Although the Nintendo NX is yet to be announced, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from working overtime. After news that it would be a handheld and home console hybrid already in production trials and may just be called the Nintendo Duo, French site Gameblog has releasedsome more details which have been translated to English on popular gaming forum NeoGAF. This time it includes information confirmed by multiple sources within the games industry who are developing for the platform and have development kits.
For starters, around 20 games are in development and Nintendo hasn’t shared all of the NX’s “gimmicks” with developers yet. So much so that it being a hybrid of portable and home console not being the only “surprise”. Much like Eurogamer reported earlier, there will be detachable controllers and oddly though, no dock for the handheld component of the NX. Rather a wireless dongle to allow for TV upscaling. Games look on solid on the handheld screen and graphically are on par to the PS4. Along with this, what you can play on the go will run just fine in your living room as well.
But perhaps the most interesting points of note are the possible methods of interaction with the NX. It could go beyond the controllers it ships with what with smartphone connectivity being possible. The Wall Street Journal first made this public in July this year and Gameblog has made a similar statement. And although the initial tests haven’t been up to par, there is possibility for VR support as well.
Developer feedback on the NX’s development tools has been good. No surprise considering Ubisoft’s CEO said something similar a few weeks ago. Despite having an architecture that’s different from the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, porting games over should be relatively easy. A host of remasters are in the works including Skyward Sword, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Smash Bros., and a host of Wii and N64 games.
Gameblog also claims that Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy VII Remake will be coming to the NX as well. Considering how troubled development has been for the former, and that the latter was just announced a year ago, we wouldn’t keep out hopes up. Square Enix aside, other developers onboard include Ubisoft, PlatinumGames, and Capcom.
On the topic of Ubisoft, Beyond Good and Evil 2 is being discussed but not confirmed yet as is a Splinter Cell game and a Rabbids - Yoshi crossover.
Recently, Gameblog was correct in calling out the PS4 Pro’s reveal date of September 7 which lends a sliver of credibility to its latest report.
Earlier in the week information on the NX’s price, features, and specifications found their way onto Reddit. For one, the games will be on cartridges. No surprise considering several sources have already confirmed this. 4K streaming for Netflix along with 1080p and 60fps for gaming have been talked about.
“4k streaming has been mentioned. - What this likely means is playback of content such as Netflix, etc. Not gameplay,” the post reads. “1080p and 60fps are being used by the marketing teams in relation to gameplay on to the console portion. I've heard unconfirmed rumblings of 900p for the infamous hybrid part of the device.”
Furthermore, the post claims that price points of $299.99 (around Rs. 20,000) and $399.99 (roughly Rs. 27,000) will be present. The base price being the former and a bundle price being the latter. What comes in the bundle is at this point of time unknown.
It seems that the console will launch with four games, and a strong co-branding effort with a Mario launch title. Further alluding to the possibility of it being a handheld console (as if we didn’t need yet another confirmation) is the phrase “Interact with your game on the go” being seen on marketing materials.
Although some of this would be in line with what’s been leaked in the past, we’d still recommend you take this with a grain of salt. Reason being, while the moderators on the NX subreddit have taken utmost care in confirming the source’s identity and veracity of information, in an age where elaborate 3D-printed controller hoaxes are rife, it’s always best to temper expectations.
Nonetheless, hopefully Nintendo decides to launch the NX or whatever its final name is in India. But ifpast experiences are to be believed, that seems unlikely.
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