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Eurogamer: NX = portable w/ carts, detachable controllers, Tegra, TV Out, no BC, Sept

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starmud

Member
I still don't see what they've been concerned about reguarding a feature or gimmick they don't want to be copied... There's either a large unknown here or some of the information is off. Detachable/customizable Controls have been spoken about and in development at some point in history with most of the console makers...

The hybrid talk throws me off, I think it's time for one but at the same point hasn't Nintendo provided push back to the idea of nx being a hybrid?
 
Having a screen controller never worked with the wii u and won't work on the nx. I wouldn't even mind if they just made a compact wii u and got rid of the screen and sold it for £150.

Its that screen which killed the wii and also people thinking that it was an add on and not a new console.
 

KingBroly

Banned
But the library not being exclusive removes the risk. This is a a compatible iteration. No different than releasing 5 versions of the DS or GBA.

My point is that I believe Nintendo won't make anything that looks bad on the small screen. While Zelda might be a holdover, it means a lot of games are going to fall off. Probably moreso than before.
 

bs135

Member
I still don't see what they've been concerned about reguarding a feature or gimmick they don't want to be copied... There's either a large unknown here or some of the information is off. Detachable/customizable Controls have been spoken about and in development at some point in history with most of the console makers...

The hybrid talk throws me off, I think it's time for one but at the same point hasn't Nintendo provided push back to the idea of nx being a hybrid?

Agreed. Nothing in the info we currently have is worth hiding from competitors for fear of being copied. It's a hand held that is more convenient to connect to a TV.
 

Portugeezer

Member
Also, looking at the OP a little more, this line is weird:


Emphasis mine.

So technically it's an inverted Wii U. Instead of the console running the games and streaming the screen to the controller, your controller will run the games and stream it to the screen part on the base (which will be connected to a TV).

And then the controllers are on the sides of the screen and detachable.

The controller doesn't run anything, it just attaches to the "brain" i.e. the unit with the built in screen (e.g. a phone). Nothing is being streamed, it just means it's like a phone with a detachable controller, then you connect the phone part to a dock to play on your TV and use the controller part to play.
 

tr1p1ex

Member
I have tried the gear VR and you can clearly see the pixels. And that's a 1440p display.
At 720p each pixel will be twice the size in each dimension. At that resolution it will be a blocky mess with a very strong screendoor effect. Possible blurry as well, because AFAIK VR requires good anti-aliasing.

Sure but I'm talking old school graphics VR.

They did Virtual Boy 20 years ago for crying out loud. You gotta have some imagination here. ;)
 

tr1p1ex

Member
For what it's worth I actually love the VR speculation.

It seems exactly like the sort of thing Nintendo might do.

As for the screen res issues, I'm not really a tech wiz, but isn't it possible that the thing would have a battery saving mode with lower res output, and a higher res mode for use in VR applications? A lot of people already seem to be speculating that it can output at 1080p to TV and would be as low as 540P when in handheld mode... Maybe the handheld res can scale up if you're using it in headset mode.

Yep that's possible too.

But like I just said to someone else they did Virtual Boy 20 years ago!!!!!! Sure it flopped, but it was built on much much much less than a Tegra chip and 720p screen.
 

Kansoku

Member
The controller doesn't run anything, it just attaches to the "brain" i.e. the unit with the built in screen (e.g. a phone). Nothing is being streamed, it just means it's like a phone with a detachable controller, then you connect the phone part to a dock to play on your TV and use the controller part to play.

Maybe I have a different understanding of "within". As far as I know "within" means inside. So the "brains of NX - within the controller" means, to me, that the part that does all the processing is within, that is, inside, the controller.
 

G.ZZZ

Member
Also, looking at the OP a little more, this line is weird:


Emphasis mine.

So technically it's an inverted Wii U. Instead of the console running the games and streaming the screen to the controller, your controller will run the games and stream it to the screen part on the base (which will be connected to a TV).

And then the controllers are on the sides of the screen and detachable.

