The Nintendo NX(Nearly Confirmed Rumours)

[Lozjam]

So, let me preface this in saying that these are not 100% confirmed due to the nature of the beast. However, there is an abundance of substantial evidence to prove it.

In short, we have a user named SuperMetalDave. He supposedly had a "source" that gave him an abundance of information, of which he published videos detailing these rumors.

First, he leaked the entire 3DS lineup(published by Nintendo) for this year. Curiously enough, he detailed a title called "Codename Pokemon Niji(This is translated into pokemon rainbow). Companies do this all of the time, giving codenames to each of their game before it has an official title. I at first, thought it was a very easy guess, as a variety of different Pokemon games could be this "Pokemon Niji". However, with the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon information. The file titled "Pokemon Niji" became publically available through the image files in the Japanese Website of the game. This is something that proves his credibility for his source.

Regarding the NX however, he says that that the NX will indeed come out in 2016 with Zelda Wii U being a dual release for the systems. Furthermore, Final Fantasy 15 and 7 Remastered will come to the system as the "definitive version" of the games as launch titles as well.

Nintendo NX is supposedly more Powerful than the PS4 as well.

Another thing adding credibility, is the day before Pokemon Sun and Moon released, all 3 of these leak videos were promptly taken down.

However, here is another rumor as well.
Geno, the same person who leaked Pokemon X and Y, and of a new type typed up this rumor as well.

1. It has a wireless HDMI dongle that attaches flush to the back of the device. A user can pull it out and insert it into any display with a normal sized HDMI output and the devices uses an evolved version of the Wii U’s streaming tech to display in HD to the TV screen.
2. Allegedly the analog controls for movement has small motors in them for full haptic feedback. Meaning if you control a character and hit a wall, the sticks move away from the direction of that wall to simulate running head first into it. This can also be used for jerking when firing a gun, taking damage, moving over rough terrain, ect.
3. It can literally Bluetooth synch with everything, especially smart phone and tablets to the point where one feature is that it can answer phone calls and display text messages from your phone onto the screens itself so you don’t have to stop and answer your smart device.
4. The closest in terms of “power” it gets to is the Xbox One, but an app idea is Wii U x50 and Playstation Vita x100. The key is that all the tech is exactly the same hardware layout as the PS4 and Xbox One which then combine it with the OS’s strong emulation functions and compiler means that any game that can run of a Playstation 4 or Xbox One can easily run on the NX with near-zero modification to the original source code, especially if it runs in Android OS or Unreal Engine 4. This is allegedly why Nintendo has given out the dev kits so late, as one 3rd Party dev put it “It’s the easiest device we’ve ever developed for. You just take your code, compile it and it works.”
5. Look to Pokemon GO to get the idea of the type of social features that will be in NX that will take multiplayer, AR and the StreetPass concept to a whole new level.
6. The real strengths of the device is its usability and ease of use. Developers have described to me more than once that it visually and functionally looks as if “Samsung and the Nintendo 2DS” had a baby, in that it looks friendly but unlike what most people visualize a Nintendo device to typically look. The operating system, named NintendOS alone is very powerful and has so many modern features of mobile operating systems today that Nintendo is trying to be very careful in showing it off for fear that it would be mistaken as running Android. It also has a very strong networking functions as it ties into multiple devices and services allowing a very competent and pervasive eco-system designed to constantly involve the consumer’s lives.

This all matches up with the rumor above. Now, specs wise, it may be on par with XBOne, but that doesn't mean it isn't more powerful than PS4. It is likely that the NX is merely more optimized, making a better, faster, and more powerful product overall.

Normally, I wouldn't give this rumor any sort of credibility. However, I think this looks very familiar

This was in a Japanese commercial for Mariokart 8, and it was likely a mistake. Anyway, this looks extremely similar to what is described, and this could very well be an early version of the NX.

However, this rumor holds a lot less credibility than the one above.
So what do you guys think of all of this?

