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Nintendo’s next console will be a big departure from the Wii and Wii U

Nintendo’s next console will be a big departure from the Wii and Wii U

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Nintendo still isn't talking about its next big console, codenamed NX, in detail until next year. But new company president Tatsumi Kimishima, who took over for the late Satoru Iwata in September, has revealed that the device won't just be a new take on the Wii like the Wii U was. "I can assure you we're not building the next version of Wii or Wii U," Kimishima explained in an interview with Time. "It's something unique and different. It's something where we have to move away from those platforms in order to make it something that will appeal to our consumer base."

"It's something unique and different."

Previous reports claimed that the device would be some kind of mobile / console hybrid, with a separate mobile unit that "could either be used in conjunction with the console or taken on the road for separate use." It's also expected to be much more powerful than the Wii U in order to better compete with the Xbox and PlayStation. The company plans to reveal much more detail about the NX next year, though game developers — including Dragon Quest creator Square Enix — are already working on titles for the hardware. Outside of the console space, Nintendo is also in the midst of preparing for its mobile debut. The company's first smartphone release will be a free-to-play app called Miitomo.

As for the name NX, Kimishima admits that it doesn't have any special meaning — at least that he knows of. "I don't know where it came from," he says. "Or perhaps Mr. Iwata had meant to tell me and then never got the chance."