3D-mania is sweeping the world and now Nintendo is getting into the action with information on their latest gadget, the Nintendo 3DS. While we’ve known about the product for awhile, the company has now announced specific details about the gaming platform.
The big launch date is going to be March 27 and the pre-order price is a whopping $249.99. It will be available in two colors, Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black, and have a lineup of 20 games available at launch. This makes the 3DS the most expensive console that Nintendo offers, since the retail price of the Wii has dropped to $199.99. Compared to other handheld gaming devices, the 3DS seems a bit expensive – you can purchase a PSP for $150 or a DSi XL for $160 – but those systems obviously lack the 3D hook. For sake of comparison, the Sony PSP released with the same street price back in 2005.
According to Nintendo’s site, the 3DS features a glasses-free 3D screen, a 3D “depth slider” to allow the player to adjust just how three dimensional they want their games to be, and a motion/gyro sensor to detect movement. The system is backwards compatible with the DS (with the exception of Game Boy Advance accessories). There’s also several built-in pieces of software with the 3DS, including a tool to create your Mii, an activity log, a web browser, and more.
One interesting hardware feature that is built into the device is a 3D camera. According to the site, it can be used to take pictures that can be displayed in 3D on the device.
Is $250 too expensive for a handheld gaming device, especially when compared to devices like the iPod Touch? Or will Nintendo continue to rake in the profits with their newest gaming device?
Image Courtesy of Nintendo.com