Nintendo NX Rumor Round-Up: What we know, what we think we know

Hey, the NX is coming out in 2017! At least, that’s what Nintendo confirmed earlier today. But between all the interviews, discussions, Reddit posts, and forum chatter, it’s tough to keep track of everything we’re supposed to know about the new Nintendo console.

Because we love you (and organization), here’s a helpful rundown detailing the stuff we know and the stuff we don’t.

What We Know

Admittedly, we still don’t know a whole lot about the NX itself. But, we still have a handful of confirmed details to lean on while waiting for more.

1)   The NX Will Release in Spring 2017.

There’s no hard release date, but Nintendo has confirmed the NX will be releasing in March 2017. This was announced to investors today, alongside news of the console’s absence from the E3 2016 stage. Currently, the only thing Nintendo has announced to be showing at E3 is the upcoming Legend of Zelda game. Coincidentally…

2)   The Legend of Zelda will Launch Simultaneously on NX and Wii U.

After being rumored, confirmed, and delayed into 2016 and beyond, the all-new Legend of Zelda game was finally given a release window alongside the NX console. As was speculated, it will launch on both Wii U and the NX. Few details are known about this new Legend of Zelda game, but it is said to be an open-world game and has a new, painterly art style.

3)   That rumored controller was an elaborate hoax.

Images of an ovular controller with buttons implanted in the screen first surfaced online as a supposed “leaked” image of the all-new NX controller. Turns out, it was all an elaborate hoax, as was confessed by its creator in the video below.

What We Don’t Know

The list of rumors stretches much, much longer than everything we have had confirmed by Nintendo. Ranging from highly plausible to flat-out wacky, here are some of the most prevalent.

1)   A recent Nintendo patent suggests one of their new controllers will be U-shaped.

Take this one with several grains of salt, because companies file patents for all sorts of weird things all the time, and it’s probably too late in the game to be designing and patenting controllers for the NX.

A NeoGAF user first uploaded the image of a horseshoe-shaped controller, which Nintendo reportedly called a “training implement, training system, and input device.” It’s reportedly hollow, made of an aluminum alloy. Some speculation suggests this could also be a new peripheral for a Wii Fit game or expansion.

2)   The Nintendo NX will be a console/handheld hybrid.

The dominating theory surrounding the nature of the NX right now is that it will combine the best of Nintendo’s two worlds: a powerful, full-fledged console doubling as a docking station for a sleek handheld or portable gaming device. This has yet to be fully confirmed, although it was first reported on by the Wall Street Journal. 

3)   The Nintendo NX will begin mass production in Q1 2016.

Again, we don’t know for sure whether or not the system is in production, although it’s likely things are in the early stages at the very least, since it is intended to launch in the early part of 2017.

4)   Its actual name.

We have no idea. Right now, we’re all calling it its codename: NX. Which is disappointingly generic, given Nintendo’s past console development codenames.

5)   The NX specs target 4K, streaming, achievements, and more.

A survey shared online and reportedly obtained from a “source” suggests a few details about the NX hardware, including that it targets a 900p/60fps performance, supports 4K/60fps video streaming, has achievements to be earned and shared, will have seamless gamplay flow from console to handheld, contains “industry-leading chips,” and includes a sensor bar, console, controller, and HDMI cable in the box. Unfortunately, none of this has been confirmed, although it makes sense for Nintendo to be aiming for comparable graphical performance to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, especially on the heels of the recent PlayStation Neo news.

6)      Wii U production will halt in 2016.

Japan’s Nikkei has previously reported Nintendo intends to cut down on Wii U manufacturing sometime in 2016. This isn’t to say production on the Wii U will never resume, but it does mean Nintendo is likely looking to deplete their stock in order to hypothetically make room in their warehouses for a brand new system. But again – it’s only a rumor.

Have any additional rumors you’d add to our round-up? Let us know in the Chatty.