Nintendo reveals more 3DS hardware details, OS features

by Randy Nelson on Sep 29th 2010 3:02AM

Nintendo didn't just drop a Japanese release date and price for the 3DS tonight -- in a document (PDF) released following this evening's press conference, the company detailed more of the hardware's features, including unexpected pack-ins.

¥25,000 ($299) will net you -- among other things -- a charging cradle, 2GB SD card, telescoping metal stylus and six "paper cards" that can be used for playing the system's built-in augmented reality games. (The 3DS' outward-facing 3D camera will detect and replace them in the "scene" with different 3D objects.)

3DS will also perform some neat new tricks. It has backlit face buttons -- one of which is the Home button. When pressed, it will bring up an in-game menu enabling users to browse the web, turn Wi-Fi on/off and modify other settings without exiting.

Finally, there's a breakdown of the built-in software, which includes "Nintendo 3DS cameras," "Nintendo 3DS sound," Mii Studio," "Chance Encounter Mii Plaza," "AR Games" and "Book" (an ebook reader, perhaps?). Mii Studio is unique in that it allows players to snap photos of themselves to use as a basis for their Mii. More details as they hit.

Nintendo 3DS final hardware

Tags: 3ds, augmented-reality, ds, hardware, mii, nintendo, nintendo-conference-2010

Reader Comments (46)

Just shutup and take my money

@Raffi256 I'm throwing my money at the screen but nothing is happening
:'-(

@Raffi256 - I've already sent them my money. They can send me one whenever they feel like it.

@Raffi256

I don't believe this. Nintendo is actually stepping up their game and building a solid console (or handheld, whatever you'd like to call it).

Being primarily a console gamer, I haven't done much handheld gaming lately but I'd be interested in trying this out. :)

Wait you can browse the web WHILE playing?!

If true, AWESOME!

@ArchiGamer

1.) Pause game.
2.) Go to GameFAQs.
3.) Find solution to insanely difficult puzzle.
4.) Implement solution in-game.
5.) ???
6.) PROFIT!!

@ArchiGamer But can you browse the web.... IN 3D? :O

@ArchiGamer

The level of awesomeness depends on the browser.

The conference shows 3DS can do multi-tasking

Wow...I mean I know its the 3D that is thrusting the price up, but 300 dollars for a handheld?

That is more expensive than the Wii launch price even.

@sircool2008

Eh the PSP Go launched at $250 and didn't support its own games, on the other hand it was a total failure.

@sircool2008

Also, look at the games!

@sircool2008
Also the price is only tor Japan and as many have pointed out this isn't reflective of the US price.

@sircool2008

The only price announced tonight was the Japanese price. The $300 is coming from putting the 25000 yen through a currency converter. Things are always more expensive in Japan. I don't see it going over 250 here.

@sircool2008

No. The Wii also launched at 25,000 yen. And commenters will be happy to point out that JP price rarely equals NA price.

@sircool2008
Yeah, it would be suicide to release it for $300 elsewhere. The yen is going super strong so it makes sense the pricing doesn't translate.

I can't imagine them selling it for more than $199 in the states. I certainly won't pay more than that for it. It's neat and all, but not THAT neat.

@sircool2008

25,000 Yen was the Wii launch price too, it's just that the Yen has grown in value since then. $300 is the straight conversion for that now, but given that a lot of Nintendo's financial woes are coming from the weak exchange rate, they might try to land it for $300 here, too.

@sircool2008

I agree, I'm super excited for the tech. Some of the game would be great. I'm sure like most people, what I'm most excited for is playing StarFox64 and Ocarina of Time on this.

Then I realize that spending $380 (assuming they're $40 each) to play two 10 year old games is bat shit insane.

I'll bite when it's $200. Hopefully they don't launch at $250 and wait for a remodel to knock it down to 200, but I suppose I've lived 26 years without this device... Another year or two won't kill me.

