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[Skittzo0413]

This is one of the first "confirmations" that there even is a handheld, which is rather surprising to be honest. I'm curious what the exact wording in the article is- is it "handheld" explicitly or do they use something like the WSJ article did, like "mobile unit?"

We often speculate that the NX is an ecosystem in which Nintendo will be releasing a console and a handheld which share some/all games, and to be fair that's a fairly novel concept I suppose.

But the way Kimishima keeps talking about "new concept" and "new way to play" makes me think this will not be a traditional handheld/console relationship. I know the single-device hybrid was shot down by Iwata, but I'm wondering if something similar might be in play.

Others in this thread have suggested it- you have a console SKU and a handheld SKU and you can buy them separately or have them bundled together. If you get both, when the handheld is in range (or physically connected to the console) it acts as a supplemental computing device, effectively lending its (now rumored to be impressive) computing power to the console in order to get a third, highest level of performance.

I've often speculated that the more form factors talk might be indicative of a basic home SKU and a pro home SKU with much higher specs, but this connection between handheld and home console might give you that third, "pro" level console, with the added benefit of having a handheld you can take with you too.

Seems like a cool idea I think.

 

[Fourth Storm]

The thing that keeps getting me is that the article refers to "NX" as a handheld, but I wonder if this is not just jumping to conclusions. Kimishima, in the latest interview, again seems to imply that it's some kind of stationary console, if a very unique one. Perhaps Charlie just heard Tegra and assumed handheld?

We haven't heard anything from Nintendo that hints at new portable hardware since those slides from when Iwata was still with us. The nature of this NX hardware grows more and more baffling with each new morsel of info.

 

[Skittzo0413]

The thing that keeps getting me is that the article refers to "NX" as a handheld, but I wonder if this is not just jumping to conclusions. Kimishima, in the latest interview, again seems to imply that it's some kind of stationary console, if a very unique one. Perhaps Charlie just heard Tegra and assumed handheld?

We haven't heard anything from Nintendo that hints at new portable hardware since those slides from when Iwata was still with us. The nature of this NX hardware grows more and more with each new morsel of info.

From what I can tell Nintendo themselves typically refer to their handhelds as "consoles" anyway, so I don't know how much we can glean from Nintendo people not specifically mentioning a handheld.

But I agree with your reasoning- this is the only rumor that specifically mentions a handheld.

-Matt mentioned a screen, but that could be for a screen controller, so we don't know if that's a handheld rumor.

-WSJ article mentioned a "mobile unit" but that's a bit more vague than explicitly a handheld.

I'm betting that part of the article is indeed speculation, since Tegras are typically used in portable hardware. Also the other two sources "corroborating" this rumor didn't mention a handheld, or even Tegra from what I can tell, so that sorta reinforces this point.

 

[-MB-]

Vita games can be beatiful and superclean at native resolution. In fact, after buying my Vita I was looking for a new phone and I chose the Xperia M2 because I didn't really care about the screen being qHD. 540p is good enough and scales quite well to both 1080p and even 4K.



I don't exactly understand how you can cut a screen, but it isn't the first time I've read this. Finding 540p screens should be rather easy.




If they release said handheld I'll be there day one, really. Especially if it's backwards compatible, since my PS+ sub pushed me to choose a Vita instead of a 3DS this gen.

I'm actually hesitating if I should buy one or not, but I would rather wait a little bit for the rumoured pricedrops and a potential NX announcement.



Are there any hints that the QoL device still exist? I haven't heard anything in a while. At this point, I thought it was just an idea Iwata had that was left in the dust after other people took the reigns of Nintendo.

Cutting is done at the foctory, where they roll out big sheets of it, then cut it to required size/pixel density.

 

[KingSnake]

The thing that keeps getting me is that the article refers to "NX" as a handheld, but I wonder if this is not just jumping to conclusions. Kimishima, in the latest interview, again seems to imply that it's some kind of stationary console, if a very unique one. Perhaps Charlie just heard Tegra and assumed handheld?

