Announced in March and revealed at E3 2010, the Nintendo 3DS has stirred up the gaming hive quite a bit. Initial confusion about the device caused endless speculation, but once gamers attending Nintendo’s press conference got it in their hands, a lot became clear. Unfortunately for the general population, there’s still quite a bit of mystery surrounding Nintendo’s next handheld juggernaut. Luckily for us, our good friend BDGAME, over at NeoGAF, has taken the time to compile a deep list of facts about the 3DS.
Hit the jump to find out everything there is to know about Nintendo’s next handheld.
So, what exactly is the Nintendo 3DS?
What’s so cool about it?
Are the graphics the same as the original DS?
Is “3DS” the final name?
Is the current design final?
How big is the device?
Will it have backwards compatibility?
Does it use the same game cards as the DS?
How big are the 3DS screens?
What’s the resolution of each screen?
What gaming features does it have?
Besides games, what other cool stuff can it do?
Has Nintendo updated their crappy online service?
Will homebrew flash cards, like the M3 and R4, work on the 3DS?
What are the specific tech specs?
Is the touchscreen multi-touch, like the iPhone?
Will it be region free?
True 3D without glasses… How does that work?
Does processing 3D images take twice the hardware power?
What is “Pica200”?
How many polygons can be displayed at once?
How powerful is the 3DS compared to the PSP, PS2, and Xbox?
Can I see some comparison screenshots?
Which games were playable at E3?
What do game developers think about the device?
What games have already been announced?
When will the next batch of info be revealed?
How much is this thing going to cost me?
So, when does this thing come out?
So, what exactly is the Nintendo 3DS?
The 3DS is Nintendo’s official successor to the Nintendo DS, DSi and all current variations.
The entire top screen displays visuals in true 3D without the need for any 3D glasses.
Are the graphics the same as the original DS?
· No. The graphical quality will be improved over the original DS. Think of the difference between the N64 and the GameCube.
· Nintendo hasn’t confirmed this, but it most likely is. Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, said he would announce the final name at E3 and it was announced there as “3DS”.
· Essentially, yes. During E3, Nintendo said the design was not finalized, but in a recent interview, designer Hideki Konno said that this is the final design.
Read the recent interview here.
Virtually the same size as the DS Lite:
Width: 5.3 inches wide
Height: 2.9 inches long
Depth: 0.8 inches tall
Will it have backwards comparability?
It will feature DS and DSi backwards compatibility, but because there is no GBA slot, there will be no GBA support. There are currently no official details about any GBA “Virtual Console” service for the 3DS.
Does it use the same game cards as the DS?
Yes and no. While DS game cards will fit into the 3DS game card slot, 3DS game cards are designed in a way to only fit into a 3DS console. 3DS cards can also reach up to 2 Gigabytes (16 Gigabits) of stored data, whereas the maximum DS card can only hit up to 0.5 Gigabytes (4 Gigabits).
Top Screen: 3.53-inch 16:9 widescreen (same size as the iPhone)
Bottom Screen: 3.02-inch touchscreen (same size as the original DS)
What’s the resolution of each screen?
Top Screen: 800×240 pixels. Because of 3D effects, the naked eye will see 400×240. For comparison, the original iPhone was 480×320, and the iPhone 4 is 960×640.
Bottom Screen: 320 x 240. For comparison, the DS is 256×192.
What gaming features does it have?
- A wide top screen with ability to view 3D images cinema style, without the need of glasses
- 3D Depth Slider to adjust level of 3D effect, which can be scaled back or turned off completely in real-time
- A bottom screen with touch functionality and higher resolution than the DS
- An analog pad, called the “slider,” which is said to be smoother than the PSP nub, and has the same diameter as the Wii’s Nunchuk analog stick
- A d-pad, which is roughly the same size as the DS Lite d-pad
- Four face buttons and two side buttons, similar to the DS. A, B, X, Y, L and R
- SELECT, START buttons and a Home button, used for returning to the home firmware, located under the bottom screen
- Gyroscope and accelerometer to capture 3DS motion or tilting, like the Wii Remote with Motion+ or iPhone 4
- A single internal camera for functions such as filming the player during the game
- Two external cameras, with resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 MP) each, capable of taking 3D pictures, or enabling augmented reality software
- Advanced audio processor superior to DSi, able to simulate audio in 5.1.x with headphones
- Wireless Communication (2.4 GHz band) for local LAN and Wireless Internet. Will support IEEE 802.11
- Microphone
- AC adapter connector
- Parental controls similar to the Nintendo DSi system
- “Tag Mode.” When not in use, it can automatically exchange data with other Nintendo 3DS systems or receive data via the Internet while in sleep mode
- The amount of internal storage memory has not yet been confirmed
Besides games, what other cool stuff can it do?
