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

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NEW IDEA:

What if it's a X2 and if it's connected to the TV it has full performance for 1080p and if it's in Handheld mode it's lowered CPU and GPU mhz/ghz with 540p resolution.
 

Earendil

Member
One thing about the price, a Surface pro 4 costs like 1000 euros and is still very much weaker than a PS4 or Xbox1, right? How will Nintendo make a portable console more powerful than it and sell it for 200~?

A Surface Pro 4 is more than just a processor. It's a 12 inch screen, with a higher resolution than will be in the NX, plus the pen. There's quite a bit of tech in those things that would be completely unnecessary in a handheld gaming system. It's really apples and oranges (more like apples and dogs).
 

EVH

Member
Nintendo wouldn't launch a handheld with active cooling. If they were using an X1 they'd downclock it to lower the heat. RE5 and MGRR's ports aren't indicative of the hardware when there are other ports that are better than the PS360 versions. Those two ports just aren't good ports.

Nobody implied that NX has active cooling. I just said that the devkits having it is no reason at all to dream with X2.
 

gafneo

Banned
Here's what the Bestbuy adds will look like

Fon2RkL.jpg
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Most of Eurogamer article are assumptions.

The Tegra X1 already needs active cooling in Nvidia Shield and the RE5 and MGR ports are trash compared to what WiiU does. There are DF videos for it.

People in this thread is most of the time misinformed, taking as informed believing some rumours that Eurogamer compiled to spice up Summer.

Someone uses Android ports to analyse performance and calls others misinformed. Lol.
 
Most of Eurogamer article are assumptions.

The Tegra X1 already needs active cooling in Nvidia Shield and the RE5 and MGR ports are trash compared to what WiiU does. There are DF videos for it.

People in this thread is most of the time misinformed, taking as informed believing some rumours that Eurogamer compiled to spice up Summer.
Well, ports are not created equal, so I don't want to simply conclude that the hardware is bad when there are also ports that are the opposite.

The active cooling on the dev kit could simply be down to non-final internal design, and in light of that, just wanting to decrease the chance of that non-final design causing stressed out and pushed-to-the-limit dev kits to fail and require replacing.

Early dev hardware in particular can often have a very different profile to consumer units, being built to avoid failures.

It might indeed indicate a different target process for the final unit, but it's not a given.
I see. Thanks for your input.
 

Ac30

Member
Have there been any rumors of a 3D tablet screen? I'm probably the only one but damn was that my favourite thing on the 3DS.
 
Is that really a problem for 3DS though? Given how the system is rumored to work, couldn't you just detach the controllers and go vertical?
I wonder...could you possibly attach the controllers to the top and bottom of the handheld to make the screen vertical?
Have there been any rumors of a 3D tablet screen? I'm probably the only one but damn was that my favourite thing on the 3DS.
The increased cost of 3D and performance drain isn't worth it, IMO
 
To me this makes me feel like they'll need to have some kind of storage solution built into the dock station. Maybe not bundled with standard SKU, but a compartment for people to add in an HDD or higher capacity microSD card to store games they aren't playing or only plan to play at home.

Any additional storage capability would have to be in the system itself; using the dock would be a mess of data management.

The entire appeal, presumably, is how easy it is to take your system with you on the go. Requiring the user to sit down and wade through menus to choose what games to bring--and wait for them to transfer over--would be unacceptable. The whole point should be you just grab it and go
 
Well the timing would at least match with the "delay" to NX release, seeing as the new Tegra is due out in Sept-ish :)

On price? Depends. Maybe Nintendo got X2 at a good price in exchange for taking all them X1's off nVidia's hands to use in the SCD's ;)
Yeah, it would explain the delay while having the adverse effect of giving the devs more time to finish their games to have a fuller line up.
Hope that's the case
 

Ac30

Member
I wonder...could you possibly attach the controllers to the top and bottom of the handheld to make the screen vertical?