We haven't heard anything from Nintendo that hints at new portable hardware since those slides from when Iwata was still with us. The nature of this NX hardware grows more and more with each new morsel of info.

Their official communications treat NX as one thing. We assumed that it's the family of products, but what if it's like one package. Not like a hybrid or not in the sense that you just connect the handheld to the TV via a HDMI port, but using the SCD patent. Or like someone else said earlier, you have one portable device, one home device and together they constitute the third device.

Or maybe it's just because they launch the console first and they want to focus the discussion on that.

 

[Neoxon]

Their official communications treat NX as one thing. We assumed that it's the family of products, but what if it's like one package. Not like a hybrid or not in the sense that you just connect the handheld to the TV via a HDMI port, but using the SCD patent. Or like someone else said earlier, you have one portable device, one home device and together they constitute the third device.

Or maybe it's just because they launch the console first and they want to focus the discussion on that.

This is what I was thinking, especially given that we've heard more rumors about the NX Console up until now.

 

[Cow Mengde]

But the way Kimishima keeps talking about "new concept" and "new way to play" makes me think this will not be a traditional handheld/console relationship. I know the single-device hybrid was shot down by Iwata, but I'm wondering if something similar might be in play.

Yeah, we're definitely missing piece to this puzzle. They wouldn't say that if it isn't something big.

Others in this thread have suggested it- you have a console SKU and a handheld SKU and you can buy them separately or have them bundled together. If you get both, when the handheld is in range (or physically connected to the console) it acts as a supplemental computing device, effectively lending its (now rumored to be impressive) computing power to the console in order to get a third, highest level of performance.

I've often speculated that the more form factors talk might be indicative of a basic home SKU and a pro home SKU with much higher specs, but this connection between handheld and home console might give you that third, "pro" level console, with the added benefit of having a handheld you can take with you too.

Seems like a cool idea I think.

Yeah, basically a combiner Transformer.

Is it possible for hardware to be combined this way? Imagine a quad core PC, but with 1 core missing. That 1 missing core is the handheld. By itself, the handheld is basically 1/4th the power of the console. When combined, everything from CPU to GPU to RAM are added to the console's power thus revealing it's final form.

 

[Candescence]

Is it possible for hardware to be combined this way? Imagine a quad core PC, but with 1 core missing. That 1 missing core is the handheld. By itself, the handheld is basically 1/4th the power of the console. When combined, everything from CPU to GPU to RAM are added to the console's power thus revealing it's final form.

Honestly, this sounds absurdly impractical to me, hence why I always found the speculation of a hybrid in any real sense to be fanciful at best unless Nintendo came up with a shockingly novel way to make a two-in-one solution work. There are too many technical and design issues involve to make such a thing a reality.

 

[LordRaptor]

Is it possible for hardware to be combined this way?

I can imagine it for multiplayer, as that's basically how existing online multiplayer works right now; the server machine runs all of the game core code (physics, location, etc) and each client runs its own renderer to display what it can 'see' independently, so something like a 'base station' running a game, with multiple handhelds all running independent versions of that game would be relatively trivial.

I'm not sure 'docking station' hardware would make sense, or how software would be engineered to assume core functionality can be added and removed at any moment

 

[Fourth Storm]

From what I can tell Nintendo themselves typically refer to their handhelds as "consoles" anyway, so I don't know how much we can glean from Nintendo people not specifically mentioning a handheld.

But I agree with your reasoning- this is the only rumor that specifically mentions a handheld.

-Matt mentioned a screen, but that could be for a screen controller, so we don't know if that's a handheld rumor.

-WSJ article mentioned a "mobile unit" but that's a bit more vague than explicitly a handheld.

I'm betting that part of the article is indeed speculation, since Tegras are typically used in portable hardware. Also the other two sources "corroborating" this rumor didn't mention a handheld, or even Tegra from what I can tell, so that sorta reinforces this point.

