Nintendo has held things pretty close to the vest when it comes to news about their new console that is rumored to be in the works, but the latest rumblings suggest the NX could be due out as early next year.

There are at least a few possible indicators that may indeed be hinting at Nintendo releasing the NX console by next year.

First off, a report that came out back in July, courtesy of Digitimes, suggested that Nintendo has already asked their supply chain partners to begin pilot production on the console no later than October of this year.

Mass production of the NX console is then expected to begin in earnest by either May or July 2016, thus enabling Nintendo to possibly release their new product just in time for next year's holiday season. Nintendo may even be pushing for a summer launch for the NX console.

Another reason for why Nintendo may be angling to release the rumored NX console in 2016, according to iDigital Times, is to avoid coming close to the possible announcements of new options from Sony and Microsoft. The new consoles from those companies will be coming out sooner than later. The more established the NX console can be, then the better it is for Nintendo.

One last reason suggesting Nintendo may be closing in on the formal announcement of the NX console are the recent leaks about its rumored controller.

The rumored controller for the NX is shown having two control sticks, two face buttons, a directional pad, and what appears to be a pair of scrollable shoulder buttons, according to Tech Radar.

Nintendo has reportedly already filed for the patent for this new device.

Unfortunately, there's no way to know as of now just how close the NX console is to being released, but there are certainly indicators present to suggest it could be coming out next year.