The case for a Nintendo NX release date in 2016 just got a lot stronger thanks to a report out of Foxconn. The company, which will physically manufacture the Nintendo NX hardware, noted in what appears to be a recent investor report (via NeoGAF) that Nintendo’s next console will start making a major contribution to Nintendo’s bottom line as soon as the second quarter of this year. Layman’s version: Nintendo will be manufacturing the NX at scale as soon as this summer, prepping us nicely for a late 2016 release date, if the rumor is true.
Nintendo NX Foxconn Reveal: Hot Off The Presses Later This Year
Here’s your standard rumors disclaimer: Although gaming rumors are sometimes true, they certainly aren’t always. Consider the source. In this case, the source seems pretty strong—a Foxconn investor report—but the report is a transcript in Chinese of a physical meeting for which no video or official transcript is available. It’s an aggregation of news reported on a Chinese site. That doesn’t mean the report is bunk or necessarily questionable, but bear it in mind.
Assuming the report is true—and you can read a “fan” translation of the relevant portions over at NeoGAF—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. We don’t have any numbers or anything like that, but it’s still telling. If the Nintendo NX is rolling off the manufacturing process in mid-2016 to such a degree that it influences Foxconn’s revenue, it’s a near-certainty that the system is coming out for this holiday season. Production doesn’t have to ramp up until just a few months before release, which gives more time for hardware costs to come down and that sort of thing.
Don’t be surprised by this news: The rumors pointing to a late 2016 Nintendo NX release date are becoming nearly overwhelming. From Foxconn to GameStop to the Wall Street Journal to Nintendo’s own investor presentations, the Nintendo NX cat keeps peeking out of the bag. I’m not talking about rumors about features or anything like that; those can easily be false. But the console’s release window, pinpointed to holiday 2016, is becoming more and more likely as the reports trickle in. All that remains is for Nintendo itself to tell us.