Yeah, I know we've been speaking of it as a platform, but every time we hear something it sounds like the person is talking about one console. Yes, the WSJ article is definitely an important clue w/ the talk of the (at least one) mobile unit which can be used in conjunction w/ the console or taken on the road for separate use. That sounds too much like Wii U, though, so I'm stumped.

 

[ozfunghi]

Others in this thread have suggested it- you have a console SKU and a handheld SKU and you can buy them separately or have them bundled together. If you get both, when the handheld is in range (or physically connected to the console) it acts as a supplemental computing device, effectively lending its (now rumored to be impressive) computing power to the console in order to get a third, highest level of performance.

I've often speculated that the more form factors talk might be indicative of a basic home SKU and a pro home SKU with much higher specs, but this connection between handheld and home console might give you that third, "pro" level console, with the added benefit of having a handheld you can take with you too.

Seems like a cool idea I think.

Yeah, basically a combiner Transformer.

Is it possible for hardware to be combined this way? Imagine a quad core PC, but with 1 core missing. That 1 missing core is the handheld. By itself, the handheld is basically 1/4th the power of the console. When combined, everything from CPU to GPU to RAM are added to the console's power thus revealing it's final form.

I've entertained that idea a few times in this topic and the other (Emily) topic. But it makes sense when you look at their patent of Supplemental Computing Devices which could be added to boost performance. If this is where we're at at the moment:

surprisingly powerful handheld + modest console + supplemental computing device patent... it does add up.

But on the other hand, Nintendo has patented lots of other ideas in the past which never came to be. So, grain of salt i guess.

Yeah, I know we've been speaking of it as a platform, but every time we hear something it sounds like the person is talking about one console. Yes, the WSJ article is definitely an important clue w/ the talk of the (at least one) mobile unit which can be used in conjunction w/ the console or taken on the road for separate use. That sounds too much like Wii U, though, so I'm stumped.

If the supplemental computing device patent turns out to be something they are persueing... ^^

 

[Skittzo0413]

Honestly, this sounds absurdly impractical to me, hence why I always found the speculation of a hybrid in any real sense to be fanciful at best unless Nintendo came up with a shockingly novel way to make a two-in-one solution work. There are too many technical and design issues involve to make such a thing a reality.

Nintendo did file that supplemental computing device patent application (granted patent now!) which does go into detail about how ANY computing device can be connected to a console in this way. I'm not sure how much or even what kind of processing the SCD can "lend" to the console but the idea itself seems to be somewhat of interest to Nintendo.

 

[LordRaptor]

surprisingly powerful handheld + modest console + supplemental computing device patent... it does add up.

I don't see that approach as being successful, in that the only reaction I can imagine to such an approach being "fuck you nintendo I have to buy a console AND a handheld to not get a shitty console? go fuck yourselves"

 

[darkistheway]

Yeah, I know we've been speaking of it as a platform, but every time we hear something it sounds like the person is talking about one console. Yes, the WSJ article is definitely an important clue w/ the talk of the (at least one) mobile unit which can be used in conjunction w/ the console or taken on the road for separate use. That sounds too much like Wii U, though, so I'm stumped.

Nintendo has been known to double-down on bad ideas before...

 

[Enduin]

A true hybrid just seems like a bad idea in the present. To do it right would likely be expensive, which already makes it unlikely, and even then it would still probably be rather impractical and result in cut corners in order to work. Who knows what it would be like if Nintendo tried to keep the whole cost well below $400 or even $300. The patent Nintendo filed is fine and something worth looking into but not right now.

Having a truly shared eco system, no bullshit, with a nice interface and account system would be a huge step. You have a separate console and handheld that can work together, but don't require one another, I think would be the best way to go about things at the moment. Get people interested in the idea of a more intimate connection between their console and handheld without actually forcing them into it. Have them invest now, regardless of whether they go in full bore getting the console and handheld, so the next time around if and when they do a true hybrid people will already have built up a library and familiarity with the concept.

