Nintendo has announced plans to reveal its next console, the Nintendo NX , later this year. The NX could be closer than we think, given a new report from the Japanese newspaper Nikkei -- via Venturebeat -- that claims the video game giant will cease all production of its current console, the Wii U, this year.
Venturebeat cites video game analyst Serkan Toto, who translated the newspaper report, saying that Nintendo will stop production of the Wii U in order to deplete its stock before the NX is ready to ship.
Does that mean the Nintendo NX will ship globally in 2016? Not necessarily, as Toto points out on Twitter.
1) The Nikkei just reports Nintendo will stop producing Wii U within 2016. It doesn't say they will necessarily start selling NX in 2016.
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) March 22, 2016
Toto points out that some Wii U accessories have already stopped being produced, however, the news that the Wii U’s production will stop altogether instead of simply limiting the amount made seems to indicate the Nintendo NX release date is closer than we thought.
The Nikkei report also strengthens the reports surrounding Foxconn , the manufacturer of the NX, which puts the expected release date of the new console as late 2016. Foxconn expects an increase in operating revenue in the second half of 2016 due to the release of both the iPhone 7 and the Nintendo NX.
With a Nintendo NX announcement expected in June, or E3 at the latest, that would give manufacturers time to get units ready for the holiday season before ramping up the production for 2017.
So what do you think of Nintendo ceasing Wii U production? Do you believe the NX will be released in 2016? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
