Will Nintendo’s Next Console Run Android?

One of the biggest names in video gaming could be set for a major tie-up with Google’s mobile operating system.

Sources in Japan have claimed that Nintendo’s upcoming games console will run Android OS in an attempt to ensure closer compatibility with mobile platforms.

The console, currently codenamed the Nintendo NX, is apparently “loaded with Android”, according to an insider that spoke to Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

Spreading Appeal

Past consoles from Nintendo have always featured software built in-house by the company, and it seems a possible move to Android has apparently been motivated by past Nintendo consoles being unable to interact with other devices, as the company has exclusively stuck to gaming platforms in the past.

In contrast, both Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox consoles feature in-depth mobile device interaction, with users able to hook up their smartphone to play games, listen to music, and view video content across platforms.

The move would also allow game developers more freedom to create unique games that would appeal to Nintendo’s traditionally family-focused demographics, and also open up new commercial horizons for the company.

But it will also allow games that have already been released on the Play Store to be ported over to Nintendo’s console, providing a larger audience for new and old games.

Nintendo has yet to respond to the rumours, and has not really revealed much about the NX console as a whole as yet, except teasing that it would ‘surprise people’.

Google revealed the first look at Android M, the latest edition of its mobile operating system, last week at the company’s Google I/O conference.

Although a full-scale overhaul, as was seen in the release of Android Lollipop 5.0, Android M should provide a host of new improvements and features for users across the globe.

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