 

[Dio]

I will have to consult the tealeaves on this.

 

[DeactivatedUser2]

There are a few small issues with this. For one, wireless HDMI doesn't exist, you can't buy an HDMI dongle to stream from the system, and it would be sold already if it was currently possible. However, this could be a misinterpretation of it streaming over wifi. But that would really suck honestly, because wifi is unreliable. However, if we're talking about an HD gamepad type device, that may be plausible. the other issue is the mention of emulation. Emulating the code of a PS4 or Xbox one simply isn't feasible. Emulation is significantly more demanding than the original hardware. Something designed to emulate those systems would cost thousands of dollars in hardware alone, and that's not even considering R&D. This would be absolutely amazing if it was real, but there are some serious issues so far.

 

[Lozjam]

There are a few small issues with this. For one, wireless HDMI doesn't exist, you can't buy an HDMI dongle to stream from the system, and it would be sold already if it was currently possible. However, this could be a misinterpretation of it streaming over wifi. But that would really suck honestly, because wifi is unreliable. However, if we're talking about an HD gamepad type device, that may be plausible. the other issue is the mention of emulation. Emulating the code of a PS4 or Xbox one simply isn't feasible. Emulation is significantly more demanding than the original hardware. Something designed to emulate those systems would cost thousands of dollars in hardware alone, and that's not even considering R&D. This would be absolutely amazing if it was real, but there are some serious issues so far.

You are incorrect, it does exist.
That technology is already being used for the Wii U, with streaming from the console, to the gamepad, so the same would just have to work. Just in reverse.
It is also commercially available as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-T10...56701834&sr=8-2&keywords=wireless+hdmi+dongle

Regarding emulation, you are a bit misled. According to that specific rumor, it is not truly the emulation it states it is in the way of thinking it. The NX likely just has the same hardware that is so similar to XBOne and PS4, so much so, that through the Operating System it can switch the compilation of data to best meet the games needs.
I think through the power of Nintendo OS, the system itself can already realize what distribution of power it may need in the system throughout the game. If this is true, than that would make the NX more powerful, just by utility. That would save a ton of power that could be used to power other assets.

 

[DeactivatedUser2]

You are incorrect, it does exist.
That technology is already being used for the Wii U, with streaming from the console, to the gamepad, so the same would just have to work. Just in reverse.
It is also commercially available as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-T10...56701834&sr=8-2&keywords=wireless+hdmi+dongle

Regarding emulation, you are a bit misled. According to that specific rumor, it is not truly the emulation it states it is in the way of thinking it. The NX likely just has the same hardware that is so similar to XBOne and PS4, so much so, that through the Operating System it can switch the compilation of data to best meet the games needs.
I think through the power of Nintendo OS, the system itself can already realize what distribution of power it may need in the system throughout the game. If this is true, than that would make the NX more powerful, just by utility. That would save a ton of power that could be used to power other assets.

They work over wifi, which, as I said, is incredibly unreliable. I really doubt Nintendo would sell a system that could be used without having top of the line wifi. In general, it's simply too good to be true. A device with all of these features would cost a fortune, which goes completely against what Nintendo has done with their past few consoles.

 

[Lozjam]

They work over wifi, which, as I said, is incredibly unreliable. I really doubt Nintendo would sell a system that could be used without having top of the line wifi. In general, it's simply too good to be true. A device with all of these features would cost a fortune, which goes completely against what Nintendo has done with their past few consoles.

Like I said however, the Wii U does the same thing with its Gamepad, just in reverse. The Gamepad doesn't work on a Wifi Connection. It uses its Bluetooth connection to stream 720p video. With that same concept, you could stream 1080p video to your TV using the exact same technology.

 

[thane98]

From my understanding, Geno's leaked a number of different things in the past that have all turned out true. I'm willing to bet that this leak brings us some real information as well.

