I mean "Steam-like" as in its a platform that isn't one (or even two) specific pieces of hardware. What's Steam hardware? There is no such singular thing.
That's what NX should be like IMO.
Going microconsole only would be a mistake though in my opinion. XB1/PS4 will be cheap by that point themselves rendering a cheaper Nintendo platform in the same position as the GameCube was. Cheap price won't save them alone.
Take Nintendo games ... scale those up and down to play on various form factors (portable, premium portable, cheap console, high-end console). This may be a little more work for Nintendo but it would also eliminate the need to have to support the handheld and console seperately as they could share Nintendo games, so in the end IMO it would actually be easier for Nintendo developers.
Let third parties pick and choose which hardware settings they want for each individual game.
There you go. NX. I'd also scrap the entire "upgrade every 5 years" and offer modular upgrades every 3 years or so, so that PS5/XB2 can't show up and steal all the thunder. I'd also look into general clould computing and sharing of hardware power (like that Nintendo patent).
It's time for Nintendo to demolish the "traditional hardware cycle" and rules. It doesn't work for them. Nintendo playing by those rules simply just favors Sony or MS. They want Nintendo to make just one console which is compromised 10 different ways because they can then pick Nintendo apart with PS5/XB2. But if Nintendo's hardware becomes fluid and there's a hardware offering for every demographic, then Sony/MS have a bigger challenge on their hands.