No. Within it mean in between, it's referring to the screen.

It make absolutely 0 sense to have the GPU and CPU in the controller part, and then a screen with nothing in it that you have to stream wirelessly a 540p stream with 0 latency to. Even worse if you dock the screen, since you'd be further out. And this isn't considering the fact that it would make cooling extremely hard since you'd have your hands alll over it.


Seriously you aren't the first saying this thing, but come on. Context people. Think for a second.
 

gafneo

Banned
Here's a mockup I created for this concept, taking some creative liberties with it. This is with a 5" screen. It is a little slimmer and less tall than a 3DS, but wider with the controllers attached.

Lnyc6Io.jpg


8LPfzjc.jpg


My opinions on this idea:

-The controllers aren't detachable so that two people can play with them, that's silly. They're detachable because it makes this the perfect competitor to phones which really only suck because they don't have proper controls, in which case it can be sold to young people buying their first phone which is where Nintendo's handheld market is currently being gouged out. The idea that it's "too hard", and Nintendo should abandon their biggest market to go after the saturated home console market mid-cycle is ridiculous. You want something hard? Try selling a $400 console to people who already own one. Meanwhile we're not going to run out of teenagers buying their first phones anytime soon and that could be a huge market for Nintendo.

-With the controllers detachable, this could be one of the best VR solutions out there if sold with a Galaxy Gear-like headset and maybe a motion tracking device, because you could take the controller bits off, place the device into the headset and use the motion controls from those two controllers similar to Vive's or Oculus'.

-Why are people complaining about power? This is an example of Nintendo focusing on power for the first time in a long time - if they're using the Tegra X2 especially, this is about the most powerful handheld you could possibly build. If Sony wanted to do their Sony thing of releasing a more powerful handheld right after to compete with it they would have a hard time. This would be the most powerful handheld ever, which is a huge departure from the DS and 3DS strategy.

-Combining their handheld and home console software production will partly eliminate software droughts.

Good lord, you got so much design skills.
 

maxcriden

Member
Isn't it possible that the detachable controller isn't meant to be used separately in console/dock mode but rather, can be put together directly after detaching so that it can be used as a single controller?


I thought something like this as well but Eurogamer tweeted aftee posting their first articles that the controllers are two separate detachable controllers.
 

ryohumar

Member
I think there has to be more to the NX than what this report lays out. If we're getting a Tegra X1-powered portable with a dock that acts as little more than a charging station/HDMI pass-through I doubt NX games will look much better-if even as good as-the same content on Wii U.

Playing console-quality games like Breath of the Wild on the go sounds interesting, but unless Nintendo has some crazy awesome battery tech in it, the NX won't last long untethered.
 

brigadeer

Member
Here's a mockup I created for this concept, taking some creative liberties with it. This is with a 5" screen. It is a little slimmer and less tall than a 3DS, but wider with the controllers attached.

Lnyc6Io.jpg


8LPfzjc.jpg

If this design roughly holds true, I can see Nintendo drawing a profit off this thing based solely on controller replacement sales. If they are fully detachable, I'm sure they will get lost in droves!
 

Taigerr

Member
Reposting, since it was at the bottom of last page



Who is saying it? Link, please :p

I dont know how to link the tweet but i copied content:

"Pinned Tweet
Colin Unger ‏@yxbanintendo 2h2 hours ago
BTW. Those looking for more NX Handheld details. A trusted source has told me they are currently targeting a 6 inchscreen. #nintendonx
3 retweets 6 likes
"

that made me think of the nintendo advert
of course its not gospel and he is not a source.... i was only asking
 

tr1p1ex

Member
Playing console-quality games like Breath of the Wild on the go sounds interesting, but unless Nintendo has some crazy awesome battery tech in it, the NX won't last long untethered.

Yep and Nintendo would be smart to let you hook up an external USB battery pack to the NX.
 

