Report: Nintendo’s NX to be a Family of Systems, Feature Industry-Leading Chips, Dev Kits Sent Out

We know the NX is being unveiled next year, but we didn’t know much about it outside of that code name until today, that is if you put any stock in the most recent reports from the Wall Street Journal. According to them, dev kits have been sent out to western developers recently, leading to new information about the platform – or in this case… platforms. It appears NX isn’t one solitary system, but rather a family of systems that will include at least two devices – one being a home console system and the other being handheld. The idea seems to that this family of systems can interact with each other – though we aren’t sure on the extent of that interaction. Here’s an exact quote:

The exact shape of the NX hardware isn’t yet clear. People familiar with the development plans said Nintendo would likely include both a console and at least one mobile unit that could either be used in conjunction with the console or taken on the road for separate use. They also said Nintendo would aim to put industry-leading chips in the NX devices, after criticism that the Wii U’s capabilities didn’t match those of competitors.

What this means exactly isn’t known. It’s easy to also take this as there being a packaged deal with the hardware, but the author of this clarified this further on twitter. According to him, there will be more than two devices at some point, but definitely at least two devices to start.

All we know for certain, that is if this report is true, is the following:

• The NX is at least two hardware devices – home console and handheld.
• It’s not shying away from the competition – it’s directly challenging it using the latest chips

Of course there is a lot of speculation about Zelda U possibly becoming a dual release on the NX, but beyond that… when a new Nintendo platform is involved, Zelda assuredly follows in some fashion eventually. What do you think is brewing?

Source: Wall Street Journal