Rumour: Detachable NX Controllers Will Offer Wii-Like Motion Control And Advanced Force Feedback

This is just getting weird... I don't believe any of it until it's announced... when is that again?

I was missing a good NX rumour!! Now I may have another dose for hypeness sake.

And this is one is another interesting news showing the NX uniqueness, meaning Nintendo is still Nintendo. And this makes me happy!

Since nintendolife always post articles on designs, im hoping they will cover this

Here is a link to someone that sent Nintendo the idea for the NX 10 years ago

http://madiart.blogspot.com/2006/09/gameboy-omega.html?m=1

Force feedback? Will it have UNLIMITED POWER tho?

This technology was available for vibrators for quite some time.

It's a wild ride in NX rumour town.

I just want them to give us the next big Nintendo Direct already. I've heard it's coming up in September, but does anyone know a more concrete date for it yet? We're tired of rumors, just show us the dang system!

Please, Nintendo. Give us your best effort....

@Piersen They're probably sacrificing power AND battery life for this.

How about a NO

Just sounds like a slightly more advanced rumble feature, which I assumed would be included either way.. That's not much of a rumor.

I was hoping for something like a haptic-feedback touchscreen rumor to pop up at some point. That'd be exciting.

Welp, that's all our £9 downloads of Metroid Prime Trilogy on the go a possible reality then.....

While I am skeptical of the feedback, the motion controls is a lot more likely.

Probably irrelevant to this article somewhat but it's worth pointing out that the HTC Vive controller is actually fairly similar to the WiiMote. It has the gyros/accelerators and all that. But it also has what is essentially a 3D version of the sensor bar setup.

On the Wii you had two IR points under your TV and then held an IR camera. The Wii then knew how close you were and your relative co-ordinates/rotation in the plane of the TV. On the Vive there's the same IR lights and camera setup. The difference is that the lights are timed and constantly moving. So it can calculate your position relative to multiple points rather than just a single plane like the WiiMote did.

Honestly I'm not all the psyched for the NX at present. All these rumors are pointing to an underpowered (especially if they want us to use the NX like a home console when we're home) and gimmicky system once again.

Ugh. Ordinary controller please!

What's that smell?

One thing to remember is that, unlike the Wii remote, these "detachable controllers" will almost certainly have analog sticks, which means the use of motion controls will likely be optional, if this rumor turns out to be true to begin with.

Motion controls are present in the 3DS, the Wii U Gamepad, the PS Vita, and the PS4 Dualshock controller via built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers, so it would make sense to continue it, as long as it is not the main unique selling point like with the original Wii.

I'm generally a fan of motion controls, if done right. Thus, I would be completely fine if this rumour came true. I'm looking forward to seeing what the NX is capable of.

So many NX rumours, so few facts. Nobody is doing a good job of explaining anything until they show it to us first.

Sounds legit though. This thing gets more Aikun Morphus every day.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KfmBysrZ2v8

Here's some more portable competition.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HjrM9X70hfg

The world will end before Nintendo reveals this thing at this rate.

This is ok but the part where it says that wiimotes can be used for some multiplayer games just sounds like the messy Wii u messaging all over again. Also that part seems contradictory to what kimishima said about the nx moving away from the Wii brand

I call BS based on previous statements.

I don't necessarily agree that there needs to be a motion control aspect for just dance, since they have the app that can be used with the game. I have the WII U version, and for that we can even use our phones as controllers if we want.

I'm excited to see what the NX is all about though. I'll buy it as soon as a new Splatoon comes out for it.

Motion capabilities on the detachable controllers makes sense, as it'll allow them to replicate touchscreen functionality while the console is docked.

I created this mock-up when the Eurogamer rumour came out to demonstrate it: https://m.reddit.com/r/NintendoNX/comments/4v5lyc/wiistyle_nintendo_nx_mockup/

Meh, another Nintendo console with a gimmick. Going this is wrong cause it doesn't sound good to me at all.

@PeterAndCompany You can safely discount the first two weeks of September. There's almost no chance of Nintendo announcing details of the NX so close to Sony's 7 Sept PlayStation event.

@memoryman3 Sacrificing power and battery life for motion controls and enhanced rumble? Doesn't sound very plausible to me. They aren't mutually exclusive

I like the idea of keeping the old Wii remotes alive for multiplayer games. Saves everyone from having to buy all new controllers. Plus, it gives me hope that we can have more good implementations of motion control. It doesn't have to be in every game, but it's awesome for minigames, any Monkeyball-like tilt games, FPS games, it can be great for immersion (e.g. Skyward Sword), and it makes a great supplement to traditional control schemes for aiming (e.g. Splatoon, Various Zelda remakes on 3DS and Wii U).

If true, I like that the legacy of both the GamePad and the Wii Remote will live on throughout NX. Don't let motion controls and 2nd screen gaming wither away.

Hopefully, this time the innovation won't deter from a capable hardware on the inside of the box as well.

Really digging these rumors. I'm at the point of why not? If they said it connected to social media and offered data plans, why not? Make my breakfast while you're at it.

Motion controls are worth it for me if only for the fact it's the only good way of playing Bowling, Tennis, Golf, Swordfighting or light gun games in the modern era.

Why do I get the feeling we won't even see it in September?! Have to wait a little bit longer...

I hope this is true. The Wii Remote+ was a wonderful, but sadly underutilized, piece of technology.

my head hurts

I liked the Wii remotes. When used correctly and with the nunchuk it offered a unique and even comfortable way to play sime games.

I don't like the wii remotes, so this would be bad news for me if true. =(

Is it too much to ask for a normal controller these days?

