Nintendo NX: Release date, specs and everything you need to know

There’s no hiding from the fact that Nintendo has suffered some rocky times over the last couple of years. The Wii U is shaping up to be the company’s biggest console flop to date (excluding the odd and not widely available Virtual Boy) and its more recent financial results have made for uneasy reading, even for die-hard fans.

Not all is lost, however.

Although the Wii U has failed to shift in significant numbers, it has still been home to some incredible games over its three-and-a-half year lifespan. And that gives hope that Nintendo still knows how to cut it in the home. That particular machine might have failed to ignite mass consumer interest, but its licences and games are still as popular as ever.

Which is why Nintendo is not giving up the ghost quite yet. It will have at least one more stab at the home console market in the shape of the illusive Nintendo NX.

The company has to get it right this time or Sony and Microsoft will be left to share the gaming market between them, but if there was ever a firm that oozed optimism from every pore the home of Mario is surely it.

So here is what we currently know about Nintendo’s most important kit launch in years, based on rumour and speculation. We’ll update as new information comes to light, but here’s everything you need to know for now.

What is Nintendo NX?

While under a lot of pressure about falling financial forecasts and the failure of the Wii U in sales terms – and also while we were ironically travelling to Germany to play the excellent Splatoon before its release – the late Satoru Iwata revealed his company was working on a new games console.

Codenamed Nintendo NX (but reported to be “Project NX” originally), the new console was said to be “a brand-new concept”.

“As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business, let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept under the development codename ‘NX’. It is too early to elaborate on the details of this project, but we hope to share more information with you next year,” Iwata said.

Sadly, he passed away last summer, so would not get to deliver that machine himself.

Other than those comments, nothing more has officially been revealed about the machine. Instead, we’re expected to find out more later this year.

Nintendo NX release date

When it was first announced last year, it was revealed that we would find out more “in 2016”. That lead many to believe that Nintendo would use the E3 videogames show in Los Angeles in June to first show the device, much like it did the Wii U originally.

Since that launch, however, Nintendo ditched its annual E3 press conferences in favour of the cheaper, more effective Nintendo Direct online video streams. It is now thought, therefore, that it will not show or announce anything on the NX at E3 at all. Instead, it will present a special Nintendo Direct at a different time – maybe even in April, if some reports are to be believed. 

In terms of release date, there are two schools of thought. Originally it was thought to be coming in 2017, but more recently suggestions are that the console could be rush released to balance the books, with Nintendo aiming to capitalise on the Christmas market this year.

Nintendo NX price

Without even seeing the console yet it is impossible to know how much the Nintendo NX is likely to cost. However, we can take a punt at an estimate based on the prices of former Nintendo consoles on launch over the years.

The Nintendo Wii U, for example, cost $300 when first released in the US. The Wii cost $250, the GameCube $200, as did the N64, SNES and NES.

Nintendo has always aimed to be more family friendly than rivals with its games machines, so traditionally prices them lower to attract a wider userbase. But that usually comes with caveats.

The tech specs of the Wii U, for example, are less attractive than those of the Xbox One and PS4, which came just one year later. That kept the cost down but seemingly at the price of adoption.

Instead, we feel that Nintendo will ensure its next, make-or-break console will be highly spec’ed and will come with a price tag to match. Expect it to be at least $400. That would also make sense in the natural increases for each Nintendo console generation anyway.

Nintendo NX design

The biggest rumour about the Nintendo NX that has been circulating for almost a year is that the console comprises two parts. The original rumour stated that it will be a home and handheld games console.

The idea is that you can play a game at home on the big screen and then carry on with your progress when out and about too.

However, more recent noise coming out from Reddit and other sources claim that it is a home games console only, albeit that it will come with a couple of “gimmicks” – it is a Nintendo console after all.

What it will look like is currently unknown, although some concept artists have been having fun with different ideas.

Mesut G Designs

Most of them show an oblong machine with slightly curved edges, much like the bit of the Wii U you barely see. Somehow we doubt that, but until there’s reports to the contrary, those are seemingly sticking.

Another concept design that did the rounds recently was that of a prospective controller. It was actually published by many sites, including Dual Pixels, as being a leaked shot, but turned out to be fake.

Dual Pixels

Like many concepts though, there is some basis for its look and design. Nintendo was found to have filed patents with the US Patent office for a control device that formed an oval and had a capacitive touchscreen on the front. You can find the pdf of the patent application with images here.

Free Patents Online

New rumours also suggest that there could be more than one controller available, which wouldn’t exactly be a departure for Nintendo considering there often is with a new console launch.

Nintendo NX hardware and specifications

As there are development kits thought to be out there, amongst the studios, some hardware specifications rumours have been doing the rounds.

An official survey, commissioned by Nintendo, suggested that games will run at 900p and in 60 frames per second, while it will also be capable of 4K Ultra HD video streaming.

There is a word of caution however, as surveys can often throw misinformation at the person partaking in order to gauge reaction to possible rather than definitive features. And as the same GfK release stated that the Nintendo NX would have gameplay that flowed “between Nintendo NX console and Nintendo NX handheld device” – something since debunked – there seems to be a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding this particular source.

The 4K part has been repeated elsewhere though, with some thinking that it goes beyond video streaming and the console might even upscale games footage to 4K. Even in that case, games will still run in 1080p at best, however.

Other rumoured spec (as reported by Nintendo Insider) include an AMD GPU and “between 6GB and 8GB of RAM”. However, these come from Reddit user untypedhero, who claims to be a Nintendo employee or close to the company. Reddit has apparently verified his validity, but there is still come doubt as to his credentials, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Nintendo NX software

An interesting rumour that emerged in the middle of last year is that the Nintendo NX operating system will be based on Android.

This was based on the fact that the company is working with mobile gaming platform company DeNA on its mobile applications, which started recently with Miitomo.

To be honest, we’ve not heard much recently to back up the claim, so it might be a rumour that has faded since.

Nintendo NX games

The strongest two rumours surrounding games for the new console are that the long-awaited, much-delayed Wii U Zelda might never appear for the Wii U after all, and that Unreal Engine 4 will be used for some games – most likely third party ones.

The latter would be amazing as it seems that the Nintendo NX will be at least as powerful, graphically, as the PS4 and Xbox One.

Indeed, independent coders have recreated a couple of games demos in Unreal Engine 4 recently to give an idea what a typical Nintendo title could look like using the graphics engine.

Our particular favourite is a level of the classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time recreated using UE4 by YouTuber CryZENx. It is quite simply superb.

Other games so far speculated to be coming for the Nintendo NX include a new Mario title that will be a bit like Mario Sunshine – although we’re not sure if that’s more wishful thinking than fact.

We will update this round-up as and when we hear more rumours, substantiated and otherwise. Hopefully, you’ll return often.