Topic: Nintendo 3DS Specifications Updated

[NWR_Lindy]

How will DSiWare be handled on the new system? You find out.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24677

Nintendo has posted a specifications sheet for the Nintendo 3DS on their Japanese website, and it has a few interesting tidbits of information.

• You'll be able to get out to a Home menu, and even browse the Internet, without leaving a game.

• Nintendo DSi software can be moved to the device, but there is apparently a limit to the number of moves that can be performed, and some software cannot be moved.

• Each camera (two outside, one inside) has a resolution of 640x480 (0.3 megapixels)
  

• It features wireless online game play using WPA and WPA2 encryption, and it is IEEE802.11b/g compatible.

• Battery life is approximately three to five hours when playing 3DS software, and five to eight hours when playing DS software.
  

• The system's battery takes approximately 3.5 hours to charge.

We're slowly getting a better idea of the horsepower behind Nintendo's newest handheld.  Look for more information to keep trickling out of Nintendo World over the next few days.

[nickmitch]

So, I charge it for 3 and 1/2 hours, and I can play for 3 hours. That hardly seems fair.

[Enner]

I hope that's a low balling estimate.
The camera's are crap, but I guess this is still a video game system that will be bought to keep (rich?) kids busy. This isn't trying to directly compete against smart phones. Shame that there isn't WiFi n support; feels like a lack of foresight.


I hope the DSi software moving won't be too restrictive. It would be sad if Shantae can't make the jump between systems.

[BranDonk Kong]

I'm sure their just being conservative with the battery estimates, I can't remember the last time I've seen a device that kills the battery faster than it can charge it.

[KDR_11k]

I hope that's a low balling estimate.

With Nintendo it usually is, that's probably on full screen brightness. If not then wait for the 3DS Lite. The DS got a massive improvement with the Lite (the original had 5 hours of battery life, the Lite can go up to 18 or so on lower brightnesses). Either way it's not as bad as the iPod Touch (2 hours).

[MegaByte]

Shame that there isn't WiFi n support; feels like a lack of foresight.

Given the current battery numbers, it doesn't look like it would have been reasonable... I wouldn't be surprised if there's n support built into the chip though.

[ShyGuy]

Those battery numbers seem horrible. PSP level horrible.

[ThomasO]

Either way it's not as bad as the iPod Touch (2 hours).

2 Hours?! What the heck are you doing with it? I get more than 10 on one charge.

[KnowsNothing]

He's playing some particularly taxing games.  Seriously some games bring the iPod down to Game Gear levels of battery life.

Anyway Nintendo's estimates are usually low because they run a taxing game with full screen brightness and all wireless radios on.  I'm not worried...yet.

[Sageprotector]

Even if that's generally true..you could always keep it on the charger while playing, so that it's never an issue.

I wouldn't keep it on full brightness anyways. The 2nd lowest is usually plenty.

[Adrock]

None of the launch games are must-haves for me so I'm okay waiting for a redesign. Even though I generally use handhelds at home, those battery estimates are awful.

[Caliban]

Oi, oi, oi... that battery life.


I just read on kotaku that the battery life of 3 to 5 hours is for the lowest brightness setting... not cool.

[Shorty McNostril]

Oi, oi, oi... that battery life.


I just read on kotaku that the battery life of 3 to 5 hours is for the lowest brightness setting... not cool.

Wow.  I really wasn't expecting that.  That is really just wrong.  Nintendo should know better than that (assuming it's true of course).  It just sounds a bit wrong.  Surely they would have more sense than to release a device that could possibly last about 60 to 90 mins with everything on max settings. 

[Kytim89]

After seeing the battery power specs I am now convinced that battery power will be the main selling point for the inevitable 3DS revision. I mean why the hell can't Nintendo release a better battery for the 3DS when the DS family battery life has been steadily increasing with each of its own revisions?
 
The biggest question I have for the 3DS is whether we will need that charging cradle or does it come with a cord that plugs directly into the 3DS? I prefer a cord because I like to put a plastic shield over my DSs to protect them from damage and I want to keep this tradition for the 3DS.
 
I wonder how much internal flash memory the 3DS will have at its disposal?
 
 

[oohhboy]

I think what we are looking at are the limitations of Li-Ion batteries until Carbon Nanotubes or something similar power/capacity boosting tech leave the lab and get commercialised, which I figure might be in time for the next revision. Not only that, for anybody who has done any gaming on an Iphone/pod, the damn thing gets very warm and the waste heat has to go somewhere.

No doubt they are worse case numbers, but having a cord to charge while you play is a life saver(and compact!). If I have to put the thing down every time it runs low, I am going to be a little pissed off.