@Nintendian

Lol

Another day, another NX rumor.

For anyone wondering, all this means is that the detachable controllers will have motion and pointer controls.

If I can use my Wii REmotes stil then that would be great. Also gives me hope that there might be some backwards compatibillity with Wii U games at least.

@beazlen1
That my friend is the smell of victory! Or someone just left some eggs out in the sun

I'll...get my head out of the gutter.

@Samurai_Goroh Why is power so important? What games looked bad because of the lesser power? Any bad looking games in the current gen across all platforms had to do with bad design or bad programming. The Gamepad and superior gamelist for Wii U more than make up for sometimes a slightly lesser frame rate that I could never notice. Most people can't tell between 20 fps and 60 fps anyway.

@GamePerson19 I love the smell of BS in the morning.

@MadAdam81 I'm not a graphics fundamentalist. I don't care if a game runs in 720p, 1080p or whatever.. My TV is only HD Ready and I don't mind really. What I care about it that games actually run on the system. Power is important because the lack of it, means the console will not get many games as it was the case with Wii U. When we miss out on 90% of 3rd party offerings because of it, some degree of power becomes very important to have.

The Nx has to be on par with the Xbox One base model, if it stands any chance of getting mainstream support. I'm not asking for too much, I believe.

Duration, vibration and sensation.....nice

@Samurai_Goroh A lack of power has very little to do with a lack of 3rd party support. The install base is what 3rd party developers care about. If it's large enough, more companies will release something on that system. Case in point, the Wii, DS, and the 3DS are underpowered systems yet they have a strong amount of third party support due to their install base.

So no, more power won't mean much if the install base isn't there. As long as Nintendo can provide a plethora of high quality games and a system that has mass appeal, third party companies will flock to that system, despite how much power it yields.

@Samurai_Goroh The rumors point to the NX being less powerful than the Xbox One in terms of raw numbers, even if it is using the Tegra X2 (the improvements that the X2 provides are more in power efficiency, not raw power level).

Regardless of that, most western 3rd parties wouldn't support it anyways as their games sell like s*** on Nintendo platforms - the audience isn't there. The audience that is on Nintendo's platforms generally doesn't give a damn about those games, and those that do own a platform that can play said games.

Ok, so advanced rumble and motion controls that should be standard by now?

Seriously, gyroscope+accelerometer capabilities are in the 3DS, Vita, Wii U GamePad, and the Dualshock 4. That should be standard by now.

@Lucina 3DS and Wii enjoyed a nice level of 3rd party support, mainly from games built from the ground up for those systems. Ports from other consoles were very troublesome to make. The Wii never got Mirror's Edge and Bioshock for instance.
The GameCube on the other hand, had a small userbase but it was powerful and easy to port games from PS2 to it. It gathered arguably the most 3rd party games since the SNES heyday.

I can't maintain two console per generation, and in the past I have been loyal to Nintendo, but I just feels like I'm missing out on too many games doing so. While I do have PC which has helped get my 3rd party fix, PCs are expensive to keep up to date for gaming (That and nowadays games are so poorly optimised for PC, that they demand top of the line hardware to run on the bare minimum. I'm looking at you, Ubisoft).

If the NX is just set out to be a Nintendo box, then I am very sad to say that for the first time I may have to skip Nintendo. I love their first party output but it's not enough. Heck, it's not like they are making a new F-Zero for it.

I just recently bought a Wii again, and I will say I do love the Wii remote by itself as an ALTERNATE control scheme. But, I absolutely just want a "regular" controller in the box for TV play...

@Samurai_Goroh Fair enough. If that's how you feel, I respect your opinion and hope you enjoy other offerings from the other consoles. I suspect Nintendo will continue to move to its own beat rather than conform to another console that is essentially just a PC, albeit an underpowered PC mind you. They'll continue to create controllers that don't mesh well with some gamers and create a system tailored to a unique experience. It's not for everyone and that's ok.

@jsty3105 Sony also has another presser event September 13th ahead of Tokyo Game Show. Nintendo isn't attending TGS, so I don't see the point in announcing before it.

Sony will probably release PS4 slim very soon as it's already available in some 2nd hand store in the UK, so that's Septembers news. PSVR is out mid-October so that will be getting a lot of coverage as well. Also having a solid lock on the whole "new way to play" idea Nintendo is always looking for.

I think Sony may then release Neo early-mid November ahead of Black Friday.

So whenever Nintendo does get around to announcing NX Sony will be there beating 1 of their 3 competitive drums - PS4 slim will be cheaper, PSVR will be more unique, PS4 Neo will be more powrrful. And MS still has 2 more S models to release, 1TB and 500GB, so that will get some voverage, if mainly in the US.

Nintendo has no window to call their own. Maybe CES in January if they only want to replace Nvidia Shield in the tablet+controller market.

@rjejr I can guarantee you that PS4 Slim will not be cheaper. NX's reasonable price range was always $199-$249. PS4 Slim will be either $249 or $299 - possibly both for different HDD sizes.

Edit: As far as having a window for the NX announcement, that's late September. It's 2016 - PS4 Slim is old news by then.

Just as I predicted - as far as controls alone are concerned, a bigger 3DS with flat Wiimotes in it and the possibility to get video output on any HDTV should do the trick. The power gap between Nintendo and its rivals would still be there, sure, but they could totally cash in on Nintendo's utter supremacy when it comes to the handheld market. It could be a win-win scenario.

