Rumor: Large NX Retail Partner Spills Beans on Launch Advertising, Price, and Targeted Performance

NX rumors come across our desk literally every day. I wish this was an exaggeration, but the lack of official confirmation (aka, announcing the actual platform) leads to those in the know possibly wanting to get information out to a hungry fan base while it also leads to others hopping on the band wagon, making things up for attention and trolling reasons. This makes it hard to discern what is real, as we may still be months away from finding out (though, I pray that’s not the case). Naturally Reddit is not always the most reliable of sources when it comes for information and leaks, as anyone can post anything.

However, this isn’t just anyone and this isn’t just anything. On the Nintendo NX subreddit, a mod named FlapSnapple has compiled a “verified leak” post. According to him, they have an extremely rigorous verification process that until now, hadn’t been met for some time now. However, they claim to have been able to verify who this person is, and as such have come to the belief the given information is worth sharing. It comes from a supposed major retail partner of Nintendo’s that will naturally be pushing the NX at launch. That’s all the information provided on the source, but as always that’s to be expected. Jobs are on the line. Alright, enough backstory and pretense – here is the latest batch of somewhat “reliable” rumors:

Verification

We have verified that our source works for a very large retailer. We have verified that this source is in a position to have access to this sort of information. Exact details of what was provided will not be released. We take protecting the identity of our sources very seriously. Our source has added the disclaimer that this is all initial information and subject to change as time goes on.

Note: As part of our responsible leaking policies, we will be re-writing the information we have been provided in our own words in the off chance that the specific verbiage used could help track down our sources identity. I have asked our source to monitor this post to make sure that the content we have re-written on their behalf is still accurate. There may be small edits or corrections as a result.

Marketing

• “Interact with your game on the go.” phrase seen on a poster.
• Strong co-branding effort with a Mario launch title on many posters.
• Console is currently set to launch with least 4 titles on deck.
• Stores should be receiving demo units around February.
• Base price point seems to be sitting at $299.99

Bundle

• The NX is currently set to have a bundle option.
• The contents of this bundle is currently unknown.
• Bundle price is currently sitting at $399.99

Packaging

• The packaging for the NX will be slightly larger than the Wii U’s packaging.
• The packaging is relatively clean and simple and is similar to the Wii U in terms of package design.
• The color scheme for the packaging is white and blue (compared to the Wii U’s blue and black).
• The packaging still says “NX” however there is still no indication if this is a placeholder or the final name.
• The areas of the packaging that would usually depict the hardware were blurred and redacted by Nintendo in attempt to keep it hidden.

Features and Specs

• Games will be on cartridges
• 4k streaming has been mentioned. – What this likely means is playback of content such as Netflix, etc. Not gameplay.
• 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.

What stands out to me is the price point and the targeted resolution and FPS. While it’s a bit weird for Nintendo to even mention FPS – it’s literally a choice of the developers as any hardware could run games at that frame-rate – having a targeted resolution of everything being true 1080p would actually put things a step ahead of the currently available devices, where nothing as of yet has provided a stable and consistent 1080p game each time around. Not even the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One can lay claim to all of their titles being 1080p. What stands out to me however as a bigger red flag is the fact that “NX” specifically is mentioned in promo material. I don’t believe Nintendo has ever kept a codename as a final name for any hardware they have released. Then again, are these marketing materials for public consumption, or just material from some behind the scenes event? We’ll never likely know (if this is real at all).

Source: Reddit