Thus far, Nintendo has had little to say about its upcoming Nintendo NX console, save that it exists and that it is a “new hardware system with a brand-new concept.” Now, anonymous reports are starting to filter through to fill in that dearth of information, with Japanese business wire service Nikkei reporting that the console will be based on the Android operating system.
According to translations provided by Kotaku and a NeoGAF user, Nikkei cites an unnamed “insider” who says the NX “operating system is loaded with Android.” The intent, the insider says, is to make the NX a more open platform that allows for easier ports from third-party developers, who have largely abandoned the Wii U for other consoles this generation. An Android-based system would also allow NX games to move easily to mobile devices, the source said, a move that would gel with Nintendo’s recently announced plans to make mobile games in conjunction with DeNA.
If true, the use of Android underpinnings doesn’t really tell us much about the specific form the Nintendo NX will take. Though the OS is most known for its use in mobile phones, Android has appeared in everything from point-and-shoot cameras to refrigerators. And let’s not forget that Nintendo initially sold the Wii U as a system that would allow feature lots of third-party developer support and games easily ported from other high-end systems.
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