When there was a rather extensive leak on the upcoming Nintendo NX, Nintendo’s enigmatic new system that they had somehow managed to completely keep under the wraps until just now, a lot of our hopes were met, but there were some that were dashed, too. A handheld-console hybrid, the NX would be the most powerful portable system ever built, and seems set to be the ultimate Nintendo machine, but it also seems that as a console, it shall be fairly weak- more powerful than the Wii U, but a far cry from the PS4 competitor that so many were expecting.
However, since then, new reports have come to light regarding the system, and it sounds like the NX may actually be more powerful, and be using more modern chips, than what was initially reported. Eurogamer’s leak for the system discussed that the devkits all seemed to be using an Nvidia Tegra X1, with the caveat added that the active cooling in the system seemed to suggest that the final version may actually be using a more advanced chip- like the still unannounced Nvidia Tegra X2. Now, insiders are confirming that this thesis was indeed on the mark, and that the NX will be using an Nvidia chip based on the Pascal architecture.
What does this mean in normal terms? It means that the NX will not be using the Tegra X1, since that is based on the Maxwell architecture. It also implies that the NX may end up being more powerful and simultaneously more power efficient than we previously suspected- since it is using a chip based on the Pascal architecture. Theoretically, this means that the NX could be more powerful than we initially suspected. Not PS4 Neo level or anything like that, no, but more powerful than the original Xbox One? There definitely seems to be a chance of that happening now.
That is, if this rumor is even true. It might not be, and though this insider has a generally good track record with his leaks so far, the fact remains that until Nintendo actually come out and reveal what the NX is, or until Nvidia unveil the Tegra 2 officially, we have nothing but speculation to go on.
