Nintendo fans and gamers worldwide have been waiting patiently for news on the Nintendo NX. The publisher’s next console was announced years ago, but there hasn’t been a single screen of it. As rumors persisted and folks freaked out on social media, Nintendo stayed silent. But no more! The Nintendo NX will be shown for the first time at 7AM PT/10AM ET, Oct. 20.
Be among the first to discover #NX. Watch the Preview Trailer at 7am PT/10am ET! pic.twitter.com/R2QTzjyLUo
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 20, 2016
Yes, just one hour before the world sees the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2. The rumors suggest the NX will be shown in a brief trailer, so don’t expect a long, Nintendo Direct type presentation. Will we see how it works? Could there be a release date? What about a new game featuring Mario or Pokémon? And will any of the old rumors be confirmed? We’ll know soon. Until then, check out the previous version of the story below where we reported on the biggest NX rumors before now.
Original version of the story below…
The Old Rumors
The leaks just coming when it comes to Nintendo NX rumors. As people are still waiting for Nintendo to release any information to confirm previous rumors, now come extra details on the detachable controllers. Reportedly, the controllers will have motion control and force feedback similar to the celebrated Wii Remote.
The rumors were swirling around this morning and then confirmed as likely by Emily Rodgers. An industry insider, Rodgers in the past has correctly predicted Nintendo’s designs and plans, so could news of force feedback motion controls be accurate? Nintendo would certainly be smart to have the NX copy the most popular parts of the Wii. Unfortunately, none of this is for sure until Nintendo official reveals the NX, which hopefully will happen sooner than later.
Cartridges? In 2017?
The Nintendo NX has been a known quantity for more than a year, with rumor after rumor about the console hitting seemingly every other day. Of all the Nintendo NX rumors, almost none have seemed too concrete, even as big industry events like E3 have come and gone. But today, Eurogamer.net shared a heavily sourced report with new claims about NX’s functionality, game delivery, and system power.
The system is reportedly what has been rumored for some time among Nintendo fan sites: That the NX is both the successor to the 3DS and the Wii U, meaning it’s both a handheld console, but can also be plugged into your TV via a docking station. Controls will be attached to the side similar to a Wii U GamePad, but they’ll also be detachable, leaving you with more gameplay options when the system is docked. The layout Eurogamer suggests is certainly something that would be compatible with the Wii U controls built for NX launch game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
But that’s just the start of the supposed tech. Eurogamer reports NX runs on the Nvidia Tegra, a powerful processor made for Android-based devices, meaning it can support HD graphics while fitting inside portable devices. Eurogamer estimates Tegra’s processing power as below Xbox One or PS4, though that fits Nintendo’s long-practiced belief of not directly competing in the graphics race with competitors.
What’s It All Mean?
And don’t expect NX games to be on discs, as reportedly they’ll be on cartridges. If they’re anything like 3DS or PS Vita game cards, they can hold a substantial amount of information while also being durable enough to handle on the go. Discs feel a bit retro these days, so why not go so retro it’s futurist?
Lastly, Eurogamer reports that the NX will get its formal unveiling in September, which is also very credible. The console is planned to launch by March 2017, so a September reveal allows for six months of preorders and reveals. Plus, Nintendo of Japan often likes to make major announcements ahead of the Tokyo Game Show, which begins September 17. So, while Nintendo obviously hasn’t confirmed any of this, we should know very soon if Eurogamer’s reporting is on point. Just try to act surprised when it happens.