@MadAdam81 It's easy to tell the difference between 30fps and 60fps, let alone 20fps. I can point to Xenoblade X and say that we're still a long way from having a perfect device that doesn't need upgrading anymore. There's still room for a lot of improvement. Star Fox Zero, from a visual standpoint, was barebones. The amount of detail and objects were minimal. They can do much better than that, and looking at Breath of the Wild, that game could use some extra horsepower too to raise the draw distance, improve textures and resolution.

And of course the fact that it will be easier to port other games to, but seeing how Nintendo is likely to go with ARM, we can already forget about that.

Boring. Anyone could make this prediction based on the Eurogamer rumors.

But ironically, if this and the Eurogamer hybrid rumor were true, then the NX would be more like an evolution of the ideas present in both Wii and Wii U, rather than a "brand new concept".

Some people here need to calm down. A lot of people see the words "Wii...motion controls", and their eyes turn red, while ignoring everything else in the article.

That's not a surprise given that I expect them to function very similarly to the Wiimotes if the rumours of the NX are true.

This is basically how I see them including backwards compatibility with all the Wii games in a way that makes sense and is practical for most people, and without it [hopefully] compromising normal game controls and stuff too.

@Moshugan Yeah, I think the "brand new concept" bit is maybe just combining the whole handheld and home console into one to be honest. Because without that it really is just a way to bring the past Nintendo consoles together in one system, is some form that makes relative sense and isn't totally mental.

@IceClimbers "NX's reasonable price range"

OK, you know better than to associate the word "reasonable" to Ntineod. 3DS launched in March for $249, and that was just a plain old handheld. If NX is a handheld w/ a dock for TV out surely it will be at least $299, no?. After Wii sold 100 million consoles with a starting price of $250 Ntineod decided to release Wii U at $299 w/o a game - Wii Sports sold Wii in the US - or $349 w/ Nintendo Land, a game nobody asked for or wanted. My guess is they'll want to bundle a game, so $299 at least. And PS4 Slim could be $279 just to annoy MS and Ninty. (I miss in between price points, why does everything need to be in multiples of $50?)

Even if Nintendo makes rationale decisions on occasion - Wii pricing and DS launch - we still don't know what NX is, so how can you guess the price? OK, I guess I guessed the price first by saying PS4 Slim would be cheaper, but we dont 'know the price of that yet either so it seemed a fair comparison, comparing prices for 2 consoles we don't know about. (Though PS4 Slim seems to be real and out there, simply too much coverage for it to be fake.)

"that's late September"

OK, agreed, you got me there. But very late, at least a few days after TGS ends on the 18th. I think PS4 Slim will be in stores on the 22nd, thats the day the price goes up on PS+ to $60 from $50, and Sony will want to gouge those PS4 Slim purchasers on day 1. I'm cynical that way. Maybe the 20th as that's a Tuesday, and 2 days after TGS. And 2 weeks after the announcement on the 7th , and Andrew House has already sort of said he'd like it available soon after.

"The dynamics of the tech industry are such that there’s a much heavier emphasis on immediate gratification than there was. A lot of that is to do with how Apple has very cleverly and elegantly managed the ‘available now’ approach"

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/15/playstation-boss-andrew-house-ps4-neo-microsoft-scorpio

So I guess that does leave Nintnedo the last week of Sept between PS4 Slim and PSVR, but its cutting it very close on both ends.

And if Ninteod rented a big hall for the last week of Sept like they typically do for Space World or Nintnedo World, shouldn't we know about that by now?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Space_World

Searching for the announcement of the location of the announcement, that's life these days on Nintendo Life.

I'm done with rumors already. I just want the system to come out. The motion controllers are probably just an add on to some games like Wii sport, and Just dance. So that doesn't bother me. They have controllers. I just hope they announce something sone to stifle rumors and give us the unified console that we want.

The NX is honestly sounding worse and worse with each passing rumor. I truly hope they are not true.

If the NX fails, I wonder if Reggie will again detach himself and pretend that his own staggering incompetence wasn't a reason.

Believe it or not, offering multiple control options confuses most of the "casual" customer base.

Secondly sticking with Wii Remote compatibility only makes it look like Nintendo is desperately trying to hang on to a Wii audience that left 6 years ago.

Lastly old tech sticking around only hinders gameplay designs when the developers have to consider that someone might only be playing with a Wii Remote.

I really hope Nintendo does a reveal soon as people seem to be being put off by the many rumours. There has a to be a few Dev kits in the wild by now but we are still getting wildly varying rumours of the NX.

All we do know is Nintendo is releasing something in March. Ill read some of these may articles or watch many of the Youtube videos by people who know somebody who knows someone who heard its going to be this.

But i do feel its hurting Nintendo by not revealing the NX so people can have a decent factual conversation, so they can decide if they like it and if they will or will not buy it.

@ecco6t9
Totally agree.

Yeah.. Its like a Mystery

Of course they will. If they exist at all.

At least the rumours are consistent with Nintendo's philosophy.
Rumours of Underpowered handheld GPUs and all sorts of gimmicks are not that farfetched.
Isn't that what modern Nintendo does? Weak consoles and gimmicks.

Oh joy that's just what we need more wii motes, Nintendo having spent 10 years proving that they're largely useless. At this point I just want Nintendo to put us out of our misery as many of theses rumours simply may not be true and are out of context

I think motion controls have had their day. Did enjoy some of the unique experiences on Wii but I do prefer a traditional controller and the gamepad didn't do a lot for me at all.

Am looking forward to what Nintendo come up with next, but there's no guarantee I'm buying.