Anyways, there's some interesting stuff here and some very disappointing things as well. I'm really not too thrilled by the idea of the NX being as powerful as the Xbox One from a hardware standpoint. The Xbox One's hardware was dated on release, so the NX releasing with similar stuff 3 years later would be quite disappointing. I'm not going to make any final calls on this topic until I get to see what the specs for the console are, but this does have me worried a little bit. I'm also not too thrilled by the way social features are being discussed here. Once again, it's too early to make calls, but generally everything I read regarding the social features sounded awful.

On the other hand, if this rumor is true, then the NX could actually be a good platform for third party developers. Little to no modification for ports sounds like a huge attraction for third party developers - enough to overcome Nintendo's spotty track record with them in the past. Hopefully making development that easy can lead to some good games making their way to the NX that we generally wouldn't see (Final Fantasy?).

It's tough to make any calls on this at the moment, but there's a lot of stuff here that sounds great, and some stuff that I'm really not too thrilled about.

 

[Lozjam]

From my understanding, Geno's leaked a number of different things in the past that have all turned out true. I'm willing to bet that this leak brings us some real information as well.

Anyways, there's some interesting stuff here and some very disappointing things as well. I'm really not too thrilled by the idea of the NX being as powerful as the Xbox One from a hardware standpoint. The Xbox One's hardware was dated on release, so the NX releasing with similar stuff 3 years later would be quite disappointing. I'm not going to make any final calls on this topic until I get to see what the specs for the console are, but this does have me worried a little bit. I'm also not too thrilled by the way social features are being discussed here. Once again, it's too early to make calls, but generally everything I read regarding the social features sounded awful.

On the other hand, if this rumor is true, then the NX could actually be a good platform for third party developers. Little to no modification for ports sounds like a huge attraction for third party developers - enough to overcome Nintendo's spotty track record with them in the past. Hopefully making development that easy can lead to some good games making their way to the NX that we generally wouldn't see (Final Fantasy?).

It's tough to make any calls on this at the moment, but there's a lot of stuff here that sounds great, and some stuff that I'm really not too thrilled about.

According to said rumor however, the OS is so well designed, and well used so that raw power would be able to used to it's full potential. This could potentially make it more powerful than the PS4, like the first rumor stated. That's my theory of it anyway.

But even disregarding that, a handheld that is as powerful as the XBOne is absolutely huge. That is what is going to snag everyone. Who wouldn't want to bring the Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid 5, Zelda Wii U, and FF15 with them on the go whenever they have to leave? Then continue on the TV for the full experience when they get home. I mean, that sounds pretty awesome.

Social Features will likely just be optional as well. But connectivity with phones could draw back the casual audience as well.

 

[thane98]

According to said rumor however, the OS is so well designed, and well used so that raw power would be able to used to it's full potential. This could potentially make it more powerful than the PS4, like the first rumor stated. That's my theory of it anyway.

But even disregarding that, a handheld that is as powerful as the XBOne is absolutely huge. That is what is going to snag everyone. Who wouldn't want to bring the Witcher 3, Metal Gear Solid 5, Zelda Wii U, and FF15 with them on the go whenever they have to leave? Then continue on the TV for the full experience when they get home. I mean, that sounds pretty awesome.

Social Features will likely just be optional as well. But connectivity with phones could draw back the casual audience as well.

I never really got the impression from Geno's leak that the NintendOS was optimized from a performance standpoint. It sounded more like it was set up to handle porting with minimal hassle. Now, it's certainly possible that the NX could contend with the PS4 from a power standpoint if NintendOS doesn't consume the same resources that the PS4 OS does (I haven't been able to find any up to date information, but if what I have is right, the PS4 OS sets aside 2.5 gigs of RAM for itself). I'd certainly like to see that, but I don't think it's time to make the call there quite yet.

