E3, and the Nintendo NX’s full review, are still months away, but news around Nintendo’s next-generation console has been hot lately. Today, we’ve got a new pair of rumors around the device: Nintendo is supposedly seeding software development kits already, and the platform will combine a full-fledged handheld device with console play.
According to the WSJ via Geek.com, analyst Hiroshi Hayase, from IHS Technologies, expects “a small recovery in shipments of flat-panel displays for game devices because of Nintendo’s new game hardware expected to be released in 2016.” Hayase expects shipments of 3.1 – 5-inch panels to increase from 14.1 million units in 2015 to 16.5 million units this year.
Nintendo’s NX: Console hardware, standalone handheld?
Like the Wii U, the NX will supposedly combine a handheld gamepad with a living room console. Unlike the Wii U, however, the NX controller will supposedly be an independent unit. Instead of being tethered to the base console by an invisible wireless leash, gamers can take the handheld gamepad anywhere they want.
Sony has tried an approach like this with the PlayStation Vita, with mixed results. Since the PS4 has a different controller from the Vita, not all titles map well to handheld. From what we’ve heard, the Vita is technically capable of streaming a game over the Internet, but you’ll realistically want WiFi and a local PS4 to use the features.
As for the NX controller, a recent patent granted to five Nintendo employees show a rather odd device:
The entire face of the device is one screen, with embedded thumbsticks on the left and right. While Nintendo loves being edgy and trying new things, I’m deeply dubious of this design. First, there’s the practical question of how well any display would survive rigorous gameplay sessions day after day. I’ve never cracked an iPhone screen from touching it, but I’ve never tried to play Smash on my iPhone for hours at a time, either.
The patent in question also describes virtual buttons that would sit beside the two thumbsticks and could be updated and changed depending on what the game called for. Again, we’ve seen the idea of a virtual joystick + buttons in mobile before, and it’s never been a satisfying solution.
The oblong aspect ratio would be difficult for developers to target, since you wouldn’t want the game to display critical information under the player’s thumb. In short, I’m hoping these patent diagrams were filed to throw people off the scent of what Nintendo wants to do.
What about the hardware?
If the Wall Street Journal is correct, one of the major features of the Nintendo NX will be the ability to transfer a game session to a gamepad and take it with you. A 5.1-inch panel would actually be smaller than the current Wii U Gamepad, though far larger than the 3DS.
The big question is how Nintendo would handle the local rendering and associated battery life hit. If the console has a target of 60 FPS and 900p, the handheld version may be able to get away with a somewhat lower resolution target. But would the handheld the same hardware as the console (albeit likely at a lower clock rate) Would save game sessions you completed locally synchronize with the NX when you stepped back in range? If the console offloads gaming sessions to handheld hardware, can a family take advantage of this to use the NX console for an entirely different game?
If the game controller contains a significant amount of standalone hardware, that will drive up costs and weight. The final product wouldn’t need to be as complex or expensive as a modern smartphone, but it would still need physical interface buttons, some type of operating system, storage, wireless radios, and at least a moderately powerful SoC. While there have been rumors that AMD is building the NX, the focus of those rumors was that AMD would be building the console, not the handheld.
Finally, there’s the business concerns. Right now, the 3DS market is considerably healthier than the Wii U, with an estimated 57.9 million units shipped, compared to just 12.5 million for Nintendo’s latest console. Combining the console and handheld businesses would give Nintendo a common platform for all titles, but it could also poison the handheld market if gamers don’t see the NX as an appropriate replacement. Cost is also a major concern — the 3DS launched at $249 before falling to $169, while the Wii U was $250. It’s hard to see how Nintendo could build a competitive console and a standalone gamepad in a $250 budget — the Nintendo NX may debut at price ranges that compete with Sony and MS, as opposed to undercutting them as its done the last two console cycles.
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