According to a Nikkei insider, Nintendo’s upcoming NX console will run Android.
Up until now, all of Nintendo’s consoles and handhelds have run off their own proprietary operating systems. But, an insider from leading Japanese business newspaper Nikkei is now claiming that this won’t be the case for Nintendo’s mysterious upcoming NX console, which he claims will use Google’s popular mobile OS: Android.
The insider explained that the usage of Android “would be able to speed up getting all game developers on board.” He added it would also mean that development could be expanded to smartphones, tablets, and other devices, something Nintendo is currently experimenting with.
If true, rather than simply running the same Android that is on your phone, the new console would run an OS that is based on Android, just like everyone’s favorite Android-based console: the Ouya.
The newspaper reports that the reasoning for the chance also stems from Nintendo’s traditionally poor third-party support. The Wii U is not compatible with other consoles, which makes cross-platform development quite difficult (something that devs such as Ubisoft and Activision have no qualms lamenting).
Nikkei has had a pretty good track record with Nintendo rumors before, most recently correctly revealing Nintendo’s plans to enter the smartphone sector earlier this year.
Source: Nikkei (Japanese) via Kotaku
