply Stevie Legros August 13, 2016 at 5:22 am

    Price shouldn't mean anything, I bought the 3DS for Final Fantasy:Theatrythm, and the entire reason I didn't rush to buy it was because there wasn't a game I was interested in other than Resident Evil: Revelations. So, I just pre-ordered and got that while waiting on the game I really wanted, and bought the 3DS later.

    Nothing was wrong with the price or the 3DS, it was the lack of launch games, which they will fix with the NX I hope. Playstation 2 had Xenosaga, and Gamecube had Mario Kart: Double Dash. If Nintendo wants sales, they need actual launch exclusives. Why do people think the price means everything here? Some of us are waiting for the games to release, like the playstation 3. It had nothing worth buying and I bought it later with Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, but Final Fantasy 13 was the real point to buying it.

    Without the launch titles, there are no reasons to buy for 2-3 years, and Playstation 4 did the same exact thing. Final Fantasy 15 isn't out yet, Star Ocean 5 just released now, and the only reason I bought it was to play Disgaea 5 and Final Fantasy Type 0 which is a PSP port.

  21. Reply Leda Mante MD August 13, 2016 at 5:43 am

    Playstation didn't have the 9 year old cussing boys Xbox Live had, and it was free to go online, was Xbox free? Requiring a subscription to play multi-player is lame, when you're already paying for the internet isp.

  22. Reply Mr. Owen Bradtke II August 13, 2016 at 6:29 am

    shitation? did you mean x-fecesbox?
    what is like to have a console that always lagging behind in feature?
    ps has online games earlier, ps has motion controller camera first.
    what is it like to have a console who has no games? Ps2 has TONS of exclusive. And almost all games on shitbox are multiplat. even they are lagging behind to get GTA 3, SA, and Vice city

  23. Reply Bridget Steuber August 13, 2016 at 6:55 am

    Yeah, given that the Playstation 2 had Final Fantasy and Xenosaga, that was really all it needed to get sales.

  24. Reply Aron Heathcote August 13, 2016 at 7:22 am

    Any game that looked as good as Halo? How about, I don't know…Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime Echoes, or hell, even Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD. Even Wind Waker (even today) still holds up.
    Than there were (in my opinon) the underrated games, like Geist, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean.
    Hell, even Mario Sunshine, and especially Super Smash Bros. Melee, all looked better than Halo. And that's just the Gamecube games

  25. Reply Dr. Leora Kreiger August 13, 2016 at 8:51 am

    Considering Doom 3 was an utter piece of shit…I don't think that's something to be proud of

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