· Takes 3D pictures
· Watch 3D movies
· While no business model for movie distribution has been given, it is likely there will be Netflix and YouTube support
Has Nintendo updated their crappy online service?
Supposedly, Nintendo is making an effort to improve online features compared to the Wii and DS. While specifics have not been confirmed, Nintendo has announced that the 3DS will support leaderboards and ghost data in many games. Other information is not officially revealed yet. However, an interview posted by Nintendo with an EA developer suggests an achievement system, but it is unclear if he was referring to the OS having an achievement system or his game having one.
Will homebrew flash cards, like the M3 and R4, work on the 3DS?
No. Nintendo has emphasized strong new anti-piracy technologies and THQ representatives have been quoted as saying the device is “hacker-proof”.
What are the specific tech specs?
· Weight: 230g
· Dimensions: 130x74x20 mm
· 3.53 inch 16:9 widescreen on top
· 3.02 inch 4:3 touchscreen on bottom
· Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, which Nintendo is aiming for 9-14 hours of use
· Brightness levels: details TBA — The DSi has 5 levels and DS Lite 4
· Stylus: Telescoping stylus which is 100mm when fully extended. This is larger than the DSi’s 92mm and a DS Lite’s 87mm.
· Controls: a, b, x, y, R, L, d-pad, analog stick, touch screen, the accelerometer, gyro, start, select, home, power, camera, volume control and 3D level
· Cartridges: Up to 2 Gigabytes at the beginning
· Storage: Internal memory value is still unknown
· RAM: TBA. The DSi had 16 megs of RAM, the Lite had 4 megs.
· CPU: No one knows yet. The DSi uses a 133 MHz ARM9 and an ARM7 RISC at 33 MHz.
· GPU: DMP Pica200 IP core
· Camera: 1 internal with resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 Mega) and 2 external with 640 x 480 (0.3 Mega) for taking 3D pictures.
Is the touchscreen multi-touch, like the iPhone?
While it hasn’t been confirmed one way or another, the games demoed at E3 were only single-touch. Because of the use of a single stylus, it is likely it will stay this way.
While it hasn’t been confirmed, it is likely it will not be region free, based on the DSi.
True 3D without glasses… How does that work?
All 3D screens operate on the same principle: two images of the same scene at different angles are superimposed on top of one another, with half the images going to your left eye and half the images going to your right eye. By having a difference in the angle of the images, the brain is tricked into thinking that what it is seeing is 3D. The picture below shows how it’s done:
Early 3D was called “Anaglyph 3D,” and used red and blue glasses. However, the resulting images were tinted. Recent 3D movies (including Avatar) and 3DTVs from Sony use polarized 3D glasses. The 3DS uses the barrier polarizing manner (parallax barrier) that does not need glasses. It works as follows:
1. The 3D generates two slightly different images, each 400×240.
2. The two images are interpolated into a single image of 800×240 resolution
3. The barrier in the screen receives the interpolated image and separates the images to travel to each eye.
Here is this picture, made by Jarosh from NeoGAF, explaining it better:
Does processing 3D images take twice the hardware power?
No. In 3D gaming, there are things that are not processed twice and things that are. The machine doesn’t need to render the geometry twice, process the physics engine twice or run the movement image twice. These things are only processed once. After the scene is ready, two pictures are taken and the processor takes the generated image and a 3D map, which completes the 3D picture.
Pica200 is the GPU (graphics processing unit) for the 3DS.
How many polygons can be displayed at once?
It can display up to 40 million, more or less, but the exact specifications are unclear. This number can be either the total number of pure polygons, with no shader effects, or the total with shaders applied. Because we don’t know the exact specs of the Pica200 used in the 3DS, we can’t know for sure, but what we know right now is that the Pica200 can hit 40 million polygons.
How powerful is the 3DS compared to the PSP, PS2 and Xbox?
