How do you know when you have a winning product? Well, if you’re Nintendo, it’s when everyone seems to be looking at mimicking it. In a report from Android Police, it looks like Qualcomm might be the latest in line with plans to create a gaming console similar to Nintendo’s money making Switch.
While it may seem like Qualcomm is looking to get into the console gaming space, the report says otherwise. Instead, the company is looking to spur innovation for its partners in adopting new, unconventional form factors for devices. This also means that the device could likely be a limited run – unless Qualcomm is working to get into the hardware space.
The Qualcomm powered mobile gaming console looks to be mimicking the form factor of the Nintendo Switch. According to Android Police, it shares the same detachable “joycon” controllers. However, the console itself seems to be resembling a thicker smartphone. The chonky design choice is apparently meant to help with cooling which will allow Qualcomm to push the processor a little bit harder. Speaking of, it seems like the console will be coming with the next generation Qualcomm processor. This seems to be supported by the fact that Qualcomm is looking to release it sometime in Q1 of 2022.
The console will apparently be equipped with 5G connectivity albeit with the current generation X55 modem. It’s expected to come with the standard array of connectivity options we see in standard mobile phones. This includes GPS, Bluetooth, accelerometers and some haptics. However, it’s uncertain whether Qualcomm will be using a standard chip design or using specially customised one like the Snapdragon 855+ which was on the ROG Phone. It’s reported to have an SD Card slot as well and a large 6,000mAh battery. No screen size has been confirmed however, Android Police and XDA Editor in Chief Mishaal Rahman estimates it to be about 6.65-inches. It’s uncertain whether the console will comes with a dedicated port for TV out or go with the USB-C port like the Nintendo Switch. However, the console will be running Android 12 with a customised skin.
That aside, it looks like Qualcomm might be gearing up for some serious gaming content. The console will apparently be launching with Epic Game’s app. The company is also looking to build its own content library portal for the console. It’s still unclear if they will be teaming up with XBOX, NVIDIA or Google Stadia for even more content but it’s likely that they are looking to keep most of the gaming content offline to showcase the graphics capabilities of their SoC.
The move is an interesting one given the current landscape where we are seeing an increasing number of people gaming on mobile. However, it could also indicate that Qualcomm might be signalling that it’s ready to start making chips for portable consoles like the Nintendo Switch. This would be a big jump as the Switch currently uses a customised NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor while other consoles like the PS5 come with a customised AMD processor. The push for unconventional form factors is another interesting move from Qualcomm and could be the impetus we need to see an other N.Gage hit the scene.