Nintendo NX Is Portable, Has Detachable Controllers and Uses Cartridges - Report

Nintendo's next gaming platform, codenamed NX, will be a portable console that has detachable controllers, a new report has suggested.

According to Eurogamer, "a number of sources" have confirmed the NX will be a powerful handheld device, but that it also has controller modules that can be attached to both sides of its screen.

The system can also be connected to a docking station for use on a big screen. This base unit effectively connects what is described by Eurogamer as the "brain of the NX" (housed within the portable device) to a TV.

It continues on to state that the NX will use cartridges as its physical media of choice. Nintendo has a long history of using cartridges for its portable gaming devices. It is unclear what capacity these cards will be available in. Modern games on PS4 and Xbox One can store up to 50 GB of data, and many often require further installs on their internal hard drives.

The NX will reportedly run on a proprietary operating system designed by Nintendo, and not Android, as was suggested by previous reports.

The NX was first officially revealed in March 2015 and, before his passing, company president Satoru Iwata called it a "brand new concept" for video game platforms.

Nintendo hasn't publicly talked about the hardware in an official capacity, but the leading rumor lines up with this report. It posited that Nintendo is seeking to unite its handheld and console efforts. Multiple reports previously suggested NX will include a traditional living room console and "at least one mobile unit."

More recently, Nintendo confirmed the NX's global release date is in March 2017, but did not provide any more information. It indicated it is holding back on a premature reveal in order to protect a unique element of NX.

"In terms of NX, there's an idea that we're working on," said Shigeru Miyamoto. "That's why we can't share anything at this point, and I don't want to comment on the other companies. If it was just a matter of following advancements in technology, things would be coming out a lot quicker."