After a disappointingly prolonged silent stint on its upcoming console, Nintendo has finally announced that it will reveal the first glimpse of the Nintendo NX on Oct. 20 at 7 a.m. PT, 10 a.m. ET.
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
The past few months saw Nintendo's silent treatment causing a lengthy bout of speculation issued by those eagerly awaiting any details about what is rumored to be a console and handheld hybrid.
What We Know So Far
Last year in March, Nintendo announced that it was in the development stages of a brand new console codenamed "NX." Few were surprised about the course of action, seeing as this probably was the logical step for the company after subpar sales figures for its current flagship home console, the Wii U.
But Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo's new president following Satoru Iwata's unfortunate death, told TIME in December that the NX is a completely different concept, veering away from any type of platform they've released in the past.
"As far as NX goes, I've said it's different and obviously a new experience," Kimishima said, noting that the company isn't building the successor to Wii U. "It's something unique and different. It's something where we have to move away from those platforms in order to make it something that will appeal to our consumer base," he said.
The hype train reared fast and speculations became abundant. And with Nintendo choosing not to comment on rumors, all bets were off. There were even staged leaks of the NX console, which were later found to be completely false.
In July this year, Eurogamer published an article claiming that the NX will be a portable, handheld console that will come with detachable controllers, citing a number of sources. The device is rumored to be a high-powered handheld console bookended by two removable controllers that can connect to the user's TV set to play on a bigger screen. A base unit or a docking station of sorts is also reported to come with the NX that will allow for the TV integration.
It was also rumored that Nintendo will use Nvidia's mobile-oriented Tegra processor, much to the surprise of many since the Nintendo usually veers away from fancy and powerful CPUs in order to shave off the retail price of its products. NX Development kits allegedly shipped with the powerful Tegra X1 chip also found in the Shield Android TV console and Google's Pixel C tablet.
What We Can Expect
Here are the confirmed things so far:
Early this September a rumor that Nintendo NX will use cartridges instead of discs were confirmed to be true.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is also coming to the NX alongside the Wii U.
Tsunekazu Ishihara, The Pokémon Company's head, has confirmed that it will indeed be a hybrid console.
So far, those are the only sure bets among the cesspool of NX rumors saturating the online space right now. Anything else, while seemingly plausible, stays pretty much in rumor and speculation territory.
If it's any consolation for the deficiency of confirmed NX details, Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft's chief executive, had nothing but acclaim for the forthcoming Nintendo console, calling it the thing that will put Nintendo "back in the race."
All of these will either be quashed or confirmed once Nintendo finally unveils its much-anticipated console on Oct. 20. You can go to Nintendo's official site to watch the livestream.
What do you think will Nintendo reveal? Sound off in the comments below!
