Nintendo has remained tight-lipped regarding the exact features and capabilities of its upcoming console dubbed as the NX.
But, based on the company's history and previous devices, various sources have began speculating about the mysterious gaming platform's form, Pixel Kin reported.
The Nintendo NX, which is expected to come out during the fourth quarter of next year, is being considered as the direct successor of the company's Wii U. However, this does not confirm that the device will come out strictly as a home console.
During the time of late President Satoru Iwata, the executive said that he wanted Nintendo to bridge the gap between home and mobile or portable gaming. In these two areas, Nintendo has relied on its Wii U and 3DS systems to accommodate the needs of gamers.
Following this concept, the NX might be marketed by Nintendo as some type of hybrid between these two platforms. After all, this would not be considered as a revolutionary move for Nintendo since the Wii U, despite being a home console, also had characteristics of a gaming tablet thought its GamePad touchscreen controller.
Another factor that points to this hybrid gaming console concept is the list of games that are coming to the NX. According to Gizmodo, "Dragon Quest X" and "Dragon Quest XI" have already been confirmed for the mysterious console. Both games have been designed for the Wii U and 3DS.
But, the NX could also carry a totally different design concept since according to Iwata, he was not interested in delivering a new product based on an already existing device.
"If you only expand upon existing hardware, it's dull," he told Japanese site Nikkei in March according to Kotaku. "In some shape of form, we're always thinking about how we want to surprise players as well as our desire to change each person's video gaming life."
Aside from the design of the NX, another major factor that Nintendo should focus on for its upcoming console is its power and performance.
As noted by Gizmag, the biggest hurdle that the company is currently facing with Wii U is the system's underpowered nature.
There have already been several reports about development studios cancelling projects for the Wii U because the console simply could not handle certain games' technical requirements. This is exactly what happened last month after Slightly Mad Studios dropped the Wii U edition of "Project CARS."
Given the Wii U's performance, Nintendo should make sure that its upcoming console will have the necessary technical power to compete with other next-gen platforms such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
