Rumour: Nintendo NX is a Nvidia powered, portable console with detachable controllers

Eurogamer is reporting two massive stories regarding Nintendo’s upcoming NX console. As you know we normally don’t report on rumours, but seeing as this one is detailed, backed up from many sources and the rumour itself is from a credible source – we’re breaking the rules.

According to a number of their sources, Eurogamer claims that the Nintendo NX will be portable, handheld console with detachable controllers. The system works on two levels, away from home the NX is a high-powered handheld console with its own display but there’s two controller ‘sections’ on each side of the screen.

Not the NX

At home the system is said to sit in a dock or base station and can continue your game on the big screen. The rumour also suggests that the NX will use cartridges for its physical media, this means backwards compatibly at least with disc based games is apparently not on the cards. Emulation which is used on the Virtual Console, would be fine but Wii U games themselves could pose a problem on the new architecture.  Nintendo is suggesting that most games will only need a 32gb cartridge, smaller than a lot of modern games. This isn’t the first time a rumour about the NX having cartridges has surfaced, but still 32gb isn’t a lot of space.

Eurogamer’s report also covers just what is powering this system. According their sources its running Nvidia’s powerful Tegra mobile processor, Nintendo are not chasing the other consoles on power this with instead working on a balance between power and efficiency, while the system might play at home it does need to work on the run as well. The system is also said not to be running Android but Nintendo’s own operating system, this could also be good for Nintendo in squeezing more power out of it as Android does a lot of things a gaming system doesn’t need.

Also not the NX

When asked for a comment Nintendo gave it’s usual line about not commenting on rumours, but you wouldn’t expect them to confirm or deny anything at this point anyway.

At this point you should head over to Eurogamer to see their stories, one about the console and one a more in-depth look at just what the Tegra can do. It’s impressive.

What do you think? A portable Breath of the Wild, a home console Pokemon – crazy if true but it’s going to be hard to pull off.