Nintendo 3DS – The Specs So Far…

Or maybe that should be lack of specs as you don’t even need awkward eye-wear to enjoy the 3D images here! Hylian will be covering of the majority of juicy bits from E3, but i wanted to get these details out to you and cover off some interesting points…

Size (when closed):
Approximately 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, 0.8 inches tall.

DM13: Basically identical to the DSi

Weight:
Approximately 8 ounces.

Look:
Final design is TBA.

DM13: I doubt we will see a radical change here, though initial run of colours will be interesting

Top Screen:
3.53-inch widescreen LCD display, enabling 3D view without the need for special glasses; with 800×240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing).

DM13: Actually same size as DSi, but widescreen… and 3D

Touchscreen:
3.02-inch LCD with 320×240 pixel resolution with a touchscreen.

DM13: A touch smaller than the DSi screen
Cameras:
One inner camera and two outer cameras with 640×480 (0.3 Mega) pixel resolution.

DM13: Two Outer cameras? Can we expect these to be used together for 3D photos or 3D video recording?

Pre-Installed Software:
TBA

DM13: I would assume a title that will showcase the 3D in the same way Metroid: First Hunt showcased touch control with DS.

Nintendo 3DS Game Card:
2 GB Max. at launch.

DM13: Has its own format of game cartridge. Lets hope the parents don’t get confused!

Wireless Communication:
Can communicate in the 2.4 GHz band. Multiple Nintendo 3DS systems can connect via a local wireless connection to let users communicate or enjoy competitive game play. Systems also can connect to LAN access points to access the Internet and allow people to enjoy games with others. Will support IEEE 802.11 with enhanced security (WPA/WPA2). Nintendo 3DS hardware is designed so that even when not in use, it can automatically exchange data with other Nintendo 3DS systems or receive data via the Internet while in sleep mode.

Game Controls:
Touchscreen, embedded microphone, A/B/X/Y face buttons, + Control Pad, L/R buttons, Start and Select buttons, “Slide Pad” that allows 360-degree analog input, one inner camera, two outer cameras, motion sensor and a gyro sensor.

DM13: WOW, I was impressed at analog stick, but with the motion and gyro sensors expect a TON of iPhone games get ported to Nintendo’s downloadable service.

Other Input Controls:
3D Depth Slider to adjust level of 3D effect (can be scaled back or turned off completely depending on the preference of the user), Home button to call system function, Wireless switch to turn off wireless communications (even during game play), Power button. The telescoping stylus is approximately 4 inches when fully extended.

DM13: Hold up, a slider to change the degree of 3D depth? that is crazy! Could developers effectively not use 3D in their game and use the doubled resolution to improve graphical fidelity?

Input/Output:
A port that accepts both Nintendo 3DS game cards and game cards for the Nintendo DS^TM family of systems, an SD memory card slot, an AC adapter connector, a charging cradle terminal and a stereo headphone output jack.

DM13: Thats a lot of card slots, or maybe one lot fits all.

Sound:
Stereo speakers positioned to the left and right of the top screen.

Battery:
Lithium ion battery details TBA.

Languages:
TBA

Parental Controls:
Parental controls similar to the Nintendo DSi system will be included.

All in all an amazing array of features, and VERY strong software support…

…make up an amazing handheld. All i need to know now is a price and a date.

A final thought, although confusing at 1st by aggressively marketing DSi XL to an older generation they have given it much longer lifespan. Your average grandparent wont care for the 3DS or its amazing line up of titles. So don’t expect the DSi XL to be going anywhere soon, but i imagine the days are numbered for DSlite and DSi!