It looks like there are big things going down at Nintendo. In addition to the new console codenamed NX, which is scheduled to launch worldwide in March, Nintendo is reportedly developing a new handheld console codenamed "MH" (no relation to Monster Hunter!).
News of Nintendo's latest piece of hardware surfaced in a Nintendo Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley financial report, however, there were no details about what exactly the "MH" is.
So, how likely is it that Nintendo is working on a standalone handheld console to replace the 3DS? It all depends on who you ask. The 3DS is quite old, in fact; it came out in 2011, which means it predates the Wii U (which came out in 2012) by one year. We've known that a replacement for the Wii U was coming for quite some time now, but there has hardly been any talk about a replacement for the 3DS, even though it's been around for five years now.
To be fair, however, Nintendo handheld consoles have had pretty long life-cycles as of late. For example, the Nintendo DS was introduced in 2004 and was discontinued in 2013.
On the other hand, gaming analyst Dr. Serkan Toto chimed in on the report, saying that the Morgan Stanely note on Nintendo does not mean a portable console or the name "MH" is confirmed.
1) That Morgan Stanley Japan note on Nintendo does NOT mean a portable console or the name "MH" is confirmed. They are picturing a scenario.
— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) May 24, 2016
2) Such "rich" forward-looking analysis and also the wording is standard in investor notes. I know because I read *tons* of them ;). — Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) May 24, 2016
If the "MH" isn't a portable console, then what is it? Well, the "MH" may very well be the portable component of the NX. As you may remember, one of the main rumors surrounding the NX is that it will launch as a portable and home console. This is further reinforced by a recent stament made by Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima who said:
"The NX is neither the successor to the Wii U nor to the 3DS. It's a new way of playing games, which I think will have a larger impact than the Wii U, but I don't feel it's a pure replacement for the Wii U."
If that's the case, then "MH" could likely stand for "Mobile Hardware" or "Mobile Hybrid."
In the end, its too early to tell what the "MH" will be. We already know the NX is coming in March, and even with that info, we barely know anything about it. Nintendo already stated it won't be making any announcements regarding the NX during E3 2016, but hopefully, it will do so during a Direct live stream somewhere down the line.
