Rumor: NX’s Gambit is a Handheld/Console hybrid
"Think of the games it'll get..."
As with any rumor, this should be taken with a grain of salt. I
f Eurogamer is to be believed, the NX is going to be a next-gen handheld with the ability to become a console.
If it's true, it’ll be a beefy handheld, especially compared to the 3DS. Eurogamer’s report states that the NX is based around Nvidia's Tegra processor. Current development kits are apparently using the Tegra X1 chip used in the Shield Android TV console and the Google Pixel C tablet. That makes it comparable to the Xbox 360, though the final version could use the Tegra X2, which is more expensive but could emulate something around the Xbox One range. It’s not a X86 processor, so porting Xbox One/PS4/PC games can still be a bit of a chore, though probably much easier than Wii U.
The idea around it is that the NX is what people thought the Wii U was when it launched. A handheld with the ability to take it on the go and plug into a TV for traditional console play. On top of that, it may have detachable controllers for local play anywhere. Like Nintendo’s other handhelds, it’ll use cartridges (starting at 32GB), and it's single display means no true backwards compatibility. Though it can’t play Wii U/3DS games, Nintendo is thinking of porting games like
Super Smash Bros. and
Splatoon on it like they did with
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
If all this is true, then look at the Nintendo 3DS library, then the Wii U’s. Now think of a system with both of those libraries:
Splatoon and
Fire Emblem,
Pokémon and
Xenoblade,
Zelda: Link Between Worlds and
Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Animal Crossing and
Bayonetta… The library alone is enough to get excited about. The article also states it'll be unveiled in September, so we'll see then.