LordRaptor

Member
What if the 'missing gimmick' is a thing we're taking fro granted as being part of the NX, but in fact isn't?
Namely, the screen itself.

What if the actual NX is just two controllers, and you can clamp them to your own screen of your own choosing? ie just use any smartphone (with presumably an arbitrary resolution cap of... I dunno, 1080p limit)
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
I dont know how to link the tweet but i copied content:

"Pinned Tweet
Colin Unger ‏@yxbanintendo 2h2 hours ago
BTW. Those looking for more NX Handheld details. A trusted source has told me they are currently targeting a 6 inchscreen. #nintendonx
3 retweets 6 likes
"

that made me think of the nintendo advert
of course its not gospel and he is not a source.... i was only asking

Mmmh, got it. Don't know him so much, so I don't know how reliable he is. Thanks for the contribution, though.
 
What if the 'missing gimmick' is a thing we're taking fro granted as being part of the NX, but in fact isn't?
Namely, the screen itself.

What if the actual NX is just two controllers, and you can clamp them to your own screen of your own choosing? ie just use any smartphone (with presumably an arbitrary resolution cap of... I dunno, 1080p limit)

That's even more of a developer nightmare. Also how the hell would you fit all the components in two half controllers.
 

G.ZZZ

Member
That's even more of a developer nightmare. Also how the hell would you fit all the components in two half controllers.

Add to that the cooling, the rectangle shape, the streaming from-to the dock. And what kind of phone can be streamed to a 540p 30 frames per second video with 0 latency?
 

The_Lump

Banned
Great mockup! I would love a nunchuk + wiimote like controller combo again.

If I may, I have one suggestion. Sorry for butchering your work, did a quick change on paint, lol.

wzWb.jpg


It would feel more confortable to me.

Props to the original and to yourself. Nice work. This seems like it could contain be perfect application for the whole free form display thing (with the screen fitting into that nice little curve on the right hand controller) :)

People aren't forgetting about the free-form display are they ;)
 

The_Lump

Banned
6 inches is pretty big for a handheld.

Hopefully it's lower. 6 inches is too big for portability.

Galaxy note is 5.7inch. People use iPads on the bus. It aint that big, really...

You want to play a game with the controllers? Just whip em out and clip them on. When you're done take them off and chuck them in your bag, Voila; your NX is pocket* friendly once again.


*jacket pocket, maybe ;)
 
Here's a mockup I created for this concept, taking some creative liberties with it. This is with a 5" screen. It is a little slimmer and less tall than a 3DS, but wider with the controllers attached.

http://i.imgur.com/Lnyc6Io.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8LPfzjc.jpg

My opinions on this idea:

-The controllers aren't detachable so that two people can play with them, that's silly. They're detachable because it makes this the perfect competitor to phones which really only suck because they don't have proper controls, in which case it can be sold to young people buying their first phone which is where Nintendo's handheld market is currently being gouged out. The idea that it's "too hard", and Nintendo should abandon their biggest market to go after the saturated home console market mid-cycle is ridiculous. You want something hard? Try selling a $400 console to people who already own one. Meanwhile we're not going to run out of teenagers buying their first phones anytime soon and that could be a huge market for Nintendo.

-With the controllers detachable, this could be one of the best VR solutions out there if sold with a Galaxy Gear-like headset and maybe a motion tracking device, because you could take the controller bits off, place the device into the headset and use the motion controls from those two controllers similar to Vive's or Oculus'.

-Why are people complaining about power? This is an example of Nintendo focusing on power for the first time in a long time - if they're using the Tegra X2 especially, this is about the most powerful handheld you could possibly build. If Sony wanted to do their Sony thing of releasing a more powerful handheld right after to compete with it they would have a hard time. This would be the most powerful handheld ever, which is a huge departure from the DS and 3DS strategy.

-Combining their handheld and home console software production will partly eliminate software droughts.
Beautiful. However I don't see why teens would by this as an alternative to their first phone, it's not a phone. It could be a huge seller to kids that want a phone or a tablet for games and such though.