The 3DS is more powerful than the PSP, but the other comparisons are unknown because we do not have the complete specifications for the 3DS. Moreover, it takes time to master the hardware and find the perfect balance between resources and the ability to run smoothly. But when it comes to raw numbers, we have the following:
· Resolution:
◦ PSP – 480 x 272 pixels
◦ 3DS – 800×240 pixels (400×240 with 3D connected)
◦ PS2 – 640×480 interlaced for most games, progressive scan in a few. Some games (GoW2, GT4) have limited high resolution capabilities
◦ NGC – 640×480 interlaced for most games, progressive scan in some
◦ XBOX – 640×480 progressive scan for most games, some games render in HD
· Max Fillrate (Pixel per second-capacity hardware to show pixels on screen):
◦ PSP – 660 million textured pixels/sec
◦ 3DS – Between 800 million and 1 billion
◦ PS2 – 1.2 billion textured pixels/sec
◦ NGC – 648 million textured pixels/sec
◦ XBOX – 932 million with multitexturing (2 layers)
· Instructions per second (important for things like A.I., physical, shaders, etc):
◦ PSP – 400 million
◦ 3DS – TBA
◦ PS2 – 360 million
◦ NGC – 925 million
◦ XBOX – 1.9 billion
· CPU-central processor unit:
◦ PSP – 333 MHz-MIPS R4000
◦ 3DS – TBA
◦ PS2 – 294 MHz-Sony emotion Engine
◦ NGC – 485 MHz-IBM “Gekko”
◦ XBOX – 733 MHz-customized by Intel
· GPU-graphics processing unit:
◦ PSP – 166 MHz-PSP owner
◦ 3DS – 200-400 MHz-Pica200 DPM
◦ PS2 – 147 hmz Intel CPUs-Sony Graphics Synthesizer
◦ NGC – 162 MHZ Flipper
◦ XBOX – 233 HMZ INTEL CPUS-customized by Nvidia
· Polygons:
◦ PSP – 33 million pure-6 to 12 in game
◦ 3DS – ~40 million, but actual power unknown
◦ PS2 – 70 million pure-12 to 20 in game
◦ NGC – 60 million pure-12-30 at stake
◦ XBOX – 125 million pure-15 to 40 in game
· RAM:
◦ PSP – 32 megs for games
◦ 3DS – Unknown
◦ PS2 – 32 megs
◦ NGC – 40 megs (being 24 1T-SRAM, faster than the normal memory)
◦ XBOX – 64 megs (free use)
· Anti-aliasing and graphic filters:
◦ PSP – 2 x AA + 1 layers of texture + textures + Hardware compression clipping
◦ 3DS – 4 x AA + ? layers of texture + textures + Hardware compression clipping
◦ PS2 – 2 x AA + 4 texture layers
◦ NGC – 2 x AA + ETA 1 layers of texture compression TEVs + textures + Hardware clipping
◦ XBOX – 2 x AA + 4 layers of texture high resolution texture compression + Hardware clipping
· Shaders:
◦ PSP – Smoke, morphing, light and shadow primitive, subdivision of polygons (never used in games)
◦ PS2 – All PSP + plenty more advanced light and does subdivision polygons
◦ NGC – All from PS2 + refraction + cel shaded native + programmable shaders that can be added or updated
◦ XBOX – All NGC + bump mapping + normal mapping + light correction per frame-fixed, non-programmable shaders
◦ 3DS – All Xbox + 4 x AA + self shadow + subdivision polygons + programmable shaders equal to NGC
Can I see some comparison screenshots?
· Metal Gear Solid 3: PS2 – PSP – 3DS
· Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: PSP – 3DS – Xbox
· Resident Evil 4: GCN vs. Resident Evil: 3DS
· Street Fighter IV: iPhone – 3DS – Xbox 360
For more images and a full-on briefing of what the Pico200 can do, check out the original post over at NeoGAF.
Which games were playable at E3?
· Nintendogs + Cats
· Animal Crossing
· Steel Diver
· 3D Star Fox 64
· Pilotwings Resort
· 3D-Samurai Warriors
· Ridge Racer
· Chocobo Racing 3D
· Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
· 3D-DJ Hero
· CrossPass – Shooting in augmented reality
What do game developers think about the device?
· Atsushi Inaba (Bayonetta, MadWorld): “I’m being struck with the intense desire to make something on it. It’s the same sort of excitement I had when I first saw the Wii and DS in Nintendo’s office, but now it’s at a whole new level. This may the first time in the industry where the terms ‘next generation’ and ‘personal dream’ were so appropriate. I’d gladly throw away everything else for a shot at touching the 3DS.”
· Keiji Inafune (Mega-Man, Dead Rising): “Video games need three things to be successful: a concept, a technology platform, and good marketing. The Nintendo 3DS is a perfect example of those three things bundled into one.”
· Hideki Kamiya (Okami, Bayonetta): “3D on a large screen has an impact on you and gets you that much closer to the game or movie you’re watching, but 3D on the 3DS’s smaller screen is interesting in its own right. Instead of feeling like you’re ‘really there,’ you feel like it’s ‘really in the palm of your hand,’ so to speak. Having these dynamic home 3D titles is great and all, but personally, I want to take a different approach and make games that take advantage of what a 3D portable has to offer.”
· Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Resident Evil 5, Devil May Cry): “Our own Resident Evil was shown on the show floor and was well received, but when I saw Metal Gear, I felt the new potential of the 3DS. I’d like to make something.”
· Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid): “I wear glasses, so I’m happy that 3D glasses are not needed. I directed the E3 demo. It was based off Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, but the backgrounds and character modelling were all redone in high polygon. It’s not finalized, but we’re thinking about CO-OPs and other things — elements fitting of a 3D and portable game machine.”
· Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball, Yakuza): “Nintendo has been re-examining the concept of game consoles as ‘toys’ ever since the Wii, and I think the 3DS is the final result of those efforts. If you believe that gamers will demand more social features and immersiveness in their portable single-player or multiplayer experiences, then Nintendo certainly has that covered with the 3DS’s Wi-Fi and 3D features. There’s a lot of ideas I’d like to work with.”
· Yoshinori Ono (Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter IV): “We’d like to put in some ideas that make effective use of the portability.”
· Goichi Suda (No More Heroes, Killer 7): “It really makes me feel the speed at which the history of video games is unfolding — like, ‘We’ve really made it this far, huh?’ You have a living, breathing world you can touch right in your hands. I think we’ve finally gone from an era of constructing virtual worlds from pixels to one where the world is truly, honestly there. If I had to sum up the sort of game I’d like to make, I would simply call it ‘the next game,’ because the 3DS marks the arrival of the ‘next platform.’”
· Shu Takami (Phoenix Wright, Ghost Trick): “As a creator, I feel that a new challenge has started…I’d like to show a mystery in a 3D space.”
What games have already been announced?
Nintendo
◦ Animal Crossing
◦ Kid Icarus: Uprising
◦ Mario Kart
◦ Nintendogs + Cats
◦ Paper Mario
◦ Pilotwings Resort
◦ Star Fox 64 3D
◦ Steel Diver
◦ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Release not confirmed.
Activision
◦ DJ Hero 3D
AQ Interactive
◦ Cubic Ninja
Atlus
◦ Etrian Odyssey
◦ Shin Megami Tensei:
◦ Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
◦ Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Bplus
◦ Vektor Tank 3D
Capcom
◦ Resident Evil: Revelations
◦ Super Street Fighter IV 3D
EA
◦ FIFA Soccer
◦ Madden NFL
◦ The Sims 3
Gameloft
◦ Asphalt GT
Harmonix
◦ (Untitled Music Game)
Hudson
◦ Bomberman
◦ Deca Sports
◦ Kororinpa
Konami
◦ (Untitled Baseball Game)
◦ Contra
◦ Frogger
◦ Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D “The Naked Sample”
◦ Pro Evo
Level 5
◦ Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Majesco
◦ BloodRayne: the Shroud
◦ A Boy and His Blob
◦ Face Racers: Photo Finish
◦ Lion’s Pride: Adventures on the Serengeti
◦ Martha Stewart
◦ WonderWorld Amusement Park
Marvelous
◦ BOKUJYOUMONOGATARI 3D
Namco Bandai
◦ Dragon Ball
◦ Gundam
◦ Pac-Man & Galaga
◦ Ridge Racer
◦ Super Robot Wars
Rocket
◦ Crash City GP
◦ Super Robo
SEGA
◦ Sonic the Hedgehog
◦ Super Monkey Ball
Square Enix
◦ Codename: Chocobo Rcing 3D
◦ Dragon Quest
◦ Final Fantasy
◦ Kingdom Hearts
Take-Two
◦ Carnival Games
Tecmo Koei
◦ Dead or Alive 3D
◦ Dynasty Warriors
◦ Ninja Gaiden
◦ Samurai Warriors 3D
Tomy
◦ Lovely Lisa 3D
◦ Naruto Shippuden Action
THQ
◦ de Blob 2
◦ Kung Fu Panda: Kaboom of Doom
◦ Marvel Super Hero Squad Infinity Gauntlet
◦ The Penguins of Madagascar
◦ Puss N Boots
◦ Saints Row: Drive By
Ubisoft
◦ Assassin’s Creed: Lost Legacy
◦ Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
◦ Driver Renegade
◦ Hollywood 61
◦ Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
◦ Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
◦ Rayman Origins (not confirmed yet)
Warner Bros.
◦ Batman
◦ LEGO
When will the next batch of info be revealed?
On September 29th, price and launch date will be confirmed by Nintendo.
How much is this thing going to cost me?
While it hasn’t been confirmed, the speculated pricing is between 190.00 USD and 300.00 USD.
So, when does this thing come out?
All territories are supposed to launch before the end of March 2011, although no date has been given. In the USA, the President of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, said on an interview on the “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” show that the 3DS will launch in 2011.
So, that’s everything you could have possibly wanted to know about Nintendo’s highly anticipated portable. You can be sure that when the 3DS launches, Pikimal will put it through its paces and help you decide if its the right handheld for you. While the launch may be a good deal away, it’s never too soon to get hyped. For the original post as well as a plethora of 3DS screenshots, check out our friends reactions over at NeoGAF.
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