The increased cost of 3D and performance drain isn't worth it, IMO

I figure they'd can it, but I sure will miss it. It always made the screen seem bigger than it was, it's almost jarring to play games on my phone now without 3D.
 

QaaQer

Member
True, but I think it's being combined with previous rumors regarding the NX being able to easily handle ports from current gen. A normal X1 Tegra doesn't really seem like something that would pull that off. We also have it being said by people like Emily that it is on par with the Xbox 1.

It very well may be an x2, but delay + fans aren't evidence.

We know that Nvidia cut Nintendo a sweethear deal. We also know Jen-Hsun Huang is a shark of the first order. That is all we really know.

My speculation: Nvidia wants to showcase their tech in a high profile way to counteract AMD's strangle hold on console game development; which has resulted in resource allocation of engine developers towards amd tech. Nvidia has a stake in seeing NX succeed in the home space, so I expect them to deliver a great package. As far as nx as a mobile platform, Nvidia will not want their tech to get a reputation for being power hungry, inefficient, or weak. So I expect them to deliver on that front as well. It is just speculation though.
 

Eradicate

Member
Another mock-up, but nowhere as good as gafneo's ones, or the Tingle controller:

9SbwJTz.jpg


In this iteration, the real star is the tablet. It's a gaming-centric tablet though, along with some other apps, access to a curated Android store, etc. But, the controllers are part of the casing, which latches magnetically together with the other one to guard your screen and keep everything together. You can get different designs if you'd like to personalize it as well and interchange them, all while increasing how many controllers you have to play with/that can connect for local multiplayer. There could even be an additional incentive for others to collect these controllers (which have Bluetooth) to use with smartphones as they could easily be closed and transported around. I even toyed with having different types of controllers (simple A/B and D-Pad), but wanted to show the standard ones. It has the circle pad, D-Pad, A/B/X/Y, analog nub, triggers (recessed into casing, which I'll get to), and scroll wheels. There's also a touch pad (like on a laptop) to get DS-like interactivity without the screen.

The casing itself only has to be so thick; think half the Game Boy Micro in depth. Microsoft has a mobile keyboard is quite thin and could be a good representation. The triggers are analog, but are recessed into the casing and only go so far until they click. This is similar for the scroll wheels.

So, you just bend in the top part and you're holding the controller! When held this way, there could be IR LED/diodes facing forward (not represented in drawing!) as it should have enough room there. (May not need it with the touch pad though!) Also, the controllers have gyro, so it may not be entirely needed.

When closed, you can see the styli (two included) in the top. I could see some fun games where you and another person are both doing simultaneous touch things on the screen (Pokemon Trading Card Game, Mario Party stuff, Star Wars Chess, etc.), so thought it best to include them.

I also put in the dock, just something simple that has power, possible ethernet port, etc., and just thought the vertical way looked cool! I guess it could also serve as a spot for an IR sensor to use with Wiimotes and things. I figure the system can go in covered or not (based on whether you wanted to use the cover controllers or a Pro one), but just showed it uncovered here. Both the controllers and the system charge using the same cord (or wirelessly in the dock).

Doesn't solve every problem out there, but, I think it could be quite portable, affordable, etc. as I figure they are going for a mass market sort of deal!

It will look NOTHING like this!

I'll repost my own theory cause it seems to convince many :p

While i was thinking about that thing that bugs me, about the two detachable controllers and what would be the concept around that, i had some kind of revelation.

Cause i was lwatching the digital foundry vid and the guy talked about the two pads as if it was so huge to have two pads out of the box, and i was like.. Are you fucking kidding me.. Are we all pretending there is anything new about giving away a secondary pad ? I mean it's just a good deal, but local multiplayer was there all along..

Then i got it.
Maybe the NX is reallly centered about the idea of a completely easy to transport, (on the "go" you know), self sufficient device that allows for super fun things between friends, in a living room, in the street, in a park, at a friend's house... Maybe that's the whole marketing idea here. It's like the Wii was at some point, a family friendly device for immediate fun, except it's super flexible, everyone can have his own and play all sort of things, (and that means also why not, AR multiplayer board games for exemple). Like.. The NX would be, more like a set of card than a console in the spirit.