@rjejr And that $249 price for the 3DS surely went over well, right?
I think for something that is primarily a handheld, it needs to have proper handheld pricing, TV dock or not. A handheld with more modern capabilities and the TV dock could get away with $249, but not if the PS4 Slim is launching at that price.

The Slim I think will launch at $249 so they can undercut the XB1S, and for something that doesn't appear to have the 4k and HDR capabilities that the One S does, it should be cheaper.

September 22nd would be pretty late I think. That would mean certain retailers broke the street date by an entire month!

As for Nintendo's reveal, I don't think they'll have an actual venue. I think it'll be a private press event at NoA's headquarters and a Nintendo Direct for the public.

Considering Nintendo stated on several occasions that NX would be a 'clean break' and move away from Wii, Wii U and all that they embodied, I very much doubt Wii remotes will be compatible with NX, even if it were just for 'certain games'.

Even moreso in light of Reggie's very recent comments about how they learned their lesson with Wii U about how not to convey a convoluted and confusing message about new systems.

@IceClimbers So, what are the odds of NX having 4K and HDR?

My brain doesn't want this to be a simple handheld and dock, I've spent way too many hours ruminating for that. I'm hoping dock has 128GB storage, or 4GB RAM, something to help the transition from handheld to tv. It won't have a disc drive or HDD, so on paper it should be cheap. Really cheap. What would X1S cost with no disc drive or HDD, $149? But Nintendo probably won't sell at a loss. Wii U is $299, no DVD, no Blu ray, no 4k, no HDD, no optical out (PS4 slim dropped it too). Can a new console of any sort cost less than Wii U? New 3DSXL is $199, can it be less than that?

I agree 3DS was a failure at $249. I also think 3DS was a failure launching in March. NX is launching in March. Nintendo never learns.

@CB85 Considering they brought back the Gamecube controller just for ONE game on Wii U, the NX being compatible with Wiimotes isn't that hard to believe.

I'm so confused at what NX is! I mean Nintendo basically saying this is a brand new concept and that's why they don't want to reveal it just yet but on the other hand all these rumours are just pointing to a slightly more powerful Wii U gamepad with detachable controllers! That is not brand new and I think I am actually not that excited about the idea to be honest!

I'm not surprised because Nintendo are not going to abandon motion controls. I'd be more surprised if they did.

@hYdeks
"another Nintendo console with a gimmick"

Of course it is- that's one of the main reasons why most Nintendo fans get excited for Nintendo consoles- every time they do something new.

But different doesn't automatically equal bad or lesser then. Perhaps to the close minded, but anyone who doesn't write something off out of their preconceive notions is going to be excited at the prospect of innovation and thinking outside of the box and not settling for the status quo.

Some of the greatest Nintendo platform exclusive games have been on hardware with a "gimmick" and the games were almost always as good if not better as a result.

Zelda LBW in 3D
Metroid Prime 3 with motion
Pikmin 3 with dual screen/motion
Fire Emblem Awakening 2 screens
Mario 64 with 3D analog gimmick

@Aussiephoenix83
"Brand new"

It's not going to be a telepathic console. What exactly did you have in mind that you realistically expect?

All the DS was was an extra screen, all the 3DS was, was 3D. All the Wii was, was motion. All the N64 was, was 360 analog control. Etc etc.

All of these have provided new ways to play. And none of them were some crazy outlandish idea. And NX will not be either. It will be a simple and small idea but a practical one.

And I think it's fair to say we already know what it is- hybrid console playable on the go or on a TV.

Simple and Practical. And it hasn't been done before.

@JaxonH
If you think I am that stupid to think it's a telepathic console good on you! I have been a Nintendo fan for 25 years! I know what they have done in gaming mate.

To be so flippant to say all the Wii did was bring in a little thing called motion controls is a bit ridiculous when it really was a brand new way to play games that everyone could play. Also the DS bringing in touch screen gaming! That's huge and again a brand new concept at the time. I agree that GCN and Wii U were more iterations and smaller steps in terms of uniqueness.

I do like how you think these were not crazy outlandish ideas but in reality they were unique and new for the time. Also I am not saying the console is going to be anything outlandish such as a popcorn maker too however the concept of the rumoured NX does fall a little flat for me.

Let's look at the fact. The Wii U was the poorest selling console in Nintendo's history. It would not make sense for a company to design their next console around almost the same idea. They might as well call it Wii U 2. But Nintendo have already stated the NX will not be part of the Wii family. Also if this rumour is true all Nintendo have done is to allow the gamepad to be played as a portable gaming device. Which is really just a step in a direction.

I am just not buying the whole thing. I am happy to be proven wrong however and I hope Nintendo wow their audience with the NX.

I mean everyone seems a bit ho hum on the idea.

@Aussiephoenix83
It seems I need to apologize- I didn't make that remark with the intention of insulting you. I was just trying to get a point across that sometimes people expect too much when realistically it's the small things that can make a big difference.

When you reduce it down to "just a gamepad as a portable gaming device" it sounds so unimpressive, but all the Wii was was a GameCube with IR pointers yet it made the difference between the worst selling home console ever and the best selling home console ever.

No matter what it is you could liken it to Wii U. Or for the people who just want a straightlaced console, you could easily say "All Nintendo has done is allow the GameCube to be played with HD graphics". You can always reduce something down to sound unimpressive, no matter what it is.

If it plays home console quality games on the go, that to me is far more impressive than any 3D or motion controls ever was. Because it's not just the graphics- it's the type of game that you can play- and a lot of home console games need that level of power so this will allow a whole new range of games to be played on the go that has never been possible before, or, at least not without being watered down to complete dilution first.

