Nintendo announces 3DS -- the glasses-free 3D successor to the DS
By Vlad Savov 
posted March 23rd 2010 3:44AM
posted March 23rd 2010 3:44AM
Whoa, now this is a whopper coming (almost) out of nowhere. Nintendo has just slipped out a press release in Japan informing the world that all-new 3D-capable portable hardware is coming, with a full unveiling set for E3 2010 this June. Tentatively titled the 3DS, this glasses-free 3D wonder is pitched as the successor to both the DS and DSi, and will use a "compatible cart" that should ensure backwards compatibility with your vast library of favorites from the older consoles. Nintendo expects to launch the 3DS into retail "during the fiscal year ending March 2011."Update: Unofficial reports from Japan suggest the 3DS will have a parallax barrier 3D LCD from Sharp, a vibration function, and a "3D control stick." Read about it all here.
@Brother Unit No 4
Last time I was in Tokyo I saw ONE person with a PSP. I quite literally stopped counting how many people I saw with a DS after I reached 50 on a journey from Tokyo to Tokorozawa. It might be out selling the DS/Wii at the moment but I don't expect that to keep up. In fact I reckon the DS will be outselling month on month whatever Sony bring out next. We saw it happen with the Gameboy Adv while the DS and PSP where out.
Wow random
@AlienSix No kidding. Announcing a product via press release alone.
whaaaaaaat
awesome nintendo did it again
Glasses free 3D, I can't wait to see it.
Como say whaaaat?
@Dshark
¿quéééé?
I am very surprised that no one ever made a Breast joke.
@Teslanaut Bubi, Bubi. 부비, 부비. Happy?
Might finally buy one...
damn this came out of nowhere like an iceberg in the atlantic. Well played Nintendo, can more of this kind of tight-lipped news come out like this, i hate speculation
@fastrat350
Hmm, maybe you want to rethink your metaphor? Icebergs move incredibly slowly so it's a little hard for them to "come out of nowhere". It's usually ships that come out of nowhere, while the iceberg just sits there in plain sight the entire time.
@tonicboy
That's right! We need to implement a system like a sonic beacon on ships so that innocent icebergs have some warning before ships jump at them from nowhere. Save the icebergs!!
Can we please have Micro USB charging port please
@AlienSix
out of all the features, this is the one you are mostly concerned about?
@commenter7 A features a feature doesnt matter how 'important" it is. the DS, DS Lite, and DSi all have different charging ports, it would be nice to have one unified charging port
@AlienSix Not quite what you want, but I've actually bought a USB charger from gamestop that supports all three versions of the DS with adapters. It's also got a wall wart for faster charging. But USB would be nice for the 3DS, not only for charging but hopefully for connecting to computers or adding other accessories.
Wow, well ... Wow :|
Headache I choose you
This will shape the future of handheld gaming as we know it.
Count me in!
i saw a 3D tv without needing of a glasses... believe me i was convinced that's the future... Nintendo continue to invent :) i bet Microsoft already put a team to copy the idea ;)
....dont want facepalm.jpg*
WOO! I'm loving the virtual boy pic. and the new DS iteration name.
im getting this hands down, hope this isnt AFJ
Lets just skip 3d and move on to holograms already.
eh what? lol. are the lite, XL, and i version announced at the same time
Am I missing something, or is there one screen too few to be 'backwards compatibility with your vast library of favorites from the older consoles' ?
@Barguast It was already said that the bezel will be nonexitant making the screens act like one, and the compatibility mode will probably add the frame in software to keep the screens correct.
@Barguast
The Picture is a mockup of the Gameboy SP, the 3DS will have two screens.
hope it launches with the new pokemon game, that would be awesome. unless nintendo still uses friend codes, then ill be pissed as hell.
This is an April Fool's joke, I'm sure.
This is full of WIN
Nintendo continues to innovate, and this time they are going to undercut everyone again with 3D! Genius! I can already imagine a portable Mario Galaxy in 3D, i'm hoping it'll include a G-Sensor too which would complement 3D very well.
To all these people saying the device will give headaches: You all must have some special access to Nintendo pre-release hardware since you obviously have used it already and wouldn't make comments based on assumptions of older technology that isn't in any way similar to this (except the acronym 3D), not to mention this has never actually been done before.
On a serious note, can't wait to see this in action, sounds like Nintendo has a winner over here :)
@Jaysont34 I've seen all 3D screen technologies demonstrated at consumer velectronics shows these past few years. All are blurry and crappy. With or without glasses.
I think this is weird marketing strategy to keep rumors away from the real thing.
@Charbax I'm not saying that I you didn't see those displays, and everyone if perfectly entitled to their opinion on said product, but the point I was trying to get across is that no screen at this size exists in the market (or even shown at whatever consumer electronic shows) at this point.
We don't know anything about what tech is being used, how they are implementing it, size of the screen, viewing angle range, etc...
There is no possible way at this moment to even make an educated guess, all guesses at this point are just pure speculation based on no previous knowledge.
I say lets wait and see how Nintendo is planning to do this before we already start bashing this thing into the ground.
Gotta hand it to Nintendo, they're great at throwing everyone curve balls. Sony and MS, you can predict everything they will do for next 5 years with a degree of accuracy. Nintendo though, who the hell knows?
Sony announced that they will be producing this device for Nintendo
love the pdf intro
"to whom it may concern..."
I just don't get it. Why will 3D add anything of value to handheld gaming?
@elroy
This is from a company that made a bathroom scale into a video game accessory that sold millions of units, I'm sure they can find plenty of novel uses for 3D displays.
@elroy
Don't forget they abandoned the super high tech 10 button dual shock controllers for a... tv remote.
This 3d stuff is actually not as far out as I was expecting from Nintendo, it's not gonna pigeon hole them into a very specific interface like the DS did. If a developer doesn't want to do 3d, it'll just be a regular 2d handheld...(with better hardware hopefully).
@elroy
Why would voices add anything of value to our music only movies?
Why would color add anything of value to our grey-scale movies?
Why would HD add anything of value to our high resolution movies?
Why would 3D add anything of value to our HD movies?
I will only buy this under a few conditions.
It comes in black
Doesn't have touch controls
Has a micro USB charger
Has better graphics than the DS
@JCreazy
It is backwards compatible. Which means it must have a touch screen.
@Plothole Well I guess many DS games don't use touch controls
@JCreazy
Every first party title I personally own does in some way or another. Nintendo wouldn't break compatibility with their own games.
@JCreazy Just go buy a PSP, it's obvious you want one.
I am so not buying a DSiXL on Sunday.
I would have been ok with Double Ds.
When will they really create a new handheld, and not just yet another slightly 'enhanced' DS..