One retailer is already taking pre-orders for the Nintendo NX

Gamers in Australia are already able to pre-order Nintendo’s new NX console.

EB Games has announced via Facebook that customers are able to lay down an unspecified amount of cash against the largely unspecified console in-stores right now.

Note that the Nintendo NX is not only without a price or release date, but virtually nothing is yet known of the hardware.

What do we know? Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata said yesterday that the NX is a dedicated game platform with a brand-new concept” and that no additional news is to be expected until next year.

Beyond that we have early speculation. Will the NX be a home console/handheld hybrid, as has been speculated? Will it offer yet another new control option, following in the footsteps of the Wii and Wii U? Will it be a back-to-basics powerhouse games console with a normal controller and PS4 and Xbox One beating specs? Will it integrate Netscape Navigator? Will it come in pink?

What seems likely is that the NX was announced at this early stage to quell potential fears of a possible console hardware exit from Nintendo following the announcement of its new smartphone strategy. It’s entirely possible that Nintendo isn’t even sure of the machine’s final form at this stage.