Nintendo NX and ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Wii U Release Date: Which Will Come First?

By Mark Rollins

There are so many rumors going on now about new video game consoles, but nothing has been confirmed, and probably won't be for another few months.  There have been rumors of a PlayStation 4.5 capable of 4K resolution, as well as the possibility of an Xbox 1.5 or something.  If any console is going to have a new version, it could be the Nintendo NX, the upgrade of the Wii U.  If the NX doesn't show up, then it is possible that The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U could have its long-awaited formal announcement, but it is possible that both Nintendo intellectual properties will have a release date this summer. 

According to MNR Daily, there is a new report from three different sources that claim they have information on the design and features of the Nintendo NX controller.  Like the Wii U, the controller will have a dedicated screen used to play the NX games anywhere within the home of the player.  I have to admit that the Wii U doesn't allow me to play my games within every room of the house, and I have a pretty small home.  Perhaps the controller will sync to home's Wi-Fi network rather than syncing with the console box. 

Apparently, the controller won't have any processing capabilities, but depend on the NX console for its features.  This report says that the controller will be a "dummy vita" to have a basic OS used to access the NX console.  A few weeks ago, there was a "leak" of a controller that was proven to be fake. 

Forbes reports that only Nintendo is working on their new system, but that doesn't mean that it will be showing up this year.  If it was going to show up, it would most likely be at E3 2016.  E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo that takes place every summer at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and this year will be on June 13-16. 

The issue with Nintendo is they could use a hit after many consider the Wii U to be a failure for the company.  It is possible that Nintendo won't announce the newest version of their console, but rather a long-awaited The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U.  There still isn't any release date for that game, but it would be worth using the spotlight at E3 for either the NX or the newest Zelda-canon game. 

If Nintendo used E3 to announce the NX and the next Zelda game, both might be available around the holiday season.  Of course, Nintendo used E3 2011 to announce the Wii U, but didn't actually show it until E3 2012, then released it during the 2012 holiday season.  So, following that pattern, the Nintendo NX could be available either this holiday season or holiday season 2017.