A statement from Hiroshi Hayase, an IHS senior principal analyst, hints at the possibility that Nintendo will release a new portable gaming device later this year.
The handheld console should be one of the two next-gen gadgets that make up the highly-anticipated and rumored NX project.
According to a report, Hayase shows optimism concerning the flat-panel display orders.
"We expect a small recovery in shipments of flat-panel displays for game devices because of Nintendo's new game hardware expected to be released in 2016," the IHS senior principal analyst notes, as cited by The Wall Street Journal.
IHS is a company that compiles data and makes forecasts, after it has thoroughly talked with tech companies and their suppliers.
The research firm expects shipments of displays to increase by 2.4 million this year, and some of them should reach the Nintendo NX.
Without giving any details on the screen size of the upcoming portable console, Hayase did mention that the gadget should be a standalone purchase. The Wii U GamePad, although it sports a screen of its own, is not a standalone item. It still needs a Wii U in order to work.
Nintendo unsurprisingly refused to comment on Hayase's declaration, but mentioned that the NX project still has news in store for this year. In spite of the feeble available information, both fans and analysts agree that NX will debut during the E3 event, in June.
Before Hayase's statement, other experts estimated the future of Nintendo's mobile gaming.
David Gibson, an analyst with Macquarie Capital Securities, predicted the release of "a portable NX" in the $200 to 300 price range as early as November 2016. His analysis points to Nintendo rolling out a full home console in 2017, sporting augmented reality features.
Looking at the series of leaks and rumors, it seems that mobile gaming enthusiasts have a few reasons to look forward to Nintendo's NX.
A tweeted rumor hinted that the handheld console will offer support for 900p graphics at 60 fps and 4K video streaming.
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
A bit of information that surfaced earlier this month says that the gaming gadget could sport multi-platform compatibility. If Nintendo's NX will be able to interact with the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or PC remains to be seen, but the idea is tempting, nevertheless.
Further unconfirmed information indicates that the Nintendo NX could bring backwards compatibility, which could motivate some of us to purchase it.
