Nintendo NX Powered By Nvidia Tegra, Portable Console That Docks To TV, Per Report

Speculation about what kind of console the Nintendo NX will be continues among the gaming community. A pair of new reports released by Eurogamer on Tuesday claims Nintendo’s next console will be more like a portable or handheld console that can be played on the go or hooked up to a TV. Additionally, the console maker is going with Nvidia’s Tegra line of portable processors to power the new device.

Anonymous sources with Eurogamer state the Nintendo NX will be a handheld console, complete with its own display screen. Interestingly, games will be available via cartridges and presumably by download. The storage capacity of the console is not known at the moment, but it is said Nintendo recommends a 32GB cartridge, which is on the small side for most retail games seen on the PS4 and Xbox One.

A docking station will be available for Nintendo NX owners to hook the console up to their home TVs. Interestingly, the NX is rumored to come with two controller sections on either side that can be detached from the main body. These detachable controllers are presumably wireless, but details on their size or what buttons they might feature were not shared.

The actual size of the console is also up for debate. Detachable controllers would seemingly add some bulk to the Nintendo NX, though it is unknown whether its size is closer to the Wii U’s tablet-like GamePad or the Nintendo 3DS.

Rumors have floated around of the Nintendo NX being powered by an AMD processor. However, Eurogamer‘s Digital Foundry reports the new console will run on Nvidia’s Tegra chipset. It’s unknown if this will be the Tegra X1 or the newer X2 chipset in the final design, but the design is clearly to be as energy efficient and portable as possible.

Nintendo has already made clear it does not intend to chase down the PS4 and Xbox One in terms of power, but the Tegra X1 has proven it is capable in the Nvidia Shield Android TV micro-console depending on the game. The real test will be over whether it will hit the current Holy Grail mark of 1080p and 60 frames per second. Again, that looks unlikely, as Nintendo is not looking to compete with Sony and Microsoft in terms of graphics and power.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot also recently hinted at that during a quarterly earnings call, as reported by IGN.

“What we have seen is really great,” he explained. “We think having a new machine coming is going to help the industry to continue to grow, and to take lots more casual players back to the industry.”

The focus on less power and a casual audience worked well for the Nintendo Wii, but also resulted in the loss of some third-party development support for Nintendo. Things came to a head with the Wii U as a confusing introduction and the lackluster tablet struggled to compete with other consoles and the exploding mobile gaming market.

Unfortunately, the jump to the Nvidia Tegra chipset likely means backwards compatibility with games playable on the Wii U is unlikely. The completely different chipset will force Nintendo to do ports instead of allowing customers to play their existing games.

Nintendo will need to simplify its marketing for the Nintendo NX to connect with consumers while also touting the benefits of gaming on a new portable console over an iPhone or Android device. The only game confirmed to be released on the new console is the impressive looking The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, which is also coming to the Wii U next March.

All that is known for sure is the Nintendo NX is targeting a March, 2017, release, though a reveal is said to be planned for September.

What do you think of the Nintendo NX as a portable/home console hybrid? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via Nintendo]