Maybe in 5-10 years time when the tech is more matured and elegant they can and should explore a true hybrid. But at this point I think it would be more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Hero of Legend]

It's funny, it'd be really neat if NX became an "Nvidia console and handheld" or sorts, and the system(s) maybe prioritized tech and whatnot over competitors.

Like PhysX over Havok for instance:

Funny enough Havok is now owned by Microsoft.

Also Sonic and the Secret Rings, Sonic and the Black Knight, and Sonic Colors on Wii all used PhysX. Sonic Unleashed Wii and Sonic Lost World Wii U used Havok however.

 

[AmyS]

I've entertained that idea a few times in this topic and the other (Emily) topic. But it makes sense when you look at their patent of Supplemental Computing Devices which could be added to boost performance. If this is where we're at at the moment:

surprisingly powerful handheld + modest console + supplemental computing device patent... it does add up.

Honestly, this is what I want from Nintendo. I bought the original 3DS within a couple weeks of its launch in early 2011, but I never bought a Wii U. If Nintendo puts together a reasonable family of systems for its next generation (strong handheld, modest console and an implementation of the SCD patent) I'd be "in" on day one.

But on the other hand, Nintendo has patented lots of other ideas in the past which never came to be. So, grain of salt i guess.

That's true, but on a positive note, because the rejection of that patent application was cleared a month ago Nintendo will actually be able to go forward with it, should they choose to.

 

[bachikarn]

So apparently Nintendo's Senior graphics engineer has experience with tegra.

For those with linkedin accounts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-buckman-7331a953

As did the head of NTD

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssudharsanan?trk=pub-pbmap

 

[Neoxon]

So apparently Nintendo's Senior graphics engineer has experience with tegra.

For those with linkedin accounts
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-buckman-7331a953

As did the head of NTD

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssudharsanan?trk=pub-pbmap

Do these lend any credence to the reports of Nvidia being involved with the NX Platform, or is it nothing major?

 

[Skittzo0413]

That's true, but on a positive note, because the rejection of that patent application was cleared a month ago Nintendo will actually be able to go forward with it, should they choose to.

Minor correction, but whether or not the patent is granted doesn't make a whole lot of difference when it comes to using it or putting it in a product. Many companies use patent pending inventions even after the patent has been finally rejected- all it means is that someone else can make or sell a similar product and the company has no legal recourse.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

So assuming these news are true how low can a Tegra Chip go specs wise AFTER being underclocked? Because posting on average specs is nice and all but they still got the battery to worry about so I have my doubts the chip will be running as is on a Handheld.

 

[ozfunghi]

I don't see that approach as being successful, in that the only reaction I can imagine to such an approach being "fuck you nintendo I have to buy a console AND a handheld to not get a shitty console? go fuck yourselves"

First of all, you don't have to buy both. That's optional.
Secondly, regardless of whether or not this comes to be, Nintendo is not going to release a powerhouse home console. So better this, than not having the option at all.
Thirdly, the supplemental computing device is an actual patent. If they go for it, you will need to buy optional devices in order to boost performance anyway. So why not reward loyal customers who buy both handheld and gone console?
Lastly, if they release both for 200/250 I don't think it's a problem at all. And if you have no interest in the handheld, maybe you will be able to buy another SCD for less money to boost performance.

So assuming these news are true how low can a Tegra Chip go specs wise AFTER being underclocked? Because posting on average specs is nice and all but they still got the battery to worry about so I have my doubts the chip will be running as is on a Handheld.

These chips are designed for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones to begin with. Clock them at 50% and they will still outperform a WiiU, in case of the Tegra X1.

 

[Skittzo0413]

First of all, you don't have to buy both. That's optional.
Secondly, regardless of whether or not this comes to be, Nintendo is not going to release a powerhouse home console. So better this, than not having the option at all.
Thirdly, the supplemental computing device is an actual patent. If they go for it, you will need to buy optional devices in order to boost performance anyway. So why not reward loyal customers who buy both handheld and gone console?
Lastly, if they release both for 200/250 I don't think it's a problem at all. And if you have no interest in the handheld, maybe you will be able to buy another SCD for less money to boost performance.

