Official Nintendo 3DS Discussion Thread - Specs, Tech, Price? It's all here!

[Bueno Excelente]

[Hypershell]

http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=125964
http://ds.ign.com/articles/109/1094930p1.html

They probably mean "close to the 360/PS3" in the same way that the PSP is supposed to be "close to" the PS2.  In other words, the gap is noticeable, but the smaller screen size lets the system get away with more.

Then again, the valid point has been made that 3D imaging will require rendering both screens twice over.  I doubt the system will push polygons harder than the Wii, but one never knows.  Either way, it'll leave the system a lot more capable for whatever multimedia stuff they want to throw in down the line, and God willing, emulation.

[Kieran]

So, I can only presume at this point that using the damn thing is going to be like staring at a Magic Eye picture for hours.

We're going to wind up with people going permanently cross-eyed after this is all over.

[Jericho]

So, I can only presume at this point that using the damn thing is going to be like staring at a Magic Eye picture for hours.

We're going to wind up with people going permanently cross-eyed after this is all over.

Not at all, the screen technology being hinted at would be far from doing something as simple and potentially crippling as that. Or at least that's what I've come to expect from folks in the know.

[Hypershell]

Jericho's correct.  Magic Eye is still a single image, merely drawn in such a way that screwing with the focus of your own eyes matches up the 3D image.  You can do the same thing with chain link fences and plaid patterns.

While not officially confirmed, it is alleged that the 3DS will be using Sharp's parallax barriers to generate the 3D effect.  The barrier can be switched on and off to allow regular 2D displays (a must for backwards compatibility).  Basically, it works by directing each eye to a different set of pixels within the same screen, but it depends on the viewer being at a particular angle, thus flying in the face of the "let people watch over your shoulder" thing that Nintendo was touting with the DSiXL.  This is also why the technology is not valid for televisions.

Nintendo's already stated that the user will be able to turn the 3D effect off.

[xnamkcor]

So, I can only presume at this point that using the damn thing is going to be like staring at a Magic Eye picture for hours.

We're going to wind up with people going permanently cross-eyed after this is all over.

If looking at Magic Eye pictures makes you coss-eyed, you're doing it wrong.

PS: once again, I must insist on a 3D Paper Mario.

[Klavier Gavin]

Here, have some more rumors;

- once again, no TEGRA chip
- Japanese partner for the 3D acceleration hardware
- codename is "Nintendo CTR"
- this matches up with the FFC board picture from a few weeks back
- FCC board images may have been made public before they should have been


http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/nvidia-unconnected-with-3ds-blog-entry

[Hypershell]

I wonder by what logic Eurogamer believes that only the top screen will be 3D?  I mean, what about a 4:3 aspect ratio rules it out?  Just because Sharp is pitching the 16x9 ratio doesn't mean it's the only one to exist; one naturally expects the widescreen ratio to be dominant in a single-screen device these days.

One might think that the touch screen running 3D illusions could be a conflict of interest, but that'd be easily solved by having the two parallax borders switch on/off independently (as the DS is perfectly capable of with its backlights, though no commercial developer to my knowledge has done so).  I mean, for your oh-so-typical action games with 2nd screen map, having 3D on the bottom could be spiffy.

[xnamkcor]

I wonder by what logic Eurogamer believes that only the top screen will be 3D?  I mean, what about a 4:3 aspect ratio rules it out.  Just because Sharp is pitching the 16x9 ratio doesn't mean it's the only one to exist; one naturally expects the widescreen ratio to be dominant in a single-screen device these days.

One might think that the touch screen running 3D illusions could be a conflict of interest, but that'd be easily solved by having the two parallax borders switch on/off independently (as the DS is perfectly capable of with its backlights, though no commercial developer to my knowledge has done so).  I mean, for your oh-so-typical action games with 2nd screen map, having 3D on the bottom could be spiffy.

Having a 3D element to maps would be nice. It'd give them a way to relay more information about the room with just colors.