So you could play with a friend everywhere by docking the screen somewhere (maybe it has some kind of ipad skin that can become a support you know, that couldl actually make it pretty fashionable), but why not imagining you could also for example plug one to a tv, and having a friend come with his NX, and you would be able to play a 4 player game on tv, maybe more. And why not use it for their infamous asynchronous (is that it) gameplay, with some players on the tv and some others on their NW screen.

Think about it. We know Nintendo always try again and again. What they failed on GBA, then DS, then with the WiiU. All those multiplayer concepts with different configurations... They can finally have it, with the proper marketing.

Just one device, really small, simple, and it can be used for so many things to have fun with your friends. And those two detachable pads probably have gyros to, so that little NX device can also create Wii fun for everyone on the go. What if a NX can recognize multiple controllers, so you can for exemple be in a park with your friends, and everyone detaches the controllers and put the NX on the ground, and everyone is playing Just Dance in the wild..

basically, sorry i'm long.. But yeah the NX would be centered around the idea that it's super small, simple, cheap, and can be used for so many gaming ideas between friends (everything Ubi has been asking for) everywhere.

That's learning everything from the Wii, but also from Monster Hunter and the whole community aspect of the biggest gaming success in Japan. You make people play in group.

I can already see the 80's commercial. I can also see a Wii like sucess if they have the right software with it (some genius multiplayer party game on the go).

---

And just to post a little exemple of the kind of thing that will make it huge and super mainstream.

Imagine you got kids, 2 kids, and you're in a dense traffic stuck in the car, it's raining. They're bored. They can take their NX, unplugged the controllers, put the screen between them on the seat, and play some game, i don't know, some tennis game on the screen with their two controllers.

Do you see the 80' commercial to ? With the 2 kids playing at the back of the car (they kept their belt of course!)?

I hope you read that in Don Draper's voice!


---

While i'm at it, here are other potential (but maybe not) ideas of gameplay for that concept.

Keep one pad attached to the screen, that you hold in one hand, and have the other one free in your other hand, that you can use as a gun, or a sword i don't know, or to point things. Than now create a multiplayer game using AR where you're interacting with friends in the wild.

Now, do that with Pokemon. (Like you gives order with the free pad and motion control while you're looking at the AR pokemons interacting on screen).

Link that to Pokemon GO.

BOOM, NX sells 50 millions

I really think that configuration, of a small portable device with two pads and gyros, could be the thing Nintendo always wanted. Some sort of infinity creative device that reinvent itself all the time.

Just think about it, one pad plugged, and the other free, with motion control, and think about the game design ideas.

Super awesome break down of everything!

I think they could have a real winner here if done correctly! Impromptu Just Dance parties, Wario Ware with colleagues in the break room, etc., all brought up quickly. Shared gaming experiences for all!
 

Samemind

Member
Is anyone thinking that the controllers could attach to any of the four sides of the screen unit? The ability to use either landscape or portrait orientation would certainly bring in the possibility of emulating the 3DS' layout, with regards to the above discussion of the machine's ability to play the dual screen games.
 
Is anyone thinking that the controllers could attach to any of the four sides of the screen unit? The ability to use either landscape or portrait orientation would certainly bring in the possibility of emulating the 3DS' layout, with regards to the above discussion of the machine's ability to play the dual screen games.
Yeah, I just mentioned that. Would be interesting. When emulating DS games on the VC you can go portrait mode but it's a bit hard to hold the gamepad and there are no buttons.
 
Eurogamer said that Smash Bros port and Splatoon port have been 'mooted'

Can someone please tell me what this means?

