Nintendo's already said that we won't hear any concrete details about its new console, currently code-named NX, until next year, but today Japanese newspaper Nikkei is reporting that the console will apparently break with Nintendo tradition and use Android as its main operating system.
According to Kotaku, an insider told Nikkei that, "[The NX's] operating system is loaded with Android. This would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board.” The move would also help development expand across multiple platforms, such as smartphones, tablets and other devices, which would certainly fit in nicely with Nintendo's recent plans to release games on mobiles.
Previous Nintendo consoles have always used proprietary operating systems that have been developed in-house, but according to Nikkei's insider, the reason behind the supposed jump to Android is because the Wii U is not compatible with other game consoles. This makes it harder for developers to port games over for multi-platform titles, and it makes it difficult for them to make back their development costs.
There's some sliver of truth in this, as the PS4 and Xbox One now both have very similar hardware, so porting titles across isn't as tricky as it used to be. However, moving to Android would hardly make Nintendo's current situation any easier, as it would still be the only major console manufacturer using Google's operating system.
Nikkei has been generally on the ball as far as previous Nintendo rumours go. Last year, the newspaper reported that Nintendo was planning on putting promotional mini-games on smartphones, which Nintendo promptly denied, only to announce plans to release full-blown games on smartphones in March. Likewise, months before it announced the 3DS XL, Nintendo denied Nikkei rumours that it would be releasing a larger version of its 3DS console.
We've reached out to Nintendo UK for comment, but a spokesperson for the company said that Nintendo does not comment on rumour or speculation.