While I agree that the bolded is probably correct, I don't think we can discount that as a possibility right now. Ever since Iwata made that comment about more form factors allowing them to address different markets, I've been thinking that they could release a basic NX home console and, separately, a much higher powered NX pro console, which could very well be their answer to the NEO.

Or perhaps, if the above theorized handheld-console connection comes to be, that can be the "pro" console. Either way, Nintendo is clearly aware that western gamers tend to place a premium on powerful hardware, so I really wouldn't assume they won't try to address that at all.

Then again maybe the won't.

 

[KingSnake]

While I agree that the bolded is probably correct, I don't think we can discount that as a possibility right now. Ever since Iwata made that comment about more form factors allowing them to address different markets, I've been thinking that they could release a basic NX home console and, separately, a much higher powered NX pro console, which could very well be their answer to the NEO.

Or perhaps, if the above theorized handheld-console connection comes to be, that can be the "pro" console. Either way, Nintendo is clearly aware that western gamers tend to place a premium on powerful hardware, so I really wouldn't assume they won't try to address that at all.

Then again maybe the won't.

Or it can just mean that they will push the console more in the West and the handheld in Japan.

 

[Skittzo0413]

Or it can just mean that they will push the console more in the West and the handheld in Japan.

That too. I just have a funny feeling that they're going to release an enthusiast option with the NX that will likely surprise people.

Could very well be wishful thinking.

 

[ozfunghi]

While I agree that the bolded is probably correct, I don't think we can discount that as a possibility right now. Ever since Iwata made that comment about more form factors allowing them to address different markets, I've been thinking that they could release a basic NX home console and, separately, a much higher powered NX pro console, which could very well be their answer to the NEO.

Or perhaps, if the above theorized handheld-console connection comes to be, that can be the "pro" console. Either way, Nintendo is clearly aware that western gamers tend to place a premium on powerful hardware, so I really wouldn't assume they won't try to address that at all.

Then again maybe the won't.

If your console doesn't easily outperform a 3 year old console, it's not going to be a powerhouse in my book.

What you are describing could easily be done with SCD's. A cheap base console and people that want the high-end console can just expand on the base console.

 

[Xion_Stellar]

These chips are designed for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones to begin with. Clock them at 50% and they will still outperform a WiiU, in case of the Tegra X1.

Well my lowest expectations is that Nintendo meets the hardware standards set by the PS Vita but if they can surpass them than that would be even better.

 

[Skittzo0413]

If your console doesn't easily outperform a 3 year old console, it's not going to be a powerhouse in my book.

What you are describing could easily be done with SCD's. A cheap base console and people that want the high-end console can just expand on the base console.

To be fair, even with Emily's rumor there is no basis to believe it will or won't outperform the xb1/ps4, especially if Nvidia is the chip provider. Remember, comparing raw numbers across different architectures and providers does not give you an accurate picture when it comes to performance. Emily could very well be referring to clock speed or raw FLOPS so don't take the power comparison presented there as gospel.

But yes I agree with you that an SCD makes more sense than a separate console SKU, but we honestly don't know how the SCD idea works, or if an external SCD can actually provide a workable or impressive amount of computing power to the cobsole the same way a separate console SKU could.

 

[bachikarn]

If your console doesn't easily outperform a 3 year old console, it's not going to be a powerhouse in my book.

What you are describing could easily be done with SCD's. A cheap base console and people that want the high-end console can just expand on the base console.

Assuming the tech in the SCD is as effective. I'm generally skeptical that the SCD would work as well as people think. It's going to be limited by the interface connection.