Googling leads me to believe they're still 'up for discussion' or still 'on the table' but I still can't figure out when they mean by that
 

Anth0ny

Member
they way I'm envisioning it is literally a smart phone that lets you attach physical buttons on each side. this would mean easy ports and compatibility of games from the app store or google play. you should be able to play pokemon go on this thing without any issue. it would basically be the ipod touch killer for parents. a cheap, easy way for their kids to play mobile games, without having to give them an actual phone.

then you attach the buttons and sticks and triggers on each side and it basically becomes a single screen n3ds, allowing you to play traditional games that require all of those inputs.

then you plug it into the dock at home, all the games pop up on your tv, and you can plug in a traditional controller with full analog sticks and such.
 

XPE

Member
My only problem with docking station thing is I would like to keep the capabilities of the WiiU with the screen in the station it just feels like a waste.
 

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Any additional storage capability would have to be in the system itself; using the dock would be a mess of data management.

The entire appeal, presumably, is how easy it is to take your system with you on the go. Requiring the user to sit down and wade through menus to choose what games to bring--and wait for them to transfer over--would be unacceptable. The whole point should be you just grab it and go

I totally agree, but what other solution is there? If some games are going to be using a 32gb cart how are people who prefer DD going to play? A 128gb mSD card isn't that cheap and at that size you're not going to be fitting a whole lot of games one there. And larger mSD card just aren't around right now and they certainly aren't cheap.

Obviously the handheld needs expandable storage, but that only goes so far. While not totally elegant, having the dock also feature expandable storage, preferably HDD/SDD people will be able to easily store and even play games directly from there and not need to do anything like transfer them to a PC or worse delete them and have to redownload them if they want to replay them.

The option needs to be there.
 

EVH

Member
Well, ports are not created equal, so I don't want to simply conclude that the hardware is bad when there are also ports that are the opposite.

Which are good ports? Because DOOM 3BFG i would not consider a good example as it is a rehash of a game that came out more than 10 years ago. Half Life 2, for example is working quite meh.

Someone uses Android ports to analyse performance and calls others misinformed. Lol.

I talk about ports to Nvidia Shield. NX is also going to have an OS. Obviously not as power-consuming as Android, but don't expect to get a huge jump over that. And of course one has to take in account that Shield has AndroidTV and not Android, which probably is already cut in lots of areas. But if you believe it will be X2 just because there is a fan in the devkit - when Shield has already one - , that's ok.

Jesus, this thread just became what all new nintendo platform threads become. Misinformation, denial in power, nice and crappy mockups, whishful thinking on price and an orgy of patents that most of the times never come to reality. I'm out.
 

Neoxon

Junior Member
Eurogamer said that Smash Bros port and Splatoon port have been 'mooted'

Can someone please tell me what this means?

Googling leads me to believe they're still 'up for discussion' or still 'on the table' but I still can't figure out when they mean by that
It depends on the context. Since in the same article, they use mooted when describing the prior cartridge rumors, so the "raise (a question or topic) for discussion; suggest (an idea or possibility)" result from Google may be accurate in this case.
 
I am happy about the hybrid idea, but I REALLY don't like the idea of "detachable" sides. I don't want another controller like the Wii where it is split into two. I want 1 solid controller, damnit...
 
they way I'm envisioning it is literally a smart phone that lets you attach physical buttons on each side. this would mean easy ports and compatibility of games from the app store or google play. you should be able to play pokemon go on this thing without any issue. it would basically be the ipod touch killer for parents. a cheap, easy way for their kids to play mobile games, without having to give them an actual phone.

then you attach the buttons and sticks and triggers on each side and it basically becomes a single screen n3ds, allowing you to play traditional games that require all of those inputs.

then you plug it into the dock at home, all the games pop up on your tv, and you can plug in a traditional controller with full analog sticks and such.

I envision almost the exact same thing! I think this method would also allow them to open NX up to existing smart devices. Want the NX but already own phones or a tablet? Plug the controller into your existing device and download the NX app.
 

phanphare

Banned
Eurogamer said that Smash Bros port and Splatoon port have been 'mooted'

Can someone please tell me what this means?