Here's the Nintendo 3DS Lineup Movie

Direct Link:
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/conference2010/3ds/lineupMovHigh.html

Honestly, I'd rather have a lower price or free pack-in game (maybe a faster processor?) than a cradle, SD card and augmented reality cards.

I hope outside of Japan they have the basic and advanced model, a bit like the 360 with the Arcade and Elite.

Give.

Me.

It.

Now.

As a older gamer, I thought Nintendo would never win me back after the Game cube (exception of GBA and DS) But after Seeing and hearing everything the 3DS it warms my soul to see such awesome Software line up and top of the line hardware from nintendo. I am very impressed! 3DS day one buy for me.

Now Super Street Fighter IV 3DS Gameplay Video

Direct Video:

http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/3DS/

Not debating the price as I kind of expected the next gen of portables to be this expensive, but having just bought a PS3 slim to replace my old fat one, it's insane that I can get a 160GB PS3 for the same price as a handheld that has Gamecube graphics and only 2GB of storage space.

Looks like I'll have to wait maybe a year or two before considering either Nintendo or Playstation's new portables...which is good because by then a new hardware revision will probably already be out.

It's weird...since getting into the handheld side of gaming, I've always waited till the revision came out. For instance Game Boy: first one was a Game Boy Color. Game Boy Adavance: held out till Game Boy Advance SP. Nintendo DS: held out till Nintendo DS Lite (till I got tired of the damn hinge breaking!!! so updated to Nintendo DSi).

But with Nintendo 3DS...why do I really wanna throw all my money at it right away? ;-;

@HTCEVO

Seriously? Smaller hardware = slower and/or more expensive. The PS3 is like 10 or 20x the size of a 3DS and miniaturization isn't cheap.

@Bighouse

Again.. I understand this, and wasn't saying it was more than what I expected.. it's just a bit insane to think of a portable to be 300 clams! I worked at Toys R Us during college, and people didn't even want to spend $170 on a portable then. Seriously, we sold more GBAs that year than DS systems because parents refused to spend so much on a system usually finding it's home under a seat in their van.

Now look where we are. I do wonder, honestly, if these will really fly off the shelves.

@HTCEVO

For 300 bells, you should be getting a fairly powerful piece of gear, the PSP runs around 330MHz, architecture shifts aside - years later, we should be able to create something close to double in the broader description of how powerful a device is. It's not about graphics either, it's about having the head room to truly grow over the lifetime of the product - to add new features, improved physics along with better graphic capabilities that work to enhance the immersion factor in any game. Not required for all games of course.

The ability to handle different types of media, integration to your Nintendo account and ability to download and play any of your already purchased NES, SNES or N64 titles on the system.

Anything less just seems like a rip off, 3D or not. Nintendo must be betting on all those kids that got a DS from their parents to have a job now and some money to spend, I agree with you , I can't see too many parent plopping $300US down for a handheld, awesome or not.

Book Reader, multi tasking, 3D viewer,

3DS it does everything..

@LowKeyyyy

Kinda makes you excited to see what Sony will pull out of their hat here soon. Concidering PS hardware is (at least the in the last generation of handheld and consoles) more powerful than Nintendo's, I'd like to see games that look even better than 3DS's SFIV.

Personally, if Sony really wants to with the portable market, it should be a phone. It's honestly the only way you can really make a portable truly appeal to a wider demographic than Nintendo can with their crack laced DS systems.

@HTCEVO

wants to win with*

Ugh.. almost 4 am, forgive me.

Almost wish Okamiden was delayed and improved for this hand-held. I don't mind waiting if it means a more awesome Okami.

Either way, in terms of hand-helds, I went straight from Gameboy original (big yellow brick) to DS Lite without any GBA inbetween. Nintendo tempted me back to hand-held gaming (which I mostly do where I have my laptop - which can game - or where I have my Wii - so not as if I need a hand-held) and I doubt I'll be skipping 2 generations (all GBA count as 1 gen with GB Colour as a separate gen?) this time around.

