Such as? WSJ originally made a vague report of using cutting edge chips. A Tegra X2 is a cutting edge chip, it may not be what you consider to be cutting edge, but it is (14 or 16nm high end mobile processor). 

Why not piggy back on 50 other rumors, why is it this one report is gaining so much traction? 

If it was untrue, a reputable person would've come forward and said "this is bullshit". That doesn't require giving details it just requires them saying "nope". That hasn't happened either. 

Nintendo don't use cutting edge chips.

Sony and MS do by saying 'fuck you, you're not taking 1% of our marketshare or potential marketshare without fighting for it'.

You can say you don't want a fight, but if the other guy is punching you in the face ... you're kinda in a fight whether you want to be or not. 

Part and parcel why a hybrid makes sense ... it's so far removed from being a traditional home console, (it's a portable) that Sony/MS are liable to leave it alone. 

Who says they are?  I'm just saying the device they are about to reveal is not a handheld.  Not in the sense you're saying, anyway.

Based on what source? Just because that's not what you want it to be doesn't mean anything. 

I bet you didn't want the Wii to be an overclocked GameCube and the Wii U to only be PS3/360 in power either if asked in 2005 and 2011. 

Nintendo does not care what anyone on this board thinks when it comes to their design philosophies. 

Because no matter what Nintendo marketing might say, they are competing with Sony and Microsoft for userbase.

Let me put it to you this way. What is the likelihood that a PS4 or Xbox One owner owned a Nintendo console at one point in their lives? 95%? That means those users moved on from Nintendo hardware, and means Nintendo lost them as fans in favor of their competition.

Combination of things from some rumours to the current situation to even patents.

Recent rumour said the portable device with the console everyone has been reporting is barebones so can't really function as a portable it's more designed for the console's concept, interface and gimmick. The claims are that the platform in March is not replacing 3DS and that a dedicated HH is on the way for that which is backed up by Nintendo's actions in which 3DS is getting continued support throughout 2017 which wouldn't happen as Nintendo drops support for platforms when something will replace them. This suggest Wii U is the main target of being replaced with the claims that no more shipments are being made and the stoppage of support.

If anything so rumours may have mistaken it for a hybrid, one of the patents has a platform with a gamepad like device which would match the rumours vaguely.

Because if it's "not a console" and it's "not a handheld" then Nintendo automatically wins whatever comparison you want to make between it and anything else, because by definition it has no competition. Just think of all the internet arguments people think they can win with that reasoning! I'm sure it has some people moist with anticipation!

I think it comes down t whether you believe this is a handheld for not. Someone earlier said it will be a home console with a more capable gamepad and for Ninty's own sake i hope that is not the case.

So they're (in effect) getting out of the handheld business. 

Look at their handheld sales totals for the last three generations versus their console sales and ask yourself if that really makes any sense whatsoever. 

A Nintendo "console" doesn't mean "super duper power machine!" either. The last two Nintendo consoles used AMD chips too. You tell me where they stacked up to the Playstation or XBox.