The handheld aspect could make every complaint void though. If Nintendo's got a console that competes with the current gen consoles while offering both portability and TV play, then Nintendo's got the PS4 and Xbox One beat. That's the kind of console that Nintendo could probably carry into the first few years of the next Xbox and PS4 without looking behind curve. Honestly, if Nintendo will be on top if they've got the hybrid console the rumors say they do. As I said previously, it's too early to call anything for the NX one way or the other, but the rumors do bode well for the console.

 

[Ronin]

So...does this emulation hardware render Xbox One games playable on the NX?

Also, would the Gamepad still be the main controller? Hopefully not...

 

[the8thark]

1. It has a wireless HDMI dongle that attaches flush to the back of the device. A user can pull it out and insert it into any display with a normal sized HDMI output and the devices uses an evolved version of the Wii U’s streaming tech to display in HD to the TV screen.
2. Allegedly the analog controls for movement has small motors in them for full haptic feedback. Meaning if you control a character and hit a wall, the sticks move away from the direction of that wall to simulate running head first into it. This can also be used for jerking when firing a gun, taking damage, moving over rough terrain, ect.
3. It can literally Bluetooth synch with everything, especially smart phone and tablets to the point where one feature is that it can answer phone calls and display text messages from your phone onto the screens itself so you don’t have to stop and answer your smart device.
4. The closest in terms of “power” it gets to is the Xbox One, but an app idea is Wii U x50 and Playstation Vita x100. The key is that all the tech is exactly the same hardware layout as the PS4 and Xbox One which then combine it with the OS’s strong emulation functions and compiler means that any game that can run of a Playstation 4 or Xbox One can easily run on the NX with near-zero modification to the original source code, especially if it runs in Android OS or Unreal Engine 4. This is allegedly why Nintendo has given out the dev kits so late, as one 3rd Party dev put it “It’s the easiest device we’ve ever developed for. You just take your code, compile it and it works.”
5. Look to Pokemon GO to get the idea of the type of social features that will be in NX that will take multiplayer, AR and the StreetPass concept to a whole new level.
6. The real strengths of the device is its usability and ease of use. Developers have described to me more than once that it visually and functionally looks as if “Samsung and the Nintendo 2DS” had a baby, in that it looks friendly but unlike what most people visualize a Nintendo device to typically look. The operating system, named NintendOS alone is very powerful and has so many modern features of mobile operating systems today that Nintendo is trying to be very careful in showing it off for fear that it would be mistaken as running Android. It also has a very strong networking functions as it ties into multiple devices and services allowing a very competent and pervasive eco-system designed to constantly involve the consumer’s lives.

My opinion on these points.

1. That looks like a great idea. Removes the need for a cable from the NX to the TV. If this wireless connection is stable enough and low enough latency (think Smash Bros that needs very low latency solutions (hence the cables).
2. I like the idea but we need the ability to turn it off, just like we can turn off the rumble feature and the 3D feature of the 3DS. This as an optional idea would be amazing. Some would love it and others would not.
3. This makes the NX closer to a HTPC. I would assume this would be mainly used for the iOS DeNA mobile games talking to the NX. So both can link up for various reasons.
4. Raw power is only one equation. It's what you do with the power that matters. Amazing games can be made on lower specced systems. Think Metriod Prime on the GC, Super mario Galaxy on the Wii and Xenoblade Chronicles X on the WiiU. Sure compromises had to be made for all three games to make them play so well. I just hope the developers still optimise their code well and don't get lazy cause of the more specs the NX has. We also don't want to see lazy ports. We want the games optimised for the NX.
   “Samsung and the Nintendo 2DS” This is a real insult in my opinion. I just hope Nintendo realise something liek that would be an abomination and would never even go there.
5. Miitomo is just the start on Nintendo's social revolution. I think it'll be average at best. Nintendo need amazing 1st party games to survive.
6. This is a great idea. But ease of developing for the NX is the most important thing. Having the NX SDK as developer friendly as possible is key. The NX needs to be a dream to develop for. This will bring more 3rd party devs to the NX. Also Nintendo needs a companion amazing first party game to allow all of this it happen.