 

[MuchoMalo]

Alright, so based on my calculations, if the chip is based on a Pascal-Tegra and the console uses 20W like the Shield TV while the handheld focuses on super low power, we should see a 150-200GFLOP handheld and a 700-750GFLOP console. By my calculations comparing AMD and Nvidia, that makes the handheld a good 20% or so faster than Wii U, but the console 10-15% slower than Xbone in the best case. This all matches what we've heard. If Nintendo were to bump up the console's power consumption to 30W, it would compete with or even beat PS4. So, performance obviously wasn't even a consideration for Nintendo if they weren't able to match PS4. Still, that sounds like one juicy handheld.

 

[Neoxon]

Alright, so based on my calculations, if the chip is based on a Pascal-Tegra and the console uses 20W like the Shield TV while the handheld focuses on super low power, we should see a 150-200GFLOP handheld and a 700-750GFLOP console. By my calculations comparing AMD and Nvidia, that makes the handheld a good 20% or so faster than Wii U, but the console 10-15% slower than Xbone in the best case. This all matches what we've heard. If Nintendo were to bump up the console's power consumption to 30W, it would compete with or even beat PS4. So, performance obviously wasn't even a consideration for Nintendo if they weren't able to match PS4. Still, that sounds like one juicy handheld.

You also need to remember that, thanks to one of our own (who was Bish-approved), we know that the NX Console should be able to handle PS4 & XB1 games no problem. This pretty much means that the NX Console should be within the base PS4 & XB1's ballpark (I.E. around 1+ TFLOPs).

 

[Jackano]

Do these lend any credence to the reports of Nvidia being involved with the NX Platform, or is it nothing major?

By itself it's nothing major. Highly skilled profiles have to come from somewhere and in VG industry, you often have that kind of experience with senior engineers.

However, details can adds up to something we're looking for.
I'd really like if our detective-GAF from the US western coast can find out if those guys have been in Kyoto recently.

 

[ozfunghi]

Assuming the tech in the SCD is as effective. I'm generally skeptical that the SCD would work as well as people think. It's going to be limited by the interface connection.

I didn't patent the SCD, Nintendo did. I assume that IF they decide to go through with it, they'll have that covered.

To be fair, even with Emily's rumor there is no basis to believe it will or won't outperform the xb1/ps4, especially if Nvidia is the chip provider. Remember, comparing raw numbers across different architectures and providers does not give you an accurate picture when it comes to performance. Emily could very well be referring to clock speed or raw FLOPS so don't take the power comparison presented there as gospel.

But yes I agree with you that an SCD makes more sense than a separate console SKU, but we honestly don't know how the SCD idea works, or if an external SCD can actually provide a workable or impressive amount of computing power to the cobsole the same way a separate console SKU could.

I'm not taking her word as gospel, as I've repeatedly shown in previous posts. But it's clear the console will not be half a gen ahead of the other two. Also LCgeek his description of the CPU indicates as much.

I'm very aware that raw numbers don't equal actual performance.

 

[MuchoMalo]

You also need to remember that, thanks to one of our own (who was Bish-approved), we know that the NX Console should be able to handle PS4 & XB1 games no problem. This pretty much means that the NX Console should be within the base PS4 & XB1's ballpark (I.E. around 1+ TFLOPs).

Yes, but we're talking AMD vs Nvidia here. AMD take a more compute-optimized approach, while Nvidia if more gaming focused. Thus, Nvidia has more "gaming performance per FLOP" than AMD. To match Xbone's 1.3TFLOPs, a Maxwell-based GPU needs just 0.8TFLOPs based on my calculations (Pascal would need slightly more due to lower IPC). In other words, it's almost perfect.

 

[maxcriden]

Yeah, I know we've been speaking of it as a platform, but every time we hear something it sounds like the person is talking about one console. Yes, the WSJ article is definitely an important clue w/ the talk of the (at least one) mobile unit which can be used in conjunction w/ the console or taken on the road for separate use. That sounds too much like Wii U, though, so I'm stumped.

Wait, which WSJ article was this?

 

[usmanusb]

Sorry if it was mentioned earlier

From Kinoshita interview

-It seems more to me that the NX will have an effect on the Wii U due to the fact that both will be consoles.