Compile that on top of the fact that crossbuy is forever solved- even one better with only having to purchase one system, and the fact cross-save is forever solved, and this sounds to be a much more compelling notion than anything they've done in the past.

At least to me.

edit
You're playing Zelda on the TV, but you're going somewhere. No more "I'll play when I get back". Just grab that sucker, take it with you and keep the good times rolling. No "I'll go buy the handheld version from the eShop (if there even is one), pray Nintendo implemented cross-save, upload save to the cloud, download save to handheld, then do all of that over again when I get home to transfer save back to the console" like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate or Borderlands 2. None of that. Just play, take with you, play some more, come home, and keep playing.

@IceClimbers I'll believe it when I see it. ;] Kimishima-san seems to be steering his company in a much-needed fresh and healthy direction, being unafraid to let go of old and archaic ways and traditions, while embracing new directions and ventures. :]

@rjejr Not sure what the dock will be able to do. Or at least the one at launch that is. Maybe one does more stuff (ie a SCD) gets released later down the line.

I don't think the March release would have been so much of a problem for the 3DS if any of the games had actually been ready then.

Anyways, new rumor time: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1270077

Basically, a 6.2 inch 720p multitouch screen on the prototype, which would be a massive upgrade over the 3DS's 240p screen. Dock prototype has two USB slots.

@JpGamerGuy90 but if it doubles as a portable it will be the most powerful portable ever. 😎

@JaxonH

No worries man! I am a passionate Nintendo fan like yourself. I hate that Nintendo are the underdogs at the moment and deep down I just want them to come out with something that will be amazing again and where the media is celebrating Nintendo again. It's been a tough few years being a Nintendo fan and I just want the company to come out with something that will blow our minds.

I understand that a portable playing home console quality games on the go is an amazing feet. To be able to then play on the TV is great too. It just doesn't feel very wow for me in terms of getting Nintendo out of this Nintendoom phase. I am sure they have it all sorted and it will be a million times better then what I am currently thinking. I hope when they finally show off the NX I will be pumped and ready to buy one. In fact even if the games are amazing I'll be there.

I see your point about taking your gaming everywhere too! This is a great concept. There is no doubt it is a great concept I just hope Nintendo do not bugger it up by trying to just make a better Wii U gamepad.

PS I love my Wii U my concerns mostly stem from wanting to see Nintendo succeed again.

I'm completely OK with this. I love the Wiimote, and always hoped it'd get iterated...

@Aussiephoenix83
I can't speak for anyone else but as for myself, I quit caring about the media doom or the public perception of Nintendo. All I care about now is how much I'm going to personally enjoy it- the heck with whether or not anyone else likes it.

But I think we're to the point now where there's literally nothing I can think of that would ever blow my mind again, aside from maybe VR. And I'm not even really excited for that, though I do have PSVR preordered. But no hype.

I just think we've gotten to a point in time where we've pretty much seen everything- we've seen the extent of what video games can offer and we've seen the effects of having amazing graphics, but now that everything is HD it just doesn't impress like it used to back when they were jumping from 64 to 128 bits.

So my hype is moderate for any console, but I think as far as they go this is about as good of an idea as any console could have.

When I first saw images/patents/concepts of detachable controllers, I pretty much imagined they could also function like Wii remotes. I'd honestly be suprised if there was no form of motion control.

@IceClimbers Clicks on link - page 1 of 19.

Maybe tomorrow.

Over under on them announcing the NX in September only to delay it until the following September?

R U M O U R !!!

I can't help but feel this would be annoying to 3rd parties in that it's additional resources they have to spend to program for their games.

Nintendo NX is a Modular - 'Upgradeable' console with an HD screen - you will be able to swap out or add to the chips over future years to play higher performance games.
Your controller will be personalised to you with your save files and game codes on and you will be able to join games on another persons console using your controller.

Just want them to make a proper gaming console the disaster of the Wii and Wii U need pushing under the rug yes the Wii sold incredibly well but it all but killed off any major 3rd party support they had gained back with the gamecube by aiming the console at non gamers. As most gamers played the 360 or PS3 that's why when the few 3rd party developers tried to release games aimed at gamers on the platform they absolutely bombed Madworld a case in point. The original Wi was a huge dust collector for a lot of people especially the few actual gamers that bought one.

@JaxonH Last thing that really impressed me in video games was NFL2K on Dreamcast, you'r spot on w/ that 64 bit to 128bit jump. There have been some great looking games since then - God of War 3, Uncharted 2 - but nothing has really made me take notice and say wow since that game. And Dreamcast wasn't even HD, and it would probably look like crud today, but at the time it was amazing, and I haven't been that amazed since.

Have you demoed PSVR anywhere yet? You know Sammy swears by it, but he also swears you have to try it to believe it, and I haven't yet. I still don't want to game with a headset on, but it could be a close to wow experience.

@JaxonH actually, you putting it that way does make sense, and Nintendo usually does have great innovations that help make some of their greatest games! Hopefully the NX will be great worth this then.

@rjejr I'm a hard man to 'Wow' but actually my last genuine 'Wow' moment in gaming was Mario Galaxy.It was the running around jumping from planet to planet combined with the incredible soundtrack that done it for me though rather than the graphics.Very few games have ever had that effect on me.Before Galaxy it was Shenmue,Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 .But my biggest 'Wow' of all will always be Sonic the Hedgehog on my mates Japanese Megadrive.I can remember it vividly.

