Nintendo’s NX continues to remain an enigma, even as the days to its previously announced March release date continue to pass us by. But while Nintendo refuse to share more information on the console publicly (for now), it looks like leaks are starting to filter through via unofficial channels.
Earlier this week, we reported that Chinese manufacturer Foxconn have reportedly begun preliminary trial production of the NX– and now, it seems as though a Foxconn worker has ventured forward with information about what the NX is and what we should expect from it (translation via NeoGAF), corroborating some earlier leaks and reports about the device, while also adding some new information.
Put simply, it sounds like the NX is indeed going to be a handheld-console hybrid. There will be three components to this system- the dock, which has a cartridge slot, HDD, other I/O ports, and TV out; a ‘performance module,’ which is a portable device that provides power supply, and which reportedly contains a Li-Ion battery, a CPU, a GPU (the candidates for the SoC so far are either aPascal SoC from nVidia or an AMD R9 SoC), various wireless connections, and the capability to interface with the dock, with some kind of Remote Play capability for the handheld component of the device; finally, a handheld portion of the device, which has a 6 inch 720p screen and has a low-TDP SoC.
These can satisfy basic operations with lower quality graphics when the performance module is not connected. However, when plugged into the performance module, the screen can provide a console-level graphics. Since the performance module has its own battery, it can be brought along with the handheld at the user’s discretion. The final system, when everything is assembled, is less powerful than the PS4, but presumably more powerful than the Xbox One.
All in all, it sounds a bit convoluted- but it also sounds like the solution to all the problems a handheld-console hybrid would otherwise pose. The leak also specifies that this device must be revealed by October- if it is not, then that indicates a delay from its initial March release date.
Is this rumor true? It may or it may not be- we are but weeks away from finding out. But whatever the NX is, Nintendo need to come out and share information on it already, because at this point, the endless leaks and speculation are driving me crazy.
