6 reasons why the rumoured Nintendo NX is a smart move

Image by Pittree on NeoGAF

If Eurogamer's report is to be believed, the Nintendo NX is going to be a hybrid console. Half handheld, half home console.

As a handheld, the device will look kind of like the Wii U gamepad we know today. A big old screen, flanked by controls. Like a Game Boy Advance that has eaten too many Big Macs.

But when you get home you can break the console apart. The screen goes into a docking station, which shoots the gameplay to your TV. You then use the rest as a controller to actually play the game.

It's a bold move, but it actually makes a lot of sense. And here's why

Mobile chip sets can bridge the graphical gap

If you're wondering "man, how has this never happened before?", the answer is that consoles and handhelds have always been so far apart in the graphics department.

Sure, you can play Game Boy Advance games on your TV through the Game Boy Player, but that just showed how radically different the graphics were on a handheld and a console.

But new mobile chips, like the Tegra GPU that's rumoured to be in the NX controller, can pump out console quality visuals. Maybe not Xbox One-level graphics, but good enough to render proper "console quality" graphics on the TV.

It's much easier to explain than the Wii U

When most people saw the Wii U, they assumed that they could take the Gamepad on the go with them. It's got a screen and a battery, after all, why not use it as a handheld?

Alas, that was not the case. As anyone who has tried to play the Wii U in a different room will tell you, the whole console falls apart if you move a few feet away.

The NX, though, is an easy sell. "It's a console. But you can pick it up and take the console with you, anywhere". Shut up and take my money.

It makes local multiplayer easy

If Nintendo has any sense, the body of the NX will have a kick stand, and the two controller bits can be used independently as a pair of simple, NES-like controllers.

So if you want to play Mario Kart with a friend you just prop the NX up, detach the controllers, and two pals can enjoy a race, anywhere in the world.

Nintendo has tried this stuff before. It put a handle on the GameCube to encourage you to carry it to a friend's house. It does Download Play on 3DS so only one person needs a cartridge. But this could be very cool indeed.

It's different from an iPhone

Everyone knows that mobiles have chewed away at the handheld market. If you see a kid on a train today, they're much more likely to be playing on an iPhone than a 3DS. And that's kinda sad.

Just making another handheld isn't going to cut it. Why bother when a phone is always in your pocket, the games load immediately, and most of the games are free?

The NX needs to do something different. And the prospect of being able to continue playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the go is a unique selling point indeed.

It's different from a PS4

Likewise, the next Nintendo console also needs to differentiate itself from the other home consoles because Nintendo just doesn't win when it's fighting specs with specs.

Again, being able to take your games on the go is a great idea. Not some confusing thing where you can transfer some games to your Vita and your save game might cross over if you cross your fingers.

It's just easy. Pick up the console and walk out the door.

Nintendo can focus on making games for one console

It's no secret that most of the games on Nintendo systems are made by… Nintendo. Third party support from firms like EA and Ubisoft always dries up, and Nintendo is forced to make endless games to pad out their handheld and console libraries.

With just one, hybrid console to support, Nintendo can focus its efforts and stop phoning in games to keep their consoles going. I'm looking at you, Paper Mario Color Splash.