With diagrams! You've probably heard a thing or two about Nintendo's brand-new handheld games console, the Nintendo 3DS. It's the follow-up to the immensely popular DSi , and as Ninty is wasting no time in telling you, it lets you play games in eye-snapping 3D without having to wear any dorky glasses.
It's an innovative feature, but is it actually any good? Read on for our verdict on the 3DS' 3D tech, and impress your friends by knowing how the blasted thing actually works.
Viewing a 3D image on a screen without using any glasses might sound complicated, but in fact the technology used in the 3DS is deceptively simple. As your eyes perceive the world from slightly different angles, with the two images melded in your brain to provide the sensation of depth, to make 3D appear on a single panel, you have to make the screen show two images at once -- one for each eye. The 3DS has a thin layer in front of its display called a 'parallax barrier', and this thin sheet is full of really tiny gaps.
These gaps mean certain parts of the screen are hidden from one angle, but visible from another. So with your two eyes placed at different angles to the screen, each peeper sees a slightly different picture. All the 3DS has to do is slice up two very similar images and place them behind the barrier, arranged so your left eye can view certain parts of the image, and the right eye can see others.
With a different image hitting each eye, your brain does its combination voodoo, and a sense of depth is achieved. The 3DS isn't the only implementation of this tech we've seen to date, but it's the best use of it so far. We've played several of the 3DS' launch titles, and while some games make better use of the effect than others, the sense of depth, the fluidity of the 3D and a marked lack of blurriness means you can relax and let the effect sink in while you play games. It's rarely distracting, and it can make for an enjoyable, immersive gaming experience.
Compared to the original 3DS XLs , which always felt like they had a touch of the Fisher Price about them, the new models are more grown-up, though their glossy outer shell is an undeniable fingerprint magnet. More observant gamers will also notice a number of other changes, before even opening the clamshell console.
There are additional ZL and ZR buttons on the rear, no physical Wi-Fi switch, and the volume slider has moved to the top screen. The game card slot, power button and stylus have all been moved to the front of the console, and there's no visible SD card slot. While some users have complained the position of the power button and game card slot mean you could accidentally eject a game card or power down mid-game, it's not something we experienced in our extensive playing.
Flip the lid and you'll instantly notice yet more changes. However, rather than give us a second circle pad, Nintendo has given us a C-stick nub which is said to have been inspired by the Gamecube C-stick, but in truth reminded us far more of the eraser tip cursor controller from an IBM Thinkpad, circa If you're still wondering about that missing SD card slot, it's now a micro SD slot and will require a screwdriver and nerves-of-steel to find it under the back plate of the console.
Removing the back plate off our console to gain access caused a heart-stopping crack sound, though luckily no lasting damage. This feels like a bad design and because the New 3DS ships with only a 4 GB micro SD card, users who prefer digital downloads are going to need to do this when swapping it for a bigger capacity card. That brings us to the transfer process for current 3DS users, which is another low-point for the New 3DS.
Because 3DS purchases are linked to a device, and not just a user account, it's not as simple as logging in on your new device. As such, there are three transfer options, moving all data wirelessly between old and new systems, transferring core data wirelessly and then re-downloading software, or using a computer to move files from an SD to micro SD. All need both systems and internet access.
None of these are ideal and all come with their own problems. With only 3 GB of stored data, we decided to opt for the Wi-Fi all option, thinking it couldn't be too bad. However, it turned out to be tediously slow and took more than two hours to complete. This snails-pace process was only made slightly more bearable by the sight of adorable little Pikmin carrying representations of our data from one device to the other.
While Nintendo has now removed the limit of the number of times you can transfer a system, you can only do it once a week, and you can't go back to a 3DS from a New 3DS.
Luckily, you won't want to, and you might even forgive your New 3DS for what it's just subjected you to. That's because the New Nintendo 3DS lives up to its hype. For us the biggest upgrade is undoubtedly the super-stable 3D which transforms the 3D experience by using face tracking via the inner camera. I personally had an original 3DS and loved the 3D effect, but after about 10 minutes I turned it off because every time the console moved from its narrow sweet spot the effect was broken, ruining it for me.
From then on I'd occasionally turn the 3D on to admire the effect on a new game, and then promptly turn it off again and resume gaming. The super-stable 3D now kicks in and works as advertised, delivering the immersive experience we were promised in The only time we noticed the 3D begin to falter was when putting the console through its paces with a strong backlight.
Super Smash Bros. Animal Crossing. Mario Kart. Fire Emblem. New Style Boutique. Visit us on LinkedIn. There are differences among individuals in terms of how they see 3D visuals. Please be advised that factors such as physical condition, media content and environment may all affect how any individual sees the 3D effect on the Nintendo 3DS system. The 3D effects generated by Nintendo 3DS are created using the ability to interpret 3D images due to the difference in position of the left and right eye.
However, each individual sees 3D images differently. We have integrated the '3D depth slider' so that anyone can set the 3D effects to a convenient level. Make sure you find the 3D setting on the Nintendo 3DS system that is most comfortable for you. When viewing such content, adjusting the slider will only switch between 2D and 3D images. If you find the 3D effect to be uncomfortably strong while viewing these types of content, it may help to hold the system at a greater distance from your face.
If you still find it difficult to see, then try viewing the content in 2D. If you are tired, or feeling unwell, please refrain from playing. If you feel sick, please stop playing Nintendo 3DS immediately.
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