Nintendo is also continuing it's weird half arse copy protection shenanigans with download software and I hope the 3DS will remain relatively region free at least with physical carts, otherwise I will have to break out the screw driver. The region system is less than worthless for a gamer anyway as it artifically inflates game prices which is esoecially retarded if you live in a english speaking country (American, British, sheep shagger, bad english are all english).

[Shadowxaf]

I wouldn't keep it on full brightness anyways. The 2nd lowest is usually plenty.

With a 3D screen, only half of the overall light leaving the screen is reaching each eye,  so the screen has to be twice as bright in the 3D setting as it is in the 2d Setting. So effectively, there are three screens being powered.

[Mop it up]

I kind of wonder if Nintendo is getting overzealous with the 3DS. A lot of people complained about the PSP battery life, and the system didn't sell very well originally because of its high price. Is Nintendo about to release their PSP?

[Shorty McNostril]

Well it is long overdue for the to overdo it. It's been a long time now in the handheld department and they have done very well. High time they messed up. For comparison sake, did the N64 have this kind of hype before launch?

[Enner]

Nintendo has a few things Sony didn't have with the PSP: popular mascots. Knowing Nintendo, the 3DS can have its price cut with not much loss on Nintendo if the high price does become a real problem for sales.

[NWR_insanolord]

Also, Sony was a newcomer to handhelds with the PSP, whereas the 3DS is the successor to what will be the best selling game system ever. Of course, that didn't work out all that well for Sony with the PS3.

[UncleBob]

I'm not too worried about the battery life.  Because I know a secret.

[oohhboy]

They maybe be due if you believe they run everything based on chance, but fundamentally Nintendo is stronger than ever in handheld space. They are coming out stronger this generation than they did with the GBA-DS transition. They have proven time and again they understand the requirement that you must have in a portable device that their competition has constantly failed to grasp. Whether it be costs of games, the device or battery life, controls, heat dissipation, durability. Of course as per M.O, the first one out is going to have some nagging, non critical flaw.

Toss in the fact that Sony their chief and only potential rival has no idea what it want to release as the PSP2 (Is it a phone? A game player? No! it's an Ericsson!) means nintendo once again steps in the dedicated gaming arena effectively unopposed unless you count the multifunction devices that can play tic tac toe at a minimum as gaming.

The the gamer, the good times will continue to roll for handhelds.

PS. Unclebob: You got a couple of nuclear batteries extracted from pacemakers or something? or does nintendo have them?

[Luigi Dude]

I kind of wonder if Nintendo is getting overzealous with the 3DS. A lot of people complained about the PSP battery life, and the system didn't sell very well originally because of its high price. Is Nintendo about to release their PSP?

Not really since the PSP2 is going to be even worse when it comes to battery and price, which will make the 3DS look like the better deal in the eyes of consumers.  If Nintendo can only get 3-5 hours off battery life out of a $250-300 portable Gamecube, then there's no way Sony is going to be able to release whats suppose to be a portable PS3 at the same price unless it has less then an hour of life, or it's over $500 in order to get 3-5 hours.

Either way Sony is screwed and Nintendo knows it which is why they're actually releasing an expensive portable with poor batterly life because they know no one can stop them.

[Adrock]

Not really since the PSP2 is going to be even worse when it comes to battery and price, which will make the 3DS look like the better deal in the eyes of consumers.  If Nintendo can only get 3-5 hours off battery life out of a $250-300 portable Gamecube, then there's no way Sony is going to be able to release whats suppose to be a portable PS3 at the same price unless it has less then an hour of life, or it's over $500 in order to get 3-5 hours.

I won't speculate on the battery life and I don't expect PSP2 to be any better than 3DS in that regard anyway. However, Sony is willing to sell at a loss and Nintendo already admitted to marking up the price due to demand. Sony will probably sell PSP2 competitively though Nintendo has the option of dropping the price whenever they want, even at the expense of early adopters, considering the cost for components and manufacturing is no where near $300. It might even be as low as $150.

I don't think 3DS is in any trouble of underperforming as it will sell millions, but I think there's a lot of people who would seriously considering buying one at or near launch if price and battery life weren't such hurdles. And I'm sure people have wised up to Nintendo's release habits. A resdesign is inevitable. DS Lite came out give or take a year and half after the original DS. 3DS Lite (3DSi or whatever Nintendo calls it) will do EVERYTHING better than the original, cost less and the library will be stronger.

Either way Sony is screwed and Nintendo knows it which is why they're actually releasing an expensive portable with poor batterly life because they know no one can stop them.

That's the kind of arrogant thinking that got Nintendo in trouble when they launched N64.

[Crimm]

I'm not too worried about the battery life.  Because I know a secret.

Lies! You tell us right now or nobody will believe you!