I think one of the massive draw cards will be Final Fantasy 15 and 7 Remastered. Nintendo fans will buy the NX for them. Heck I'm not an FF fan at all but even I'd be tempted to buy both on the NX. But the WiiU has taught everyone, even those two amazing games are not enough. You need a great 1st party game along side them. This will do a lot to ensure the existing WiiU customers move to the NX.

One thing not mentioned but is very important is - I feel the NX would be capable of emulating the Gamecube. At the moment, the newest console the WiiU emulates is the N64. I don't think the WiiU can emulate the GC well enough. Project Dolphin (the emulator) has shown us that you need some serious hardware to get the GC emulation done well. I think the NX will be able to emulate the GC games well. GC emulation on the NX will be a huge selling point.
WiiU games will be played natively on the NX. Wii games? It is possible that the NX will play Wii games natively too. That's how the Wii does it.

One question we don't have answered is the NX hard drive space. 32GB is just not enough these days. That's not even 2x WiiU games. I am aware that Nintendo wants to go SSD for internal but thats pointless when 90% of your games are on an external HDD cause the internal SSD is way too small.

My final words.
The power/grunt of the NX is not the most important thing. The other features are. Like ease of porting/improving other console games, better easier to use SDK's for developers, the possible removal of the console to TV cable, MyNintendo (coming in March), possibility to connect to apps on mobile devices like iOS etc etc. All these things improve the user experience so much. This is why the NX is amazing.

The people who keep going on about "the NX has enough power to last to mid way into the next PS/Xbox generation" really fail to understand the bigger picture. Nintendo are not competing on console power. They are not here and have not done so for decades. Everything rumoured here for the NX is all about making the game developing/porting and game playing experience easier, more fun and a lot more innovative.

 

[Ventus]

The thing that I truly don't understand about this all is that NX SDKs apparently aren't even wildly out there. So how can anyone get a feel for the console and begin porting games?

 

[Polychrome]

The reason behind the Wii U not being able to handle Gamecube wasn't an emulation issue. It was because the Gamecube used a very proprietary optical drive. It made sense to include the ability to read the disks in the Wii because people would have been coming straight out of the Gamecube, but trying to cram that into the WiiU's drive would have made things more expensive. (The Wii U was pricey enough when it came out.)

 

[the8thark]

The reason behind the Wii U not being able to handle Gamecube wasn't an emulation issue. It was because the Gamecube used a very proprietary optical drive. It made sense to include the ability to read the disks in the Wii because people would have been coming straight out of the Gamecube, but trying to cram that into the WiiU's drive would have made things more expensive. (The Wii U was pricey enough when it came out.)

You are talking about the early Wiis being able to play GC discs natively. GC emulation has nothing to do with the GC discs. Just like you don't need N64 or SNES carts to play N64 and SNES games on the WiiU. I am aware that the WiiU was never going to play the GC discs natively, that's why I talked about emulation. The Virtual Console.

I do think the WiiU is not powerful to emulate the GC properly. I think the NX will be able to emulate the GC games vey well, if Nintendo wants to go down that path.

 

[Polychrome]

You are talking about the early Wiis being able to play GC discs natively. GC emulation has nothing to do with the GC discs. Just like you don't need N64 or SNES carts to play N64 and SNES games on the WiiU. I am aware that the WiiU was never going to play the GC discs natively, that's why I talked about emulation. The Virtual Console.

Or maybe they just never got around to it? Or why bother repackaging games when the popular ones could simply be cleaned up and re-released for more money? *ahem*Windwaker*ahem*

Remember that the Wii was just a beefed up gamecube. Anything that could run a wii game could run a gamecube game.

Oh, here's a reddit thread where people are discussing it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/2r7mdc/so_why_cant_the_wii_u_play_gamecube_games/

In a nutshell, the WiiU can be modded to play gamecube, no emulation required.