Everyone keeps making these nice mockups with the flat edges, but there's a far greater chance the side controller pieces are shaped like the ones in mstudios mockup (when connected, they form a traditional controller shape with grips). These mockups with the flat edges would form a tiny controller and that wouldn't work at all.
Who says the controllers connect to each other to make a single controller? I'm expecting them to be more like Wii remotes.
 
I dont know how to link the tweet but i copied content:

"Pinned Tweet
Colin Unger ‏@yxbanintendo 2h2 hours ago
BTW. Those looking for more NX Handheld details. A trusted source has told me they are currently targeting a 6 inchscreen. #nintendonx
3 retweets 6 likes
"

that made me think of the nintendo advert
of course its not gospel and he is not a source.... i was only asking

Hopefully it's lower. 6 inches is too big for portability.
 
Also, looking at the OP a little more, this line is weird:


Emphasis mine.

So technically it's an inverted Wii U. Instead of the console running the games and streaming the screen to the controller, your controller will run the games and stream it to the screen part on the base (which will be connected to a TV).

And then the controllers are on the sides of the screen and detachable.

I would prefer a Chromecast-like beaming device, similar to your suggestion, that enables multiplayer party games and two-screen gameplay per player. Not sure what the detachable screen would do otherwise though, unless that's where the CPU actually is. That's what the WiiU should've been. cut out the big ugly box.
 
All you gamers who are hung up on fitting the damn thing in your pocket. Get over it. The damn thing is a handheld not a pocket gaming device. Think eeePC, not iPhone.
 

daakusedo

Member
Lol that habit of putting the right stick under buttons even when the form factor doesn't lend itslef to.

X+right stick press splatoon rep
 

Somnid

Member
Oh god please use USB-C or Micro USB and not some proprietary nonsense.

It might use something proprietary because of the need to dock and attach peripheral items (and maintain some control of the licensing of such). Even if it was USB based, I'd imagine the physicality of how things attach will play a role in how the ports develop and the ports will be kept to a minimum for space and cost reasons.
 

Kansoku

Member
I have to relearn English if "within" means "between". Googling for the definition isn't helping either, all show "within" meaning "inside".
 
If you detach the controllers from the screen to play at home then how do you handle touchscreen inputs?
Touchscreen controls would translate to IR pointer is my guess.

Theres no way there wouldn't be a touch screen, and there no way they'd make games exclusive to a part since that would defeat the whole purpose. IR pointer controls can translate to touch screen controls perfectly. You even get two controller parts for multitouch. Seems obvious.
 

Krowley

Member
Touchscreen controls would translate to IR pointer is my guess.

Theres no way there wouldn't be a touch screen, and there no way they'd make games exclusive to a part since that would defeat the whole purpose. IR pointer controls can translate to touch screen controls perfectly. You even get two controller parts for multitouch. Seems obvious.

Exactly what I was thinking, which means there would be a sensor bar, I guess.

And motion controls built into the controllers isn't out of the question either. Wii-mote style party game stuff would work well. Might even work for the sorts of games where you set the screen up on a table and let both players take a controller. Wii-tennis on the go.
 

LordRaptor

Member
They mean the piece between the two controller sections.

Literally nothing to suggest that that is what is meant by within.

Consoles eschewed dedicated VDUs to connect directly to an electronic device people already had - a television. How good your television was became mostly irrelevant to what the console could do.

Now extrapolate that thinking to a phone screen.

It makes a lot of sense, and also fits with being much cheaper than people anticipate.
 

Oregano

Member
God, I hope it's at least 540p. I'm going to be really upset if it's like 512x368 or something ridiculous like that.

Nintendo is always willing to spend a little more if it actually serves a purpose and with Pikmin 4 likely an NX game it means they need something that can adequately display smaller details. Plus they don't have to worry about two screens or a 3D screen. The 2DS retails for less than $100 dollars and has a screen that is more than 400p(not sure the exact resolution).
 
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