Despite its scheduled release of yet another update to its long-running handheld line by way of the DSi XL on March 28, Nintendo has shown no signs of slowing down its portable lineup. The company officially announced today that it will release a new, backwards-compatible, 3D-enabled handheld next year tentatively titled the “3DS.”
The news comes by way of an official .pdf file on NCL’s Japanese website stating that the company “will launch ‘Nintendo 3DS’ (temp) during the fiscal year ending March 2011.” The press release further states that the handheld will feature “3D effects without the need for any special glasses.”
The 3DS will be the official successor to the Nintendo DS series of handhelds and will include backwards compatibility with DS and DSi games. The company also stated that it would announce further details at this year’s E3, scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles. However, the New York Times has reported that not only will the new handheld be on display at E3, but Nintendo will “invite people to play with the new device then.”
Speculation has surfaced that the system will utilize an analog stick, rumble feedback and accelerometers. The screens are expected to be under 4 inches in size. As to how the handheld can display 3D images without the need of glasses, Yomiuri Shimbun is reporting that it will use a Sharp 3D LCD panel, which uses display technology that covers the screen with a small film, separated from the screen by a small space to create a 3D effect from the slight differences in the image seen by the right and left eyes.
No further details have been announced. We look forward to seeing Nintendo’s new handheld at what is sure to be a circus of an E3 this year.
In the mean time you can listen to Jools Watsham, co-owner and game director of independent game developer Renegade Kid, share his thoughts on the 3DS.
The Pocket Retro Game Emulator is saddled with a lame name, but the specs sure are impressive and the $99 price-tag is just about right. What’s it do? It plays all games for the NES, SNES, GBA, SEGA Genesis and NEO GEO. Better yet, no third-party emulation software is needed as it can play any and all ROMs you throw at it. But wait, there’s more! This bad boy can play movie files, audio files, can view JPEGS, read E-books, record your voice and even has a built-in FM radio. That’s a hell of a package for $99.
Want specs? Course ya do!
Product Features
Mini Handheld gaming system plays roms from your favorite 8 and 16 bit game consoles
No emulator software to load. Just copy over the roms and start playing.
4GB of internal storage, expandable via mini SD
Beautiful 2.8 inch QVGA (320×240) LCD Screen
Output to TV via included composite video cables
Full media player functions including videos, music, FM radio, e-books and voice recorder
Built-in Stereo Speakers
Internal li-battery gives 6-8 hours of runtime on a single charge
Product Specs
Primary Function: Gaming and media player entertainment system
Display: 2.8 inch QVGA LTPS (Low Temperature PolySilicon) LCD Screen
Color: Black
Memory:
– Internal 4GB
– External Mini SD card
Controller Design: D-pad
Gaming Console Modes:
– NES (Nintendo Entertainment System – 8bit)
– SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System – 16bit)
– Sega Genesis (Sega Mega-Drive – 16-bit)
– GBA (Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
– Neo-Geo (SNK Neo-Geo)
– CPS1 and CPS2 (CAPCOM, arcade game systems, 1st and 2nd edition)
I/O Slots
– Earphone jack
– Mini-USB port
– Mini-SD slot
– AV OUT (output to TV – NTSC or PAL, 16:9 or 4:3)
– Stereo Speakers
Additional Media Functions:
– FM Radio with recording function
– Voice Recorder (MP3, WAV)
– Image viewer (JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG)
– Ebook reader (with text to speech function)
Bult-in li-battery gives 6-8 hours of runtime on a single charge
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