[Dexter Dexter]

parallax barriers

This is some fascinating technology, but...
PARALLAX BARRIER? IN MY 3DS?

[xnamkcor]

So, PB would mean a sort of vertically interlaced image?

How would your eyes not notice only half the pixel columns are there?

[Hypershell]

There are probably several reasons.  Some points off the top of my head include: barrier is obscured by backlight, you're not focusing directly on the barrier, all pixels are visible by either one eye or the other, and if necessary the screens could be using an especially tight dot pitch.

There's plenty of minor details in the world, and especially in electronic displays, that the naked eye doesn't notice.  Such as traditional interlaced displays using a 60FPS source; sure progressive scan might look clearer, but you don't consciously notice that the individual fields don't match.

I do recall some whispers that these 3D displays appear brighter while the barrier is off, but that's about it.

[Bueno Excelente]

This is some fascinating technology, but...
PARALLAX BARRIER? IN MY 3DS?

Just show yourself a picture that reminds you of your mom, and you'll break through.

(murders self for DC reference)

[Mirby]

You removed the Geordi LaForge reference... now I'm sad.

[Klavier Gavin]

Hate carrying around multiple DS carts with you when you travel? It sounds like the 3DS will clear up that issue for you.

According to the Japanese publication Nikkei, the 3DS will allow you to store games on the hardware itself. You pop a game in, you copy it over to the DS, and you're set to go! It all seems very cool, and not an approach that Nintendo would traditionally take!

Quote from GoNintendo

Original source from here

Let this be true...

...But I doubt it.

[Bueno Excelente]

Quote from GoNintendo

Original source from here

Let this be true...

...But I doubt it.

Woo! No R4 required!

Hope there aren't firmware updates. =P

[xnamkcor]

Woo! No R4 required!

Hope there aren't firmware updates. =P

How do you plan on getting the game data onto the onboard memory?

[Dexter Dexter]

Quote from GoNintendo

Original source from here

Let this be true...

...But I doubt it.

Wait... so you insert the cart, the software is installed, and then the cart itself is not required to play the game on it (provided that the first two steps are followed)? This hardly sounds feasible.

[xnamkcor]

Sounds doable. The only problem I see is, how much internal memory is there? At 2Gb each, three games would fit on a 8Gb card.

[Bueno Excelente]

How do you plan on getting the game data onto the onboard memory?

D'OH! 

[Align]

Sounds doable. The only problem I see is, how much internal memory is there? At 2Gb each, three games would fit on a 8Gb card.

You can store a lot more than 8GB on something the size of a DS, so where was that number from?

[xnamkcor]

You can store a lot more than 8GB on something the size of a DS, so where was that number from?

8Gb cards are currently the highest moderately prices cards on the market. Also, the PSPGo has 8Gb internal.

On something the size of a DS? I think you are refering to hard drives. Really? Really!?

[Align]

I was thinking more of iPods, but maybe I've been confusing numbers there.

[Hypershell]

Given Nintendo's track record, even 2GB (I recall seeing that speculated somewhere) would be a massive leap.

Honestly, the whole concept doesn't sound too likely.  It sounds like somebody who knows nothing about gaming got their carts and their DLC mixed up.

BTW, Nintendo's specs for 3DS confirms the screen resolution going up.  We're now at 320x240 for the touch screen and 400x240 (per eye) for the widescreen, this being up from the current DS's 256x192.  240 = half the height of SDTV = Resolution of PS1 MegaMan games (I know, pipe dream, but still).

So, PB would mean a sort of vertically interlaced image?

How would your eyes not notice only half the pixel columns are there?

With Nintendo's recently released specs we now know that the answer is some horizontal dot pitch trickery.  The system is designed, and screens appropriately sized, to render a 400x240 image, but since a different set of pixels is sent to each eye, the actual screen resolution is 800x240.

[VixyNyan]

Here are more 3DS Hands On Videos, where you can (try and) see the 3D in action.