@mrmobius hmm.. yes, Okamiden and Golden Sun, almost forgot about those things, I guess Nintendo is waiting for the DS to run out of ammo thats why they opted for a february release, that and probably the OS isnt finished yet.

Where are you getting the info about "backlit face buttons"? I can't find that in the official press release (either Japanese or English):

Japanese: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2010/100929.pdf
English: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2010/100929e.pdf

I would say with all certainty that PSP2 will blow 3DS out of the water, tech-wise.

Don't count Sony out, PSP1 has outsold 360 or PS3, and it is by FAR the most successful non-Nintendo handheld ever.

While the 3DS was impressive, its specs are not. It's less advanced than a 3 year old iPhone, plus it has to double render everything.

@benheck

Actually that's what makes it impressive, and advanced

@benheck
>PSP1 has outsold 360 or PS3
Maybe that's because the PSP has been out a year longer than the 360 and 2 years longer than the PS3?
>While the 3DS was impressive, its specs are not.
The specs aren't even out yet, how can you say that?

@benheck
1. 3DS is specialized as a gaming machine as opposed to iphones which arent and take up resources for other general computing stuff. And Ive heard that the 3D effect isnt too taxing on the hardware.
2. why bother worrying about numbers when the games look great already?

@benheck

100% agree with you, it leaves me befuddled as to why no one else, or too few, seem to think this is important or worth even being aware of.

The only thing i'm not liking is that they're silent on the actual structuring of online play. If they had a new network to show us, they would have trotted it out

Nice to see a charging cradle in with the system. If it was Sony, they'd keep it separate and charge $30 for it.

@captplut9465
I'd actually prefer that. Keep the cradle and the 2gb sd card and charge us less. That 2gb is going to get tossed in a bin somewhere in exchange for a 16gb and who uses cradles for handhelds? My charger spends more time in my backpack than anywhere.

Um, it costs more than a 360? I really want this thing, but I think I'm going to have to hold off... $300 is just too much for a portable system. Why would Nintendo price it 50% more than the Wii? Has Nintendo ever launched a portable system higher or even at $200? This is really weird...

Seems neat and all the games are really cool but no way am I spending $300 on this thing. $200 is as much as I'll pay and that needs to be bundled with a game like MGS3 SE. Also, why not make the top screen the entire size of the casing? I guess that'll be the 3DSXL that comes out a year later.

At least I can finally play mature/core games on a nintendo platform.

$300? Ouch. That can't be the final US cost, I hope.

Nintendo has my money. I can't wait until this comes out.

Nintendo reveals more 3DS hardware details, OS features

Nintendo 3DS final hardware

Reader Comments (46)

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:08AM Raffi256 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 6:34AM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 8:29PM Nintendo Tim said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 11:49PM blustrkr said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:10AM ArchiGamer said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:33AM Mach2 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 10:18AM whookid said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 6:05PM Nook said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:12AM billysea said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:14AM sircool2008 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:15AM Raffi256 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:18AM Soiden said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:19AM ArchiGamer said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:19AM Suichimo said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:19AM Bighouse said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:54AM Mmmmz said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 10:14AM Mr Khan said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 12:37PM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:16AM hoodedone said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:18AM Esposch said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:18AM SmashZilla said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:21AM neoand12 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:21AM hoodedone said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:23AM HTCEVO said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 4:11AM religiousjedi said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 4:27AM Bighouse said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 10:38AM HTCEVO said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 6:25PM Nook said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:34AM LowKeyyyy said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:37AM HTCEVO said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:38AM HTCEVO said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 3:41AM mrmobius said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 4:07AM LowKeyyyy said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 4:47AM ramuji said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 9:38AM benheck said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 10:12AM Nekki said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 12:59PM Railgun said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 1:16PM mmxzer0 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 6:30PM Nook said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 10:18AM Mr Khan said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 11:50AM captplut9465 said

Posted: Sep 29th 2010 1:12PM SuperWoody64 said

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Posted: Sep 29th 2010 6:11PM Nook said

Posted: Oct 20th 2010 11:43AM 9TailedJackal said

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