@OorWullie Shenmue

I see. SMG was very cool, I was just really focusing on the graphical realism of the jump from N64 and PS1 to Dreamcast. No leap will ever be that big for me. Well maybe a true Holodeck where everything inside it was instantly real. That would be very cool.

@IceClimbers Apologies if my last short reply appeared rude, I was on the couch on my tablet and my wife was literally walking out the door hurrying me up to go. Priorities.

@rjejr Yep,it was a massive leap.I was right into the arcades mid to late 90's,Sega games especially.Being 'Arcade perfect' meant a lot back in the day but very few games ever really were until the Dreamcast.What a console it was!

First of all, vibrating controllers don't really add much to a game, in my opinion.

Secondly, is this a rumor from a let's player on youtube with unnamed sources? Hardly seems worth an article, but I guess NL got me to click on it, so joke's on me.

Thirdly, is Nintendo ever going to say anything about this system? I'm starting to think I'll visit Wal-Mart next spring and it'll just be on the shelves.

Wait a second... You're telling me that this "Rumble Pak" actually lets players feel the game?

@JaxonH
I personally think a hybrid is nothing really exciting. Something that people wrote about hundred of times in comment sections, sorry, but that doesn't strike me as a "new concept" with the need to be so secretive. Most people can deduct as much just by looking at patents.
I also like having separate experiences on the home console and the handheld. It'd be nice if it would share some games, like Mario Kart 9 for both, but I'd like them to have their own distinct library.

The thing that gets me thinking is, can you even call yourself a Nintendo fan if you don't like gimmicks? What is called a "standard controller" today was also a "gimmick" in the past. It just feels like with the Wiimote and the GamePad people fear it will become a standard. Everything just to keep the status quo going.
Another problem is that words are loosing their meanings. Gimmick is "a feature I don't want". You can have the same person saying they don't want any gimmicks, but that playing DVDs or Blu-rays is a must. lol At least motion or a second screen add something to gaming, playing DVDs or Blu-rays doesn't. A control set-up that you have to learn, like with The Wonderful 101 and Star Fox Zero, gets called "broken". Etc.

@Rin-go The G word is now used to damn a Nintendo product.

For example "urgh, must mean a lack of power". the people that think like that shouldn't even be looking at Nintendo products as you say, because they are never going to do what the other two do. I pretty much echo your thoughts on this.

Basically, it's yet another rumour being treated as fact. A whole bunch of people up in arms over nothing. Nintendo have basically said nothing. It's the websites and people themselves getting them into this state.

Samus will be happy ^^

i hate the idea of Wiimotes being compatible.... NX needs to distance from the Wii line, in all ways.

Plottwist: Nintendo are secretly feeding us this half-complete info to feed the hype train.

I'm with @JaxonH on this one. The concept, while simple and to some, underwhelming, excites me quite a lot. Off TV play with the Wii U as standard in my opinion is up there as one of the most underappreciated features in console history. It's so damned convenient being able to play the same game on the same console without the TV and I imagine for some people with busy families it is a godsend.

Then came the thought: Imagine that Off TV play had infinite range. Even within the home this would be useful as you can often get out of range and have interference through walls. But outside the home? Anywhere? That sounds amazing. Many people have a dedicated handheld as well as their home console purely to scratch that one particular itch. It would be amazing to have one / a dual console with one library to cover both of those very different bases.

That's is, providing this is going to happen, of course.

@Rin-go On the "new concept" thing. Nintendo's statements do not regard the visibility of their own patents, random speculations on forums, or YouTube conspiracy theorist videos as spoilers that disqualify it being "new".

I could sit here and brainstorm 1000 video game ideas on a YouTube video. Should that preclude Nintendo from saying they are introducing a product with a new way to play? That has now happened since initial statements on NX. You can't then say, "see some random blurb was about this so you can't say it's new Nintendo!"

I'd even go so far as to say that Nintendo only regards the big players in the video game world. I'm sure they don't consider even the Nvidia Shield as a player in their space. Maybe that one is borderline, but all those mobile phone add-on thingies, or gaming tablets that have no backing from software or support or wide advertising (until they are linked to discussions about Nintendo) are just temporary ideas that went nowhere and frankly don't count in Nintendo's view.

A "new way to play" in the more limited space of successful dedicated gaming hardware is much more easily attained and probably far more practical than many are imagining. Could bite Nintendo a bit when the reveal finally happens, but that's why Nintendo tries to say so little. In reality, those statements were probably just a suggestion that gamers shouldn't expect them to make another console that is a clone of the XB1/PS4.

Completely with you on the gimmick thing. Well said.

@IceClimbers @rjejr
Those rumors are tantalizing. I'm an imaginative guy so any little piece of potential hooks me. It's sad.

Still, the 6.2" screen is just a bit bigger than my iPhone 6 Plus, so I can hold that and think about it physically. 720p is a huge upgrade from the (horrible) resolution of the 3DS, that iPhone has a 1080p display so text won't look great to my eye but it should be fine for playing smart phone games. Especially if it has multitouch as the rumor suggests. So... that theory of supporting Nintendo's own mobile apps at least would fit @rjejr .

Multitouch in and of itself is a problem for backwards compatibility with 3DS games (fingers are much fatter than a stylus), but I don't think this rumor has any room for a two screen device so that is probably out anyway — unless some arrangement with the dock could work for virtual console gaming.

That size screen - phablet size I guess - seems a likely compromise. Any bigger you can't fit in any pockets.

Have to say I'd be pretty happy with those specs in a portable from Nintendo as I'm happy with my phone. Of course my phone with two controller clusters attached to the side... that gets real interesting.

