14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo has released a partial specification sheet for its new 3DS handheld. The 3D-enabled portable console was officially launched this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, but no launch date or pricing were mentioned by Nintendo. A bit more details about the Nintendo 3DS have recently been made available by the Japanese gaming giant, regarding its dimensions, weight, screen size, and more.
It will be about 13.5 cm long, 7.3 cm wide and 2.3 cm thick. It will be easy to carry around, as it will weigh in at about 225 grams. The top screen is a 8.9-cm widescreen display running at a 800x240 resolution, that is 400x120 for each eye for the 3D gameplay. The bottom screen is a 7.6-cm touchscreen display running at a 320x240 resolution.
The Nintendo 3DS will have three 0.3-megapixel cameras, two situated on the outer casing and one above the 3D screen. In terms of storage, the handheld is compatible both with 3DS and DS cards. The 3DS ones will have a 2GB capacity, but Nintendo is not ruling out the release of larger cards post-launch.
The console will connect to the Internet through a standard wireless IEEE 802.11 card that will also be on when the console is in sleep mode if users wish so. It will support WPA and WPA 2 security standards. Of course, it can be turned off to save up battery life. The battery is a Lithium Ion one, but Nintendo has not released any information about its lifespan yet.
The 3DS will include a big variety of means of control for the games. Commands can be sent to the device through a touchscreen, a D-Pad, a 360-degree analog stick called Slide Pad, a motion sensor and a gyro sensor. There is also a 3D depth slider on the console that can increase or decrease 3D effects in games. The 3D effects can be turned off, if one wishes so. A customizable, 10 cm-long stylus will also be included in the package for a more precise interaction with the touchscreen. The sounds will be provided either by a pair of stereo speakers or by the headphones. Parental controls will be available for those who want to filter the content that their children have access to on the Nintendo 3DS.