I ask this question because if u look at the most recent global sales numbers, 3DS+Wii U combined sales are pretty much the same as Xbox One and Playstation 4 sales (1-1.2 million). Also if u want to go further back than just the most recent week, it's 4.0m for PS4, 3.0m for X1 and 3.3m for 3DS+Wii U so far this quarter.

When I say unified handheld/console, I don't mean one single device that acts as both but rather two seperate devices with the same architecture, operating system, online infrastructure, with similar specs and that play all the same games as one another.

So what do u think?

Yes I know that there are many other factors to consider as well, I just found it interesting how similar Nintendo combined sales are to MS/Sony consoles over this quarter thus far.

That, in and of itself, isn't enough.

If its the same specs, then not at all cause it will be severely underpowered then... The issue is that cpu/gpu and etc takes up a ton of power which mobile devices can't provide due to battery life and power restrictions... So if its going to be the same specs, with no exclusive games, then it would essentially butcher the console sales cause no third party would want to develop for it cause the power difference between the ps5/x2 vs Nintendo's Fusion will be ridicules! And the handheld version would probably be cheaper so the console sales will probably be worse than the Vita!

And hence why, that is a terrible idea cause then, you will essentially have the same situation as the wiiU but worse cause there would be no reason to buy the console since the games are playable on both platforms! So instead, what they will do imo, is have the same architecture but different specs... The console version will be significantly more powerful than the mobile version and both will be what the third parties want which is x86. And both of them will have respective exclusives just like how it has always been. The difference this time around will be that since both are the same architecture and OS, it will decrease development time and increase game output for both devices so we will have exclusives being released faster on respective devices and it will also make porting for third party much easier

So yea, I think they will still have exclusives that will only be available on the console or handheld but not really on both (like MK7 vs MK8) and the specs will be different but the architecture and the OS will be the same

As Jizz stated above, no, unless Nintendo come out with mini-nuclear power sources, a handheld will not be able to provide a console experience, only a deprecated one.

Whatever approach Nintendo takes with their next device(s), all that matters is if the product is appealing. If so, it can sell as much or more when compared to other gaming systems.

Thanks god someone already said how utterly nonsense this Fusion thing would be and avoided me the hassle of posting it.

People, it's just a rumour and a pretty dumb one. It doesn't works. The only way that this would work would be with a massively underpowered home console (Vita TV-like, compared to current ones), it wouldn't even pack a X1 or PS4 like punch going against a PS5. It's suicide.

The bolded is pretty much a very likely scenario if they go down this route, but a x86 handheld isn't quite likely. The mobile versions of Atom aren't competitive with ARMs and it lacks any kind of serious punch compared to (way more powerful) PS4/X1 CPUs. Probably the current x86 mobile CPUs aren't even as powerful as the Vita's SoC. But I see a common OS with similar APIs so development is similar. Both would be way different in power anyway.

i think it would be a huge mistake personally

The only relation that the next home console and handheld will have,is the os and the fact that the handheld will be for the home console what the wii u gamepad is for wii u.

 They already said that they want a similar architecture for both system so that they can use the same game engine for accelerated development time and make more game available for both systems. This would mean no more waiting for a game on the home console as every game made for the 3ds successor will be easily portable the the home console at a low cost. It probably means also that you will be able to start your game on the console and continue to play it on the portable console during your bus ride to work (or school for the young crowd). If the home console is like the Wii u, then more than one gamepad would still be to much on the system ressources. They could, with the portable, use its power to make it a second controller for your guests without the need to sacrifice the much needed processing power of the console.