According to a new report on Eurogamer, the Nintendo NX will take the form of a handheld/console hybrid that features “detachable controllers” for multiplayer gaming on the go. The rumor report, which was compiled thanks to information from “a number of sources,” describes the NX as “a high-powered handheld console with its own display.” But the system will also be able to hook in to a dock station at home for television-based gaming.
Most interesting of all, owing to the system’s portable nature, Eurogamer has learned that Nintendo plans to ship NX games on cartridges. The NX is also said to be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra mobile processor, which is a very different from the IBM PowerPC processor that powered the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U. Due to the change in physical media and internal architecture, Eurogamer’s sources believe it’s unlikely the NX will offer backwards compatibility. And this would corroborate the earlier rumor that Nintendo is planning a rash of Wii U re-releases for the NX.
Eurogamer’s sources have also hinted at a September unveiling of the NX, and a streamlined marketing plan that positions the handheld/console hybrid as an entirely new thing, completely separate from the Wii/Wii U family. In the meantime, be sure to check out a new Digital Foundry report that explores the rumored innards of the NX.
And don’t forget, we heard a very similar rumor about the “Nintendo Fusion” all the way back in 2014.
