The rumored Nintendo NX gaming machine is reportedly set to be unveiled near the second half of 2016 with the actual release date to follow in the holiday quarter this year or November at the latest. Mass production of the device could start as early as March, a new report said.
Nintendo is said to make an official statement on the NX, The Daily Mail reported, adding that the concept of the device will be revealed before the end of March 2016. The publication pointed to a recent Barron's news story as source of its information.
The Japanese game-maker is likely to introduce the Nintendo NX by June and rollout time will follow during the 2016 holiday quarter. Analysts said that the NX will start selling November this year. While Nintendo is not labelling the NX as the replacement for both the Wii U and 3DS, weakening sales of the two devices will make the NX as Nintendo's flagship gaming product, the report added.
The NX is also seen to boost Nintendo's operating profits as Japanese investment firm Nomura is predicting that on unboxing the device is packaged with high-profile game titles like Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda and Super Smash Bros. 4. Consumers will be drawn to the NX largely on its accompanying game titles and the new killer features packed with the product.
Among the fresh offerings tipped for the device is "a new type of controller that features a wraparound touchscreen that covers its entire surface," The Daily Mail said on its report, adding that the feature was hinted by a recently uncovered Nintendo patent.
The NX controller will boast of various functionalities such as the ability to accommodate expansions. The patent documentation indicated that the wireless NX controller will include a memory card slot and feature speaker pairing.
But what could prove as the coolest feature of the NX controller is allowing users to browse the Internet with the device, giving it an important mobile function that is normally found on smartphone and tablets, the report said.
While rumors suggest that it is cooking up a hybrid gaming machine, Nintendo has not confirm anything on the Nintendo NX though the company has previously allowed that the device is being developed to become entirely different from that of the Wii U and 3DS on release date.