It will be a "brand new concept"
From the beginning, Nintendo has insisted that the NX will be a "brand new concept" in the world of gaming. But what does that mean?
Late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the console is not intended to simply replace the Wii U or handheld 3DS console, but we're pretty sure the Wii U is on its last legs and the 3DS is getting long in the tooth.
Iwata also commented on the different ways that "dedicated game systems" are played in Japan and elsewhere, with handheld devices being much more popular than home consoles nowadays in Nintendo's native country. With that in mind, Nintendo wants to "create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible."
Based on those statements and reports from industry insiders, the popular thinking for a while has been that the NX will do something to bridge the gap between home consoles and handheld systems. This is pure speculation, but the NX controller could double as both a regular controller and a handheld device, or the handheld unit could come packed in with the console.
Again, absolutely none of that could be true. People have inferred those ideas from vague statements and reports. Just know that when the NX launches next year, it will apparently be something different.
Don't expect it to be a powerhouse
Earlier this month, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (the world's biggest gaming show), Microsoft announced Project Scorpio, a beefy upgrade for the Xbox One. It'll ship in late 2017, and though it isn't a brand new console, it is supposedly the most powerful game console ever.
A similar upgrade is coming to the PlayStation 4, but Sony hasn't officially unveiled it yet.
You shouldn't expect the NX to directly compete with Project Scorpio. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime suggested during the show that it will fall in line with the company's games-first, graphics-second philosophy.
This is predictable, given Nintendo's recent history. The Wii U isn't much more powerful than the last-generation Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, and the Wii was closer to the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox in terms of power. If the NX follows the same cycle, don't expect it to be more powerful than (or even equal to) the base Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles.
A few games have been announced for the NX
More game announcements are certain to some whenever Nintendo gives us more information about the NX later this year, but right now, we can only be sure about two games coming to the platform: "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" and "Just Dance 2017."
"Breath of the Wild" is the stunning next game in the long-running Nintendo series, which features an enormous open world and much more freedom for the player than any previous "Zelda" game. It will launch simultaneously for NX and Wii U in 2017, and since it's the only NX game Nintendo has openly acknowledged, we're betting it will launch alongside the console.
"Just Dance 2017," on the other hand, is the latest in the supremely popular series of motion-controlled dancing games that come out on every console imaginable. Common sense would dictate that the NX might support Wii controllers or have some other motion controller support to work with this game, but it can be played using a mobile app that turns your phone into a motion controller on other platforms, so maybe not.
"Dragon Quest X" and "Dragon Quest XI," the two latest installments in the much-beloved Japanese role-playing game series, are supposedly coming to NX as well, but the company that makes those game is being somewhat cagey about it. One person confirmed they were coming, while someone else said they were merely being "considered" for it.
It won't be download-only
Since the Wii U, Xbox One and PS4 all allow users to download full retail games straight to their console hard drives, it's expected that someday all games will be sold that way exclusively.
Don't expect the NX to take the plunge into our download-only future. GameStop CEO J. Paul Reines told investors in May that the NX will use physical media of some kind, but wouldn't surrender any further details. Since GameStop is a company that can't survive without people buying games on shelves, they would be in a position to know.
Don't assume that the NX will use discs like the Xbox One and PS4 do, though. It's been rumored that the console will instead use cartridges like the 3DS. The reason why Nintendo might choose to do that is full of highly technical jargon, but put simply, it's possible that a console could actually read modern cartridges faster than discs, meaning you wouldn't have to wait an hour for a game to install after you buy it. Of course, if this ends up being true, the NX will probably also just let you download the games like the Wii U already does.
It could try to win back people who loved the Wii
The Wii, with its easy-to-explain motion controls and charming lineup of games that included "Wii Sports" and "Super Mario Galaxy," is one of the best selling game consoles ever. The Wii U has failed to find much of an audience, with plenty of casual observers not being aware that it's a new console instead of an attachment for the Wii.
This time around, it would make business sense for Nintendo to try and recapture some of that Wii magic. It sounds like that might be what they're doing, at least according to Allain Corre from Ubisoft, the company that makes "Just Dance."
"We have done a lot of products and successes with Nintendo in the past, and we believe that the NX will recapture a lot the lapsed Wii players," Corre told MCV.
It remains to be seen if that means the NX will go back to the emphasis on motion controls and casual games the Wii had, or if they'll take a different approach to try and win back people who normally don't play video games. As the Wii demonstrated, there's plenty of money to be made by doing that.