Early speculation that the Nintendo Switch (née Nintendo NX) would run Android might have been spot on, judging by a series of recent tweets from Cyanogen’s executive chairman.
Way back when Nintendo’s new-gen console was still known by its ‘Project NX’ codename, the rumour mill was convinced that the system would feature an Android-based OS – despite official denials by the Japanese games company.
However, it now appears that Nintendo’s Android ambitions were very real indeed, after Cyanogen executive chairman Kirt McMaster said that using the operating system was “under consideration” when the Switch was being designed.
https://twitter.com/statuses/844074260003938304
Don’t be fooled by the apparent diplomacy, though. As first spotted by XDA-Developers (H/T VentureBeat), McMaster’s initial response to Switch/Android related questions on Twitter was considerably less politic.
In a now deleted tweet, McMaster claims:
“@romainguy @dnaltews @rebelleader In the early days of cyanogen Nintendo wanted us to create an os for a certain portable. I told them to stick it.”
In the end, Nintendo built a custom OS for the Switch that used some bits of Android code on the hardware side of things, but not the Google-designed interface so many of us love.
Sure, the Switch is still selling by the boatload – thanks in no small part to the awesomeness of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – but Nintendo must be wondering what its bottom line would look like if the world’s most popular OS was part of the final package.
Related: Nintendo Switch problems
Would you have wanted the Nintendo Switch to run Android? Let us know in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
