In the industry, a company is only as good as its next innovation. So even in the middle of the latest-generation consoles, the bigwigs are already setting up the future. Nintendo is holding back from divulging much on the Nintendo NX, but it hasn't stopped the video game circuit from digging into the matter and discovering a handful of details on the upcoming system.

According to a report from Tech Times, a patent was uncovered by Nintendo Enthusiast, revealing the next system might feature achievement recording and sharing. Theoretically, this patent is pointing towards technology that allows players to share gameplay and messages with the achievements. NeoGAF also discovered a second patent that revealed a unique type of handheld device or controller.

It's important to note that just because a patent is filed doesn't mean Nintendo will end up using it in the final version of Nintendo NX.

An important feature of the upcoming Nintendo NX is reportedly cross-play support, according to a previous report from Tech Times. A company source revealed that it will be more of a platform rather than a console, adding that there is potential for PC and tablet players to play against or with players on the Nintendo platform.

Like the predecessor Wii U, the upcoming Nintendo NX is said to run with an AMD chipset. However, there is already speculation that the company is considering dropping the optical drive in favor of storing games via SD card or hard disk drive.

Nintendo has committed to holding out official confirmation on the NX until 2016, but that's not keeping the audience from chiming in, including industry analysts and critics.

According to a report from Nintendo Insider, Michael Pachter, an analyst from Wedbush Securities, spoke up about the potential Nintendo NX and its future against other successful consoles such as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

"I would say modest potential that it bombs. I would give them a 60 percent chance of success, I think they are smart people, I think they have learned a lot from what they did wrong with the Wii U," Pachter said. "Are they going to get the Wii magic back? Probably not. But if they go back to a conventional-like console, their only problem they have now is they are very late in the cycle so they're not going to sell that many. Could they sell 30 million? Sure. They could sell enough to make a difference and make a profit."

He added, "They're not getting out of the handheld business until the sales drop to zero - three or four million a year. And that is probably five, seven or eight years out. So no, they're not going to get out of hardware."