@JaxonH
I'm not a portable gamer much (Does Pokemon Go count?! ) but I'm with you on this being compelling.

The thing that made that EuroGamer rumor ring potentially true to me was how it solved so many Nintendo issues at once. It felt like a natural progression and yet a change big enough to be new and as is evidenced by reactions online, potentially freak people out.

The attention got paid to the Tegra X1 and internal hardware specs and while I was trying to suss out the feasibility, that's not the part of the rumor that ever mattered to me.

The form factor and scenario fit Nintendo's situation. Probably many other scenarios fit just as well, like the one that the NX will actually turn out to be!

The real anticipation in all of this is what the first wave of Nintendo games will actually be. The drought is real now... even though I have a backlog.

@aaronsullivan @TearTheRoofOff

And it's not just the fact you can play the game home or on the go, it's the type of games available on a portable device. Imagine the new Zelda- we've all seen the footage... Imagine that on a portable screen, playing it anywhere.

That's exciting, I'm sorry. I loved Zelda Link Between Worlds, truly, but this is something else entirely.

@JaxonH @TearTheRoofOff ...and only one dedicated gaming hardware target for Nintendo rather than two. Or maybe 1.3333 as some will probably still be tailored more for one or the other. Which is what I thought you'd bring up.

My dream scenario for Zelda BotW is our family taking shifts as the rest look on time to time, and all gather together for the most important bits. Not really possible without the TV portion. If it is primarily a portable and can't go up on the TV, I'll be very disappointed.

@aaronsullivan "The real anticipation in all of this is what the first wave of Nintendo games will actually be."

That's my main concern these days, showing more than just Zelda, JD and DQ11. Can't launch a console w/o Mario.

In case you missed it, I decided Ntineod had a 6 month timeline for NX - reveal hardware in May, games in June at E3, promote all summer, release in October. Then for whatever reason NX got delayed until March - software, hardware, who knows?, though I'm leaning on Parker or AMD ARM or DMP m3400 - so when they delayed the launch, they delayed the whole timeline so they could keep their 6 months of work. Meaning Sept reveal for a March launch. That's not logical, but it is Nintnedo logic.

Is it OK if I skip the new thread, I went over all of that last night when @IceClimbers gave me the Neogaf link. And I already declared I'm all in on the tablet hybrid, Occam's razor. I will miss having a home console though, as I'm still not sure how couch multiplayer will work. 2 USB aren't enough, I have 64GB USB, Skylanders portal, DI portal, Lego D portal. It better be 4. Size is fine, resolution is fine, I'd be fine w/ 540p as well. But we still need games. And a proper reveal. And a price. And bundle options. Why should every kid in a household need a TV out dock?

@rjejr
Yeah, I'm starting to resign to the hybrid thing, myself as you can probably tell. Not that it matters much what I think right now. Just managing expectations I guess. It will shape the games, but I'm thinking if BotW is on it, how limiting can it be? Oh, and did you see my post about Pokemon all over the NX? You might be able to launch without Mario if you launch with Pokemon.

About my pipe dream extreme loss-leader strategy to keep costs down:
April 29th, 2016 — Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima tells investors that NX won’t be launching as a loss leader.

Next, about cost, we aren’t thinking of the hardware being unprofitable. When the Wii U launched the exchange rate was that of a very strong yen, and so that we don’t have that kind of a situation again, launching as a loss-leader won’t be what makes up our business, so that’s how we’re progressing with NX development.

So, if it's going to be cheap, it's going to be cheap.

@aaronsullivan Hard to really predict price on 1, something we know nothing about, and 2, something Ntinedo is pricing.

Wii U $299
Xbox One $249 w/ 500GB HDD and blu ray
Xbox 1 S $299 w/ above plus 4k and HDR

3DS launched in March at $249
This is supposed to be much more powerful w/ 3x better screen and detachable controllers and a TV out dock

I would guess $299. It's also possible they are keeping Wii U at $299 so the $299 NX price looks comparable.

They need $199 for just the tablet, no dock, as an option. And nowadays everybody bundles a game. What game? Certainly not Zelda, 13.5 million Wii U owners would burn down Nintendo HQ. Something lame like Ntneod Land? A port like MK8 or SSB where they can make money on DLC?

Even when they tell us what it is, there will still be lots for us to talk about. At least then we can have some basis in reality.

Started LCU last night, very good use of the Gamepad, so I suppose no port of that on NX. I'm still not convinced Zelda NX will be better than Zelda U. They took out the interactive map, but at least last we saw it still had the map on screen during the pause menu, so I can still make use of that for touching to set way points. going to be weird playing a Zelda game w/o a map after WW HD and XCX. So while I'm sold on 1 hybrid, maybe there is stuff we still don't know, like using 2 NX together, 1 in the dock outputting to TV, 1 as the controller? Intriguing, isn't it. Maybe 3 together so we can play Spla2n multiplayer like it was meant to be played. 4 NX. 5 NX? Would have plenty of power if the coders can do it right. I can see my basement filled w/ sweaty teenage boys now.

@aaronsullivan oops, left out Pokemon.

Wii U had Pokemon Rumble U about a week after/before Pikmin 3, and that was horrible. 3DS had Shuffle and Rumble, and that $15 Pokedex Pro that never added X+Y Pokemon so I'm still mad about it, my kids spent $30 combined on that, so now they won't spend $5 annually on the bank. B/c Pokemon needs to make them more money. So a Pokemon something is likely at launch.

We still don't know about backwards compatibility so it's hard to say. I do know that $35 Pokemon Go Plus is a very overpriced friendship bracelet waiting to release, maybe they are making an NX version like the S&M bracelet. That thing is genius. I bet Nintendo had nothing to do with it.

