Nintendo Reportedly Getting Back Into Power Game With “Industry-Leading” Chips in the NX

It’s been a while since Nintendo shrugged off the console arms race in favor of a more cost-effective, unique console with the Wii, but that same gamble didn’t exactly pay off twice in the release of the Wii U. It seems Nintendo’s learned from their mistakes, as the software development kits for the upcoming “NX” console have reached developers, and there are reports of “industry-leading” chips providing the machine’s power.

With Nintendo set to unveil the NX at E3 2016 and likely release soon after if a light software lineup for the Wii U is any indication, it was only a matter of time until we heard more about the console. According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal, the console will be the incessantly rumored handheld/home console hybrid that everyone assumed was the next logical step for the Big N.

There’s still no firm confirmation on exactly what that might look/play like (though the Wii U itself is probably a good starting point for speculation), but WSJ says it’ll “likely include both a console and at least one mobile unit that could either be used in conjunction with the console or taken on the road for separate use.” If that doesn’t sound like a beefed up Wii U that’s ready to directly compete with the PS4 and Xbox One with some added portable gaming goodness, I don’t know what does.

This is likely a move by Nintendo to leverage their successful portable gaming world to help their floundering home console, but it’s interesting that they’re once again willing to compete in raw computing power. That could make this a really expensive machine, which would be out of character for the company. And would it replace their portable gaming systems entirely or work alongside them? How would that happen without one cannibalizing the other, especially with stiff competition from mobile games?

Whatever happens, the future of Nintendo certainly won’t be boring to watch.

(via The Verge)

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Dan Van Winkle

Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct Geekosystem (RIP), and then at The Mary Sue starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at Smash Bros.

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