Rumors claiming Nintendo’s next console would run on Google’s OS Android seem to be unfounded. In a surprisingly quick PR maneuver, the big N have clarified that Android on Nintendo consoles is just “not going to happen”.
Nintendo are currently working on a new console of which we know nothing except its code-name, NX. As there are very few certainties about this new hardware piece (it’s a new console but “it won’t replace the Wii U nor the 3DS”), speculation is rampant, and several users had been talking about the possibility of this system running under a variation of Android OS. These rumors were so strong that Nintendo themselves, who rarely concern themselves with hearsay, came out and clarified: “There is no truth to the report saying that we are planning to adopt Android for NX,” a Nintendo spokesman said. It’s just not going to happen.
This answer comes as the response to the rumors started by Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper citing inside knowledge and claiming that the big N could be using Android on their next console. The idea was simple: by using Android, Nintendo would have access from the get-go to a huge selection of titles that are already on Google’s platform, and they would only need to add their original productions on top. Also, seeing Android’s progress on areas such as TV and wearables, it doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. Furthermore, if Nintendo were to keep their Wii U style controller with a touch screen, there is no reason for any Android app to be incompatible. The counterpart of all this, though, would be the possibility of hacks and piracy.
With this rumor done with, we’re back to where we started: we have no idea what the NX is, but we can’t wait to see it and know more. Nintendo has had a rough couple of years now, with low sales on their home console department. The Wii U has been struggling to recapture a fragment of its predecessor’s success (the Wii). And even though the 3DS is doing fine and selling well, the Japanese company is already researching alternative distribution and monetization channels, such as creating amusement parks, amiibos, or even releasing smartphone games. Some users are even speculating that the NX itself might be a wearable, sort of like the pokewalker that came with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at Nintendo everything: cellphone games & new consoles and Nintendo Explains Nintendo 3DS System Data Transfer.
