The Nintendo NX is arguably one of the most discussed and anticipated consoles since last year. With just a few months left before the video game company gets the device off the ground, a ton of rumors about it have been making rounds on the Internet, which goes to show how much people are waiting for it with bated breath.
Despite Nintendo's newfound focus on the mobile game industry, it's still going to continue delivering the high standards it has been doing so for its gaming devices. The company's Executive VP of Sales and Marketing Scott Moffitt said that the "Nintendo 3DS is here to stay."
For those who don't know, Nintendo is going to first tap into the mobile game scene with a communication-based game called Miitomo, which is slated for a March release date. Yes, Pokemon Shuffle and others have been around for quite a while, but even though they're related to Nintendo, they're not exactly developed by the company per se.
Now, before every plan that Nintendo has in store takes off, here are some of the rumors that just might make it into the official production.
Nintendo NX Specifications
A survey from Nintendo-client GFK emerged online, which Liam Robertson leaked via Twitter. It contains details of the upcoming console, ranging from features to capabilities.
Rumoury rumour: an apparent GFK (client of Nintendo) survey inexplicably shows apparent 'Nintendo NX' info. pic.twitter.com/sM7uWezpG8
— Liam Robertson (@Doctor_Cupcakes) January 20, 2016
If this holds true, then it confirms the connectivity between the console and the handheld device. The console will reportedly support both 4K video streaming and 900p graphics at 60 fps. It's also worth mentioning that it could feature motion tracking because of the sensor bar and support for achievements.
Compatibility With Other Platforms
Takashi Mochizuki of The Wall Street Journal reports that the NX could work with other devices, including smartphones, PCs and consoles such as the PS4 and Xbox One.
Very interesting report by @gibbogame: Nintendo's NX may work with smartphones, PCs and even rival consoles such as PlayStation4. — Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) January 20, 2016
According to Mochizuki, the news came from the lead researcher at Macquarie Securities in Japan David Gibson, but other than that, there's no other source of this info.
Subscription Service
Twitter user Emily Rogers posted the continuation of the leaked GFK survey in three parts, revealing a possible free online service with the option to subscribe with a monthly or annual fee.
More to the point, a gaming subscription that provides access to 150 games could go live. The survey continues to say that those games are going to be changed on a regular basis, and new games will be added in sometime between six and 18 months following their release.
However, at the time of this writing, the leaks have been removed.
Backward Compatibility
Part of the recently taken down series of tweets, questions that suggest backward compatibility made an appearance. They ask about whether or not users will be interested in renting or buying old games and media. This means that there's a pretty good chance for the feature to be included.
Controller
A patent titled "Game Apparatus and Information Processing Apparatus" hints at how the controller for the NX could look like. It'll apparently sport a large front display along with a touch panel and two sticks.
Bottom Line
As it always goes with rumors, take the news with a generous serving of salt. With that said, it wouldn't hurt to keep our hopes up for all these features, would it? Notably speaking, backward compatibility and compatibility with other devices and consoles sound awesome.
To boil things down, we have nothing else to do but wait for official details from Nintendo, which are expected to finally be disclosed at the E3 conference in June.
At any rate, even if some of the rumored features and specifications of the NX won't be crammed in the final product, it would be nice to see Nintendo carry out its plans without a hitch and launch the highly anticipated console.
