14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo presented details about its upcoming 3DS handheld console a few weeks ago, but it has now started detailing some of the features of the device, including the expectancy of its battery.
The battery life of the 3DS was talked about for quite some time, as many people were wondering just what toll the 3D technology will take on the battery of the portable device.
When Nintendo said that the 3DS would run from 3 to 5 hours on a full battery, many people disapproved, saying that Nintendo should have worked harder to produce a better expectancy.
The President of the company, Satoru Iwata, has talked with 3DS system designer Ryuji Umeza about this issue, in order to share some insight with fans.
Umeza first explained how he tested out the device, and how the expectancy depends on three major factors: the brightness of the backlight, the intensity of the 3D effect and the power save mode.
"When I measured it by playing several Nintendo games with the backlight set to the brightest level and the power save mode turned off, battery duration was about three hours. But if you use the power save mode under the same conditions, it gets about 10-20% longer.
"And if you set the backlight to the darkest setting, the battery lasts five hours, but the power save mode makes less of a difference then."
Iwata stepped in, "In other words, the brightness of the backlight has the greatest effect on battery duration."
Umezu added, "Right. What's more, with the backlight set as high as it will go, battery life changes about 25% according to whether you're playing in 2D or 3D."
The Nintendo 3DS has a special StreetPass mode, with which the device scans for nearby devices and exchanges player data like high scores, but that won't affect the battery life all that much.
"In StreetPass mode, the system isn't always communicating, so there isn't much of a drain on the battery, but games that communicate a lot through local play and online play - with the backlight set to high - have an over 10% effect on the battery," said Umezu.
Iwata, at the end, said that the special charging cradle that would be included in the 3DS retail package will more than help with filling up the battery.
"It will be necessary for this system to be charged more often than for the previous systems. For that reason, we include a special charging cradle. We recommend that when players get home, they put their system there."
While some might still complain, don't forget that the 3DS will deliver a true 3D experience without the necessity of glasses or any other accessories, so it's still quite amazing, even if it won't last all that much between charges.
The Nintendo 3DS is out on February 27, in Japan, March 25, in Europe and March 27, in North America.