Analyst: NX is Nintendo’s ‘social VR’ platform

Nintendo has not been shy in downplaying virtual reality’s social credentials – but perhaps this is exactly the reason why its new NX console WILL be a VR machine.

That’s the conclusion drawn by financial analyst Digi-Capital, which reckons that either virtual reality or augmented reality could be the next ‘blue ocean’ open market that Nintendo can claim as its own.

Nintendo’s American boss Reggie Fils-Aime said of VR in June that: "What we believe is that, in order for this technology to move forward, you need to make it fun and you need to make it social. I haven’t walked the floor, so I can’t say in terms of what’s on the floor today, but at least based on what I’ve seen to date, it’s not fun, and it’s not social. It’s just tech."

Shigeru Miyamoto echoed the sentiment later that same month: "The current types of virtual reality aren’t really a good fit for Nintendo’s philosophy of trying to create entertainment that people can play together in the living room. We’re constantly looking at different technology and experimenting with different elements of it, but we’re not feeling virtual reality is currently in a place where it’s ready to be released – as a product that fits with our philosophy of fitting in the living room."

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