Speculations are mounting that there will be an epic three-way game console slugfest in the second half of 2016 featuring the Nintendo NX, rumored as the world's first hybrid gaming machine, and the purported mid-generation upgrades - the Sony PS4K codenamed Neo and the Microsoft Xbox 1.5. Granted the rumors are correct, which among the three will drop first?
Nintendo NX for Christmas unboxing?
Rumors about the NX have been flooding in in large numbers lately and the latest indicate of wider software support, which translates to numerous game titles come launch time that could include The Legend of Zelda and a still unnamed Mario-themed game. There are claims too that Nintendo's next hardware is powerful enough to overwhelm both its rivals - the PS4 and Xbox One.
Sadly though, everything about the Nintendo NX remains in the rumor zone as the maker itself has been holding back the juicy details except for allowing that indeed an NX device is in the works and it will be a fresh concept - something that the gaming industry has yet to see.
The hope is for the NX to appear in time for the 2016 holiday festivities but that happening is quite remote at the moment, according to a Forbes report. Granted the Nintendo NX is formally introduced via the E3 2016, which was the case with both the Wii and Wii U, then the actual rollout is not expected until fall of 2017, again using the latest two console releases of Nintendo as references.
So as it stands now, Santa dropping the NX for gamers to unpack this December is a moonshot.
PS4K reveal via E3 2016
It appears that the latest and greatest console to come from Sony will be the PS4K, the label due to native support for 4K resolution. But there is more to the planned mid-generation jump that the PS4K is as BGR reported that the toy will draw its power from what looked like as formidable specs - an 8-core CPU with processing might of 2.1GHz, a graphic engine from AMD GCN with 36 CUs at 911MHz and 8GB of generous RAM provision.
Forbes is convinced that the PS4K rumors are right on track and the chance is high that Sony will be able to show off something big at the E3 this year. The minimum expectation is a PS4K unpacking that could happen as early as September 2016.
Xbox 1.5 or Xbox Two
Blame it on Xbox chief Phil Spencer for teasing that an Xbox refresh could come much earlier than expected since the technology are readily available. However, as Forbes noted, Spencer backtracked and instead underscored the original plan to jump to 2.0 and not settle for 1.5.
And it should be a prudent move as using more time will mean that the next Xbox rig will have the chops to give both the NX and PS4K a good fight. Microsoft needs something new that is both compelling and disrupting to stuff the new Xbox with before joining in on what is brewing as the epic NX-PS4K showdown, that is if Nintendo will be able to pull a surprise and unwrap the NX contrary to expectations.