I suppose it can be seen that way. However, the NX is neither the successor to the Wii U nor to the 3DS. It’s a new way of playing games, which I think will have a larger impact than the Wii U, but I don’t feel it’s a pure replacement for the Wii U.

http://nintendoeverything.com/kimishima-comments-on-nintendo-movies-mobile-nx/

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Wait, which WSJ article was this?

The "industry leading chips" one from last ~October, which also said that dev kits had been sent out.

 

[James Scott]

I suspect a few things, here:

1 – The handheld won’t be backwards compatible. The DS line still sells well, and having a cheaper alternative on the market would be beneficial without cutting into its possible user base. Nintendo would also, quite likely, want to keep the NX property (whatever it ends up being called) separate for marketing identity. Some DS titles could still be ‘emulated’ via the N-Store, which would be far more practical from a costs and long term point of view.

2 – If this is the case, I also think that NX handheld won’t have two screens; again, giving it a stronger physical identity away from the DS line. Clamshell isn’t out of the question, but I think we’re either looking at a single screen device or something which sits in the second/lower part of the handheld, rather than another screen per se. Nintendo does like to make physically durable handhelds due to its generally younger demographic, so some form of screen protection is possible.

3 – Zelda U has to be a title which plays on the handheld if there’s a shared library. The whole marketing messaging behind having a handheld and home console play the same titles would be hugely diluted if a big killer app like Zelda wasn’t part of it. In theory, most first party titles should fall within this sphere, but having a Zelda launch game that only works on one half of a shared platform would be a marketing pitfall and severely hamper the messaging. Again, given the mooted specs of the handheld, it should be a cross playable title from the off.

Imposing harsh restrictions as "you have to dumb down your massive open world to work on the handheld" is a nice way of losing developers.
Would be nice in an ideal situation, but unlikely

 

[cbrotherson]

Imposing harsh restrictions as "you have to dumb down your massive open world to work on the handheld" is a nice way of losing developers.
Would be nice in an ideal situation, but unlikely

True, but in this case, given Nintendo has likely been planning this for a while, it's more than likely been made viable in some form for Zelda. It's often made cases of 'well, we can do it, so everyone else can!" in its own software (only for developers to retort "nope").

I don't think a shared library has to be 100% compulsory for third parties - I'd imagine it would be binary (it works for the handheld or it doesn't). Between the choice of having, say, a new Rockstar game on the home format and not the handheld, or nothing at all, I'd imagine Nintendo would go for the former.

But then again, it is Nintendo...

 

[Lonely1]

Imposing harsh restrictions as "you have to dumb down your massive open world to work on the handheld" is a nice way of losing developers.
Would be nice in an ideal situation, but unlikely

Nowadays is possible to have a handheld with the CPU power of the Wii U and 1GB of RAM, though.

 

[maxcriden]

You also need to remember that, thanks to one of our own (who was Bish-approved), we know that the NX Console should be able to handle PS4 & XB1 games no problem. This pretty much means that the NX Console should be within the base PS4 & XB1's ballpark (I.E. around 1+ TFLOPs).

That poster is Bish-approved on the basis of prior PS4N info given to GameStop, right? I'm not sure if they'd be getting info from the same verified source or not for NX stuff. I mean, not at all impugning their cred, I'd like to believe they're right, just wanted to mention/ask about that.

The "industry leading chips" one from last ~October, which also said that dev kits had been sent out.

Oh, gotcha, thanks! Wasn't sure if it was a newer article.

 

[KAL2006]

All these fancy specs and people saying it needs to be powerful as PS4 and etc. The only way I see Nintendo succeeding if they undercut PS4 and if they are going to do that then noi way NX will be near the power of PS4. No one will by a NX that costs as much as a PS4 when people already are happy with there PS4 or people who don't have a system can buy a PS4 with a big library and discounted games. The only market Nintendo can go for is the budget market and secondary Console market. And if they are going to do that may as well go for a Shield TV+Shield Handlehd shared library approach

 

[mugurumakensei]

As far as why nVidia would take a loss with the NX handheld, we've heard rumblings of Nintendo OS being a custom Android fork iirc. NX handheld could revitalize nVidias mobile initiatives. As well, it could potentially pave the way for a mobile VR initiative by nVidia. They're already full-sail on the desktop side.

