Nintendo NX, which will take on the PlayStation NEO and the Xbox Two, concept by a fan on YouTube (Photo : YouTube / CTNtechnologynews)
The announced March 2017 release date for the Nintendo NX gaming machine will be likely delayed as reports coming from Asia indicate that mass production of the device has been pushed back for one key functionality - virtual reality or VR. Wholesale assembly will only begin in the first quarter of next year.
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes said in a report that instead of mid-2016 mass production start, Foxconn will fire up the NX production line in early 2017 purportedly to be on stand by for the gaming machine's final blueprint that will include virtual reality features.
"Nintendo wished to enhance the game console's video-game/handheld-game-integrated gaming experience and add virtual reality function into the system to gain advantages in the upcoming video game and mobile game competitions," the report said, citing sources from upstream supply chain.
No specific timing for the production start was mentioned in the report but the delay is most likely to impact on the original NX launch date issued by Nintendo. March 2017 was the appointed rollout time but a reschedule, if any, is yet to be provided. Foxconn, Nintendo's manufacturing partner on the project, "declined to comment on matters concerning its clients or products."
The report, however, seemingly confirmed that the Nintendo NX will unbox as a hybrid device that "features a 5- to 7-inch display, controller and joystick for users to play as a mobile gaming product." And as a console, users will be able to hook up the NX to a monitor or television "to play as a video game system."
The addition of VR functionality seems a last-minute call as DigiTimes said that the feature "to satisfy the popular trend in the gaming market." Nintendo NX rivals, the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One, are expected to be upgraded in the coming months with emphasis on VR features, which explains the supposed NX adjustments.
In a related report, Polygon said in a blog post that the Nintendo NX will attempt to lure in buyers by jamming the gaming machine with compelling launch titles such as The Legend of Zelda and the hotly-anticipated sequel to the Super Smash Bros. 4.
As the Nintendo NX is a confirmed no-show for E3 2016 this June, it is likely that the release date of the device will be moved from March 2017 to the months before the E3 edition of next year.
