14 DAY TRIAL // A rumor suggests that Nintendo might be getting ready to unlock a second Central Processing Unit inside the 3DS handheld, allowing video game developers to use it for their titles, which would result in a 25 percent overall increase in terms of processing power.
Initially this second CPU was only used by the operating system of the Nintendo 3DS.
The source of the information, NintendoWorldReport, cites leaked information coming directly from the video game publisher and hardware creator.
The company is also set to increase, via a patch, the storage space for downloadable titles coming from the eShop from 16 to 512 MB, which would make these kind of gaming experience more complex in the long term.
Nintendo has neither confirmed not denied the rumor.
An increase in overall video game performance might be a boon for the Nintendo 3DS, which has suffered from low sales since it was released, especially on the United States market.
Use of the second CPU unit might also allow developers to create more impressive 3D experiences and make better use of the unique capabilities of the device.
The 3DS was rushed to launch by Nintendo after press outlets got word of its existence and forced the company to make its existence public earlier than it planned.
A number of features, including the eShop, were not available on launch and most of the video game line-up was underwhelming.
Low sales forced Nintendo to cut the price of the device in August, which resulted in a bump in sales but failed to make it as successful as earlier releases in the DS family.
In Japan the 3DS more than doubled its sales numbers after the launch of the Nintendo created Super Mario 3D Land, showing that the platform can be very successful as long as interesting video games that use well known characters are made available.