@rjejr
Price makes no sense to me right now. Portable is just more expensive, no way around it. Thing is there are quotes from Nintendo executives about regretting the high price of Wii U along with quotes about not selling at a loss. Then, there's this extra dock thing and removable controllers with individual batteries and wireless... It's that part of this rumor set that isn't quite adding up for me.

Pack-in will make use of the two players on the go if that is indeed a thing. On the way home from the store where it was purchased, two kids can play it. Some sort of vs. game. It's maybe multitouch, too so... if the app support thing is real, Pokemon GO, Miitomo, Animal Crossing, and Fire Emblem could all be pre-installed... but then there's that pesky storage space issue.

What a balance to figure out with multiplayer when it's a console and a portable device. More controllers get you split screen... but better performance and individual screens if each person has a machine.

LCU. Fun! How's the non-multiplayer working out?

This thing is gonna be pricey right? Thats if these rumours are true, i mean the Wii U is still overly expensive due to that controller and now im seeing PS4 and Xbone being around £200-250!

@aaronsullivan "LCU. Fun! How's the non-multiplayer working out?"

I only play it when nobody is around. I'm not even sure anybody knows we have it, it's like shooting up H or something in the dark basement all alone. Maybe porn is a better reference point. Great Gamepad use though, Zelda Wild is really going to suck after I'm done w/ this. "2nd screen is distracting' my @$$

http://nintendoeverything.com/aonuma-on-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-miyamoto-taking-a-step-back-single-screen-experience/

"two players on the go"

If that is a selling point, oh man, the "Child's toy" brigade will be out in full force, and I'll be leading them. I think that can be a viable option, but in a mini-game collection like Wario, which should only show up later on, Zelda on the go, Pokemon on the big screen needs to be the selling point, not ridiculous mini-games. How did draw on the screen video chat and generic action figure help move Wii U?

@aaronsullivan OK, that last part was a bit harsh. What I meant to say was, system is launching in March, only hardcore gamers will be buying 1, kids will be god for another 9 months, that's when you promote that 2-player stuff, launch has to be real games for real gamers.

@rjejr
Oh, I hope the two player stuff isn't just mini games though those can be fun. People do like vs. sports. That hasn't gone away. Imagine a nice deep magic the gathering style card game — maybe a new Pokemon Collectible card game that works along with amiibo'd cards. The launch is when there is a least one game that deeply supports the ideas in the hardware. Nintendo has steadily worked away from the mini-games. Even Nintendo Land had much deeper sequential games...

Anyway, if a game is fun over and over, I don't really care if it's mini. The problem was the Wii had so many vacuous mini-games that wore out the first couple of times you played.

@aaronsullivan PS3 launched with some Magic the Gathering type card game that relied on the Eye, Eye of Judgement. I think it did OK but I'm not sure how many consoles it sold. Nintendo really needs to hit the ground running in March, I just don't see how 2 player dinky games are going to do it.

Though I do think my judgement may be clouded by that horrific patent artwork in the other thread. If they come out with FIFA or Madden, then that's another story. But they would probably do air hockey, Foosball and pong.

Have I told you 300 times that when Wii U was announced I waited forever for a mini game collection featuring video chat for grandparents to play with their grandkids - Wii Play Together. Hangman, tic-tac-toe, battleship, connect 4. You get the idea. They showed that video of Reggie and Iwatta talking and drawing on the screen. How would a 2 player game not be a great sell for all those casuals who bought a Wii to upgrade to HD? How did they not make that? So they didn't make that obvious cheap game to justify the camera to get Wii owners to upgrade. Now it's too late for Wii owners to upgrade, they need to promote Zelda, Pikmin, Splatoon. Game games. At least in March. At E3 they can show Spin the Bottle 2. (It's in the eShop in case you missed it.)

http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/N1Xs8fxonoQX93v98qs7TFcVbVnV_k4y

That sounds great! A more modern Wiimote (it's very old tech) similar to Vive + backwards compatibility. Can't ask for more.

@aaronsullivan
The thing is, though, all this hybrid stuff, doesn't strike me as "new". How should I say it? Playing the same games at home and on the go just doesn't really add anything "new" to the way we play games. It all boils down to being a Wii U, with the only difference being that the GamePad is a handheld this time. No Blue Ocean.
And what about local multiplayer? That is something I really want to know. Would you be able to buy the handheld part only to dock to the station, so that you'd have two controllers? Wouldn't that mean that the handheld parts could be considered as being superexpensive controllers?
I feel that's all too complicated and it would be a huge step backwards.

@WiltonRoots
Yeah, some words seem to trigger an instant "No. Never." reaction. Like gimmick or gyro.
I'd love there to be a gimmick, but maybe that's just me. ^^;

@Rin-go I would definitely like it to be something new and different. I just don't understand this whole generic console experience that people crave from a company that never goes down that path, especially as there's two machines that provide just that. But maybe that's just me.

I'm hoping Reggie (or someone) makes good on the comments on explaining the concept. I find detachable controllers as an idea somewhat baffling, making as much sense as a Lego edition of Jenga. Anyway, whatever NX is, I'm looking forward to the (eventual) reveal. Has to be soon, right?

Motions controls refined.

But what will this do to the battery life?

I was assuming this to be the case as soon as the detachable controller rumour surfaced... motion controls were such a major feature of the Wii, I doubt Nintendo will drop them anytime soon, and they would obviously want to keep improving upon them.

This aged wonderfully