Qualcomm plans its first foray into the consumer electronics market in years – with a device very similar to Nintendo’s popular Switch console. According to a source familiar with the company’s strategy, the Android-powered game console will try to display the company’s Snapdragon chipset in a less traditional form.
The device, of which we could see non-final images but could not share, is immediately familiar to anyone who has a switch. Detachable “joycon” steering controls are on the left and right sides of the core console, which looks like a thicker, bulky smartphone. There’s a good reason for this: the company believes that the extra thermal headroom offered by a thicker design will make its processor work faster and significantly more efficiently than a modern ultra-thin smartphone. Qualcomm is also using the space to pack a large 6000 mAh battery that will be equipped with its Quick Charge technology. According to our source, Qualcomm uses a premium supplier in the controller to design and manufacture the game blocks, although we could not verify the name of the supplier. The exact dimensions of the console and its display were also not made available to us (although friend of AP and XDA EIC Mishaal Rahman have reason to think the screen is 6.65 “wide).
Like the Switch, the portable Qualcomm portable features support to play on an external TV or monitor, though it was unclear whether this would mean a dedicated port such as mini-HDMI or the USB-C charging port would provide dual service. There is also an SD card slot for expandable storage. The console will run Android 12 with a custom launcher and provide full support to Google’s range of Play apps and services. In a promising sign for fans of Fortnite giant Epic, Qualcomm is currently hoping to support the Epic Games Store app on its portable app during launch – meaning the long-awaited Android app may finally be released. Qualcomm also plans to build its own content portal. It was unclear whether Qualcomm was interested in partnerships with cloud power providers such as Google’s Stadia or NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, although the company’s pride in the graphical capabilities of its own silicon will naturally make local gaming more of a showcase.
Qualcomm’s current goal is to launch the device in the first quarter of 2022, which means it’s likely to include next – generation Snapdragon silicone. We do not know whether the company will use a custom, slide design, and whether Qualcomm intends to use it to demonstrate the flexibility of its off-the-shelf solution. The typical range of sensors such as Bluetooth, GPS, accelerometers and dual zone haptics are included. Of course, it would not be Qualcomm without 5G: the portable contains connectivity for fifth-generation wireless networks (oddly enough, with Qualcomm’s older X55 modem), but it is unclear whether only models with Wi-Fi can be offered. The company’s price is $ 300, but we’m not sure if the price includes the detachable gamepads or the above 5G. We do not believe that any version of the console will function as a standalone phone (that is, have telephony features).
In terms of distribution, Qualcomm plans to offer direct sales to consumers, but also wants to use its US transportation links to get on store shelves. This could specifically mean variants of brands, although I probably did not comment on any significant differences between them, given the likely small quantities of product. Speaking of volume, according to our source, Qualcomm has no delusions to upset Nintendo: the company’s expectations are not of commercial success overnight. On the contrary, Qualcomm hopes it will inspire its partners to explore new form factors as the line between “mobile” and “console” games becomes increasingly blurred.
Like any product with a year or so between each other and the retail existence, it is possible that Qualcomm could delay the launch of its unannounced console due to concerns about commercial viability or any other reason.
Qualcomm was contacted prior to the publication of this story. A Qualcomm spokesman cites the company’s standard policy of not commenting on rumors or speculation.