Nintendo jumped ahead of the rumors for their next Nintendo DS Console, with the DSi XL barely out the gate. The new 3DS is confirmed and will have a 3D holographic like technology in the display. It might seem a bit gimmicky at first, but the same could have been said for a little console with a second seemingly redundant touch screen that everyone expected to be a flop 
.
Nintendo is keeping schedule with their past upgrade cycle with a new DS coming out every two years since their first DS in November of 2004 (the DSi XL being an offshoot niche product). It’s still to be seen how developers will take advantage of the innovative 3D, but we don’t actually have to wait and wonder! Below is a video showing off the new possibilities of 3D gameplay using face tracking via the DSi camera in this DsiWare game Rittai Kakushi e Attakoreda below:
Observe how the user finds an “A” only after tilting the screen at a precise angle. The screen technology is not confirmed, but likely uses parallax barrier technology to create the autostereoscopic effect. Something almost unheard of, but definitely more appropriate in a handheld device. We’d like to see a full GUI based on the capabilities of 3D, and we’re excited to see how this well get capitalized.
Although a release date is not confirmed Nintendo will be showing off their new 3DS at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 coming up in June. Release is rumored to be in March of 2011 but the Christmas season is typical for releases to occur.
For those of you worried about backwards compatibility, it will be fully compatible with any NDS game cartridge, although it’s impossible to tell how it will work with flash cards as of yet. It’s still a ways off yet, and there should be plenty of time to keep enjoying the use of your current Nintendo DS. Feel free to visit our shop below for cards like the new iEdge: www.dscardworld.com
Play on,
The DSCardWorld Team
