Home Gaming Will Nintendo’s next console be a hybrid system?

Will Nintendo’s next console be a hybrid system?

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14

NX

Nintendo’s announced that it’ll be making games for smartphones, in partnership with huge Japanese mobile game company DeNA. There was immediate speculation that it would mean the end of Nintendo’s focus on its actual home console and handheld systems – but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Instead, they revealed that they’ve got a new dedicated game platform coming.

“Nintendo has decided to deploy its video game business on smart devices, but it is not because we have lost our passion or vision for the business of dedicated video game systems”, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said. “On the contrary, because now we have decided on how we will make use of smart devices, we have come to hold an even stronger passion and vision for the dedicated video game system business than before.”

“As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business”, Iwata adds, “let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept under the development codename ‘NX’.”

There’s been a great deal of mumbling for years now that Nintendo’s next system would seek to integrate the handheld/console concept even further than the Wii U did with its Gamepad. It’s entirely possible that Nintendo’s next system will be a portable device that you can play on the move, and then dock with your TV later when you get home and want to relax on your couch.

Personally, I feel this is the future of game consoles anyway. Tablets will become sufficiently powerful that they’ll effectively function as bona fide consoles, beaming games to TV’s wirelessly. It’s something that already exists, but in the near future they’ll be even better suited to the task.

If not a hybrid system altogether, Nintendo’s new console and the company’s next handheld will be better integrated, especially as far as game development goes.

Here’s something Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto said to IGN last year.

The question of whether or not we want to take a portable system and a home console system and decide if maybe, as the computer processing power improves, we could just simply say we’ll stick with a portable and make it something that could also be a home console system is a question that ties directly into product strategy, and is something I can’t really go into detail on.

But what I can say is that, for the time being, our focus is really on developing and building these environments that will allow us to have a smooth transition from one hardware system to the next going forward. Other than that, you can look forward to what comes next.

I think it’s a reasonable assumption that it could well be. And I’d be all over that.

Last Updated: March 17, 2015

14 Comments

  1. ReaperOfSquirrels

    March 17, 2015 at 12:13

    Would they call it the “4UDS”?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      March 17, 2015 at 13:41

      are you reffering to the four leaf clover in the header?

      Reply

      • ReaperOfSquirrels

        March 17, 2015 at 13:45

        Nah, only noticed that like 5 minutes ago when I actually looked for any kind of St Paddy’s references.

        I’m referring to it being the next one in the range, thus the 4… it’s a hybrid, so make it a mixture of Wii U and 3DS, thus the UDS. So it’s a 4 U DS. *shrug* Just the way my brain works… when it actually works.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          March 17, 2015 at 13:46

          They’re getting good with these headers

          Reply

          • ReaperOfSquirrels

            March 17, 2015 at 13:53

            Yeah they are… wish I could photo shop good too.

  2. Brandon van Reenen

    March 17, 2015 at 12:23

    The WiiU is a very impressive piece of hardware, so I am keen to see what we’re getting from Nintendo next.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      March 17, 2015 at 12:29

      By the sounds of it, probably a “Nintendo Next”

      Reply

    • UComeneserse

      March 17, 2015 at 12:59

      open this…

      Reply

  3. Ross Woofels Mason

    March 17, 2015 at 12:45

    it probably is nintendo’s next move. It makes sense, handheld graphics took a major jump forward on the 3DS and especially PSVITA. The mobile gaming market a lot of focus on high powered mobile graphics.

    So I think it’s entirely possible nintendo would go for a hybrid, with a docking station that hooks up to the tv, usb ports etc….

    Nintnedo have never been obsessed over having the biggest power house machines on the market, the Wii U is underpowered compared to the other consoles yet it still pushes out some of the best looking games of this generation so far.

    Also not having to deal with having two consoles thing is a great idea imo, one console upon which your entire library can be played, on the tv or the move. All my yes!

    Reply

  4. FoxOneZA

    March 17, 2015 at 12:55

    Nintendo needs to hook up with Team Green on this one.

    Reply

  5. Gardos

    March 17, 2015 at 12:57

    It shall be called: The New Nintendo Wii U Super Plus DS XL Gaming Console For Fun Times U Cube

    Reply

  6. CAE9872

    March 17, 2015 at 13:16

    Makes sense and would probably pick that up quite happily.

    Reply

  7. CAE9872

    March 17, 2015 at 13:16

    Makes sense and would probably pick that up quite happily.

    Reply

  8. Marcus

    March 17, 2015 at 15:50

    In a perfect world, a third party company would make a console that can play PS and Xbox games.

    And don’t say a PC, that’s not a gaming device! *runs*

    Reply

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