Though the Nintendo NX’s controller-handheld hybrid design will certainly be drastic departure from the company’s past hardware, the system will reportedly still support two of Nintendo’s controllers’ biggest gameplay features: motion control and vibration.
According to a report from Let’s Play Video Games, the Nintendo NX will support motion-based controls similar to the current Wii Motion Plus controller, as well as “advanced vibration force feedback.” A source familiar with the controller compared the vibration functionality to the vibration tech found in the HTC Vive, with “pulsing patters” and variations lengths of vibration meant to further immerse you in the game. A related feature found on the Wii Remote used sound to achieve this, with gameplay noises usually played through the TV’s speaker instead coming through the controller.
The report builds on information from a story published by Eurogamer published last month, which described the NX hybrid portable/home console form factor, and specifically said the two ends of the handheld device could be removed and used as controllers.
The new design is meant to make the original Wii Remote obsolete — even with the Wii U GamePad being the main attraction for Nintendo’s latest console, multiplayer games still almost always require the use of the Wii Remote. One game franchise that has made use of the Wii Remotes for years, Just Dance, will also be moving to the new detachable controllers, with Just Dance 2017 reportedly using them when it launches alongside the console.
The Nintendo NX, according to Nintendo President Tastumi Kimishima, will not serve as a replacement for the company’s two current hardware offerings, the Wii U and 3DS. Instead, it’s intended to stand alongside them. Though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the NX’s most-anticipated upcoming title, it will still see a Wii U release. The GameCube was treated similarly when Twilight Princess launched at the start of the Wii’s life.
While the system has still not been officially unveiled, Nintendo has announced that the NX will launch in March, 2017.