Googling leads me to believe they're still 'up for discussion' or still 'on the table' but I still can't figure out when they mean by that

I can't imagine a smash port not happening
 
I am happy about the hybrid idea, but I REALLY don't like the idea of "detachable" sides. I don't want another controller like the Wii where it is split into two. I want 1 solid controller, damnit...

I'm not wild about the idea when using it as a home console. That being said, I don't see why they wouldn't make another pro controller that they sell separately.
 

AntMurda

Member
Emily from the beginning said that Smash 4 & Zelda BotW were a lock for the NX, with Splatoon & Super Mario Maker being possibilities.

So the two that were already rumored by other sources were a lock - and the two that weren't were "possibilities".
 
This will still have touch input right? How else would the rumors of a Mario Maker port work?

I would bet money that this will have touch input. You cannot have a mobile device NOT have touch screen input. Children today use touch devices to game, so there's no way Nintendo would shoot themselves in the foot by not including it. It would be a disaster.
 

Speely

Banned
Is anyone thinking that the controllers could attach to any of the four sides of the screen unit? The ability to use either landscape or portrait orientation would certainly bring in the possibility of emulating the 3DS' layout, with regards to the above discussion of the machine's ability to play the dual screen games.

I am thinking this is almost a given. Since there is no need for a physical connection for data transfer, making them attachable anywhere seems like a no-brainer. As in even when slipped or clipped onto the sides, they can be adjusted up or down to suit the user, etc. Convenient, and little things like that can be selling points that advertize well.
 

Anastasis

Member
Could they have learned from the 2DS as well? One screen in portrait keeps costs down and keeps DS type gameplay alive and well. Flip it landscape and have one big(ger) screen. Detachable parts make it possible as well.

Edit: beaten
 

DooMAGE

Member
I realized that some of you are having problems visualizing the concept so I made this mock-up explaining all of the possible uses for the NX concept based on the original drawing from Eurogamer.

In this first picture, you can see the NX in its most basic form a simple device that can play simple games like Professor Layton or even Mario Kart with its motion sensors and touch screen.



If you turn it in portrait mode the NX plays mobile games (ported or created for mobile like Nintendo upcoming mobile games.) like a champ.



Once things get more complex let's say, Zelda, you slide in the control modules.






(I think that sliding it instead of attaching it will help with durability) as you can see in this picture each of the controller pieces being connected have their own simple gyros as well and could be used as a Wii-Mote.

In this form, you can play games as you would with a 3DS (but with a full set of buttons) when not using the main unit you slide the controllers in a simple shell in order to have a standard controller.



Now you can use the main unit in its base connected to a TV or use the main unit as a monitor.



And using the stand you can enjoy video apps.



Finally, when connected to its doc outputting to the TV the screen could show some basic info (like the gamepad) or be turned off (like the gamepad) in order to charge faster .

I hope this helps to illustrate the NX concept.

This looks very viable
 
I totally agree, but what other solution is there? If some games are going to be using a 32gb cart how are people who prefer DD going to play? A 128gb mSD card isn't that cheap and at that size you're not going to be fitting a whole lot of games one there. And larger mSD card just aren't around right now and they certainly aren't cheap.

Obviously the handheld needs expandable storage, but that only goes so far. While not totally elegant, having the dock also feature expandable storage, preferably HDD/SDD people will be able to easily store and even play games directly from there and not need to do anything like transfer them to a PC or worse delete them and have to redownload them if they want to replay them.

The option needs to be there.

I totally agree it's a problem, but I stand by that any solution would have to be part of the system itself. Samsung recently announced the world's smallest SSD; I think it's possible Nintendo could offer something like this as an add-on.
 
Shame on GameXplain then.

It wasn't the main guys from gamexplain; it was Colin from Gamnesia who mentioned it IIRC.

Didn't Emily comment on this recently though?

Edit: Found the quote from about a month ago, where she provided an update "Splatoon and Mario Maker NX ports have low chances of being released. Now Smash Bros...I'm curious about that port"
 
I'm not wild about the idea when using it as a home console. That being said, I don't see why they wouldn't make another pro controller that they sell separately.