 

[Skittzo0413]

I didn't patent the SCD, Nintendo did. I assume that IF they decide to go through with it, they'll have that covered.



I'm not taking her word as gospel, as I've repeatedly shown in previous posts. But it's clear the console will not be half a gen ahead of the other two. Also LCgeek his description of the CPU indicates as much.

I'm very aware that raw numbers don't equal actual performance.

Oh, I was just responding to your point about "not outperforming 3 year old consoles means it's clearly not a powerhouse" and adding that it surely could outperform the PS4 and Emily's recent rumor doesn't counter that.

As for the SCD, they have it patented, yes, but that doesn't mean it works as well as they might want it to. If I remember correctly, the SCD patent mentions an embodiment in which only some processing is done by the SCD, such as AI processes. It would be fantastic if the SCD's can work as a simple plug and play console gen upgrade, but we don't know that yet.

 

[Patapwn]

According to the op it's desperation to get a "console win".

In other words "fanboy dreams"

 

[tr1p1ex]

There isn't a ton of room to be more powerful than the Wii U and not be in the ballpark of the Xbox One. And so (t0) say it is in the ballpark of the X1 doesn't say much.

Plus never mind the NX isn't about pure processing power anyway so no point in treating like it is.

 

[MuchoMalo]

Nowadays is possible to have a handheld with the CPU power of the Wii U and 1GB of RAM, though.

1GB? It can be way more than that (and would need to be, since Wii U has 2GB). The max for one LPDDR4 chip is 6GB. It's also trivial to exceed Wii U's GPU power. I expect this handheld to be 50% faster than Wii U in practice, with 2, 3, or even 4GB LPDDR4 RAM.

 

[ozfunghi]

Oh, I was just responding to your point about "not outperforming 3 year old consoles means it's clearly not a powerhouse" and adding that it surely could outperform the PS4 and Emily's recent rumor doesn't counter that.

As for the SCD, they have it patented, yes, but that doesn't mean it works as well as they might want it to. If I remember correctly, the SCD patent mentions an embodiment in which only some processing is done by the SCD, such as AI processes. It would be fantastic if the SCD's can work as a simple plug and play console gen upgrade, but we don't know that yet.

Sure, i'm also not claiming they WILL use the SCD, but i do think that IF they decide to use it, they'll make it work. Personally, i don't think the odds of them actually using it, are greater than 25%.

 

[James Scott]

Obviously... 3DS+WiiU > 75mio.

Yeah, if the shared library thing works even if the sales are similar to this generation the amount of NX compatible devices would be quite large kind of making the normal console sales kind of meaningless.
I wonder if Nintendo will just say (for example) "we sold 15 million units of NX devices during this year" instead of "we sold 5 million consoles and 10 million handhelds".

True, but in this case, given Nintendo has likely been planning this for a while, it's more than likely been made viable in some form for Zelda. It's often made cases of 'well, we can do it, so everyone else can!" in its own software (only for developers to retort "nope").

I don't think a shared library has to be 100% compulsory for third parties - I'd imagine it would be binary (it works for the handheld or it doesn't). Between the choice of having, say, a new Rockstar game on the home format and not the handheld, or nothing at all, I'd imagine Nintendo would go for the former.

But then again, it is Nintendo...

But as soon as you have one title that's not compatible you can have multiple. If Zelda U can run on the handheld then it'll be commendable and smart (the 3D 3DS Zelda games sold very well), but I'm not sure it'll be able to.

Nowadays is possible to have a handheld with the CPU power of the Wii U and 1GB of RAM, though.

How much would something like that cost, though?

 

[KingBroly]

So...that controller from the Star Fox short sure does look like an Nvidia Shield, now that I think about it.

Maybe that was a hint, after all.