Nintendo NX rumors have been coming on hot and heavy lately, and one of the latest comes from the venerable retailer GameStop . As reported by Gonintendo (hat tip: Nintendolife ), one of GameStop’s latest customer surveys asked recipients to gauge their interest in buying several new devices within the next 12 months. Those devices skewed heavily toward virtual reality, with the sole exception of the Nintendo NX . And it’s yet another clue that Nintendo’s next console is not that far away.

Nintendo NX Release Date Rumors: Within A Year?

The GameStop survey asked customers just one question: “How likely are you to buy the following device(s) in the next 12 months?” The choices, which are rankable, include the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR Virtual Reality Headset for mobile and “Nintendo NX, or a new Nintendo console.” And that’s telling, because all of those virtual reality devices are in fact coming out within the next 12 months. Only the Nintendo NX doesn’t have a publicly available release date yet, although rumors about a 2016 release have been flying since the fall.

Could it be true? Could GameStop know something we don’t? Yeah, certainly: A major hardware release isn’t likely to take key retailers by surprise. That’s not the way to get them on your side. Nintendo did loads of presentations about the Nintendo NX back at E3 2015, so from a professional perspective, the system is less of a mystery than it is to us. There are people out there, people who don’t work at Nintendo, who know many of the big picture ideas behind the console, even if they don’t know the specifics. It’s highly likely that some of those people are with GameStop.

Besides, Nintendo really does need to release the Nintendo NX this year, unless it’s got a whole slew of unannounced Wii U games right around the corner. But now is the time: A PS4-level console with a unique gimmick and a great launch lineup could thrive right now, and be more affordable for Nintendo than it was a few years ago.

One other thing: Don’t get excited about virtual reality and the Nintendo NX, just because all the other platforms on GameStop’s list were VR-based. Nintendo has said that virtual reality is not a feature of the Nintendo NX, for a variety of reasons. So that won’t happen. Instead, take the GameStop survey at face value: The Nintendo NX may be coming out within the next 12 months.