I really hope it isn't sold separately, because then it will just be hard to find and not compatible with many 3rd party games (and 1st party). Wii U had a pretty good pro pad (minus no voice chat), and look how that went...
 
I totally agree, but what other solution is there? If some games are going to be using a 32gb cart how are people who prefer DD going to play? A 128gb mSD card isn't that cheap and at that size you're not going to be fitting a whole lot of games one there. And larger mSD card just aren't around right now and they certainly aren't cheap.

Obviously the handheld needs expandable storage, but that only goes so far. While not totally elegant, having the dock also feature expandable storage, preferably HDD/SDD people will be able to easily store and even play games directly from there and not need to do anything like transfer them to a PC or worse delete them and have to redownload them if they want to replay them.

The option needs to be there.

Actually.... a microSD 128 GB card IS cheap. You can get a class 10 one for $30 USD.

To keep costs down, I can see Nintendo going this route. Buy the carts or go digital, but digital will be saved on removable SD storage like they did on 3DS.

HDD is out of the option. Moving parts, slow, etc. They can go flash storage built in, but I doubt they would put a large amount in the system. They'll need something on there for OS storage so I wouldn't be surprised if it has 32 or 64 GB of storage as well as a microSD expansion slot.
 
I really hope it isn't sold separately, because then it will just be hard to find and not compatible with many 3rd party games (and 1st party). Wii U had a pretty good pro pad (minus no voice chat), and look how that went...

How did that go? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I just can't think of any examples for games that should have but didn't use the Pro controller. I only got one within the past few months but I've yet to run into anything that didn't work with it.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Which are good ports? Because DOOM 3BFG i would not consider a good example as it is a rehash of a game that came out more than 10 years ago. Half Life 2, for example is working quite meh.



I talk about ports to Nvidia Shield. NX is also going to have an OS. Obviously not as power-consuming as Android, but don't expect to get a huge jump over that. And of course one has to take in account that Shield has AndroidTV and not Android, which probably is already cut in lots of areas. But if you believe it will be X2 just because there is a fan in the devkit - when Shield has already one - , that's ok.

Jesus, this thread just became what all new nintendo platform threads become. Misinformation, denial in power, nice and crappy mockups, whishful thinking on price and an orgy of patents that most of the times never come to reality. I'm out.

That has nothing to do with X2 or X1. For your info, I don't believe in X2 until we get more info about it.

But what you did, cherry picking one port on Android of all systems (famous OS for getting the best performance out of GPUs) to estimate performance to fit your theory is misinformation on purpose. And then to complain about others being misinformed while you're trying to spread misinformation? You're a man of character, no doubt.
 

Enduin

No bald cap? Lies!
Actually.... a microSD 128 GB card IS cheap. You can get a class 10 one for $30 USD.

To keep costs down, I can see Nintendo going this route. Buy the carts or go digital, but digital will be saved on removable SD storage like they did on 3DS.

HDD is out of the option. Moving parts, slow, etc. They can go flash storage built in, but I doubt they would put a large amount in the system. They'll need something on there for OS storage so I wouldn't be surprised if it has 32 or 64 GB of storage as well as a microSD expansion slot.

$30 isn't bad, but the problem is that even at 128gb that's potentially only 4 large games. Are people going to have to buy multiple Micro SD cards? Obviously many games will not be a full 32gb, but a lot will probably be close, and future titles down the line will likely be even larger as has always been the case. Even the more traditional handheld games will likely utilize the far greater horsepower compared to the 3DS and thus have much larger storage needs. That's not a whole lot of room in the long run and swapping out SD cards and remembering whats on where is a huge pain in the ass.

Allowing users to hook up an HDD to the dock would be a good way to let people store games they aren't playing on their handheld and or only plan to play when at home and on the TV. If the dock has a good USB3.1, or an equivalently speedy proprietary connector they likely will end up choosing to use, data transfer speeds won't be that big an issue.
 
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