Nintendo 3DS Final Hardware Specs

Check out the final hardware specifications of the new Nintendo handheld.

[darthv72]

Two 266mhz cpu's and a 133mhz gpu w/4mb vram and only 64mb system ram. Impressive they can make the games look as good as they do on such minimal hardware.

Then again, it isnt about the speed but how you take advantage of it. I never realized that even the dsi was only using 16mb of ram on a single 133mhz cpu.

Impressive...most impressive.

[EYEamNUMBER1]

those actually aren't even the official specs no word has even been given on what it actually has yet

these are those same specs IGN said it had months ago

[AAACE5]

Minimal hardware?

Keep in mind that the output will be on tiny screens instead of a 19"- 55", so they really don't need much processing power for that!

Cellphones need more because they are doing more at any given time.

[the_best_player]

so not much better specs than PSP

[Stealth20k]

So basically this has no new information. Its not even from nintendo

[mikeslemonade]

Nintendo doesn't know... Why would they know?

[the_best_player]

Nintendo never have powerful hardware

[fatstarr]

Gamecube and n64 were ahead of its time.

[Spinal]

The Architecture of Dedicated gaming handhelds and Phones/PC for example are totally different. For example the PSP runs 2x 233 MHZ processors with 64mb Ram and plays great PSP Games. The iPhone 4 using 1ghz processor with 512mb Ram cannot run those PSP games and at best will be sluggish with framerate issues.

This is cause the GPU/Core Processor Architecture is completely Different.

[the_best_player]

Can't wait to see PSP2 Specs :D

[Mac is OK]

I think the PSP has 1 processor at 333 MHZ and 32mb of RAM.

[tehdewm]

I am pretty sure there are two. The psp had 64mb of ram (2000 and 3000, not sure about the GO) The latter 32 is used for the UMD cache to cause the disc to be read less often. There is also a media engine that is dedicated to playback of video. All in all (no fanboyism or flaming) the 3ds is similar to the psp, but the different architecture and gpu means a lot more in programing than on pure suspicion alone. The 3Ds is very impressive (feature wise) but it is not spectacular other than the whole 3D fanfare.

[badz149]

at 333MHz. it was unlocked later in the handheld life by an official FW update but hackers has unofficially unlocked it with additional brightness setting way before that through CFW. the PSP-1000 has 32MB of RAM and from PSP-2000 onwards, upgraded to 64MB. there were some issues with RAM especially with Skype which can't be used on PSP-1000 due to smaller RAM.

[nevin1]

" Backward Compatibility. Yes.  Both Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi software."

Sony should do the same.

It alo needs free installed apps like " face shooting" im sorry but thats sounds funny and a somewhat interesting.

[Burning_Finger]

Old Relic Tech. That is slightly more powerful than the PSP. Oh, well. I don't expect much from Nintendo technology wise.

[Wolf873]

Boy, it's looking so good. I want to purchase it when it comes out but can't. I know they'll do some sleeker redesign, but I wonder what can be more sleeker than that?

[eagle21]

the top screen resolution will make 3D movie watching really great...the system is pretty perfect spec wise for games...how many GB's are the game carts?...8GB and higher i've heard which is also great.

not official till jan. 19th! lol

[Close_Second]

Yeah, not sure about that. It really only has a res of 400x240. If its not in 3D mode then does that mean they can use the full 800 x 240? if so, that's a strange res.

[eagle21]

my bet is they will use full resolution in movie mode...800 × 240 is very clean on 3.5 inch screen..lol. Disney is on board an Warner....E3 last year. Lion King Blu-ray has a 3D version this fall (yes, you read that correctly..see blu-ray.com), I bet 3DS will get a version too.

[Close_Second]

Is this really the case?

If its not in 3D mode then it can display a native res of 800 x 240 pixels? Or if its not in 3D mode does it only still display a native res of 400x240?

[Trroy]

There are only 400x240 screen pixels, not 800x240. The 3DS screen slightly lower res than the current PSP screen.

It has to render 800x240 to get the 3D effect, however, which is one of the reasons the GPU is not that impressive -- its performance is effectively halved, on a per frame basis, if its doing 3D. If you look closely at the specs, you'll realize that this actually means that the screen-pixel performance is below that of the PSP. The vertex performance is below that of the PSP even without halving it.

Presumably, all 3DS games will support 3D, and I sincerely doubt that turning it off will yield a better framerate -- more likely the framerate will be locked the same for both 3D and not 3D.

I'm not trying to knock the 3DS with my comments -- I think it looks like an awesome upgrade from the DS. For that matter, I would not be at all surprised if Nintendo "pulled a Sony" and bumped the clock on these chips by about 50% when they release a newer model (Sony did the same with the PSP-2000). The GPU was built to run at 200 MHz, not 133 -- they are probably downclocking it to increase battery life on the release model 3DS. When they reduce the chips, the battery life will increase, and bumping the clock up 50% will keep the battery life the same-ish... and it will "outdate" release model 3DS'es, which would be to Nintendo's benefit as well, since they sell hardware for profit...

If you bumped the clock on the 3DS by 50%... well then it'd be mighty impressive for a handheld, in my opinion. That said, I am definately waiting for the second model, since it'll be the definitive one, from my standpoint, and I only like to buy hardware once, if I can help it.

[AllroundGamer]

wow seeing the specs such device shouldn't cost more than 100$ nowadays...

[Trroy]

Ha. The DS shouldn't cost more than $50.

That's Nintendo for ya. You have to admit, their pricing has always worked to this point... although I kinda think the 3DS is a step beyond too much.

[tehdewm]

I am still curious to see the results of developer efforts, but yeah, they are going more for "innovation" rather than power. Same as Nintendo usually does, to the DS crowd the graphics are a great upgrade, but to psp fans this is not that impressive (on a pure graphical basis)
I can't wait to try it out for myself thought to make my final judgments.

[Burning_Finger]

@eagle21 :

With this kind of weak spec,8GB is an overkill and a waste of space. The 360 are probably somewhere around 7X more powerful than 3DS which uses DVD9(9GB) as its main format.

[AWBrawler]

you know a handheld is gonna be good when people start comparing it to consoles

[ULTIMATE_REVENGE]

We're comparing architecture here, not games, and remember the PS3 is 4 years old and the 360 is 5 years old. A lot has changed since then launched, and the amount of advancements that have happened in the silicon valley in the past 5 years alone is just insane.

[AWBrawler]

still I don't ever recall comparing the GBA to my cube, or the DS to the PS2 or Xbox

[Close_Second]

Take the 3D away and the 3DS is looking pretty lame. However, so did the Wii and look at how that turned out.

Nintendo know its more about the software.

[Kalowest]

The specs are looking good, if they are real.

[tehdewm]

I disagree, the handheld is "looking good" (comparing to a DS) but spec wise this is kind of a let down. I wish it was a bit more powered up, but with how much power that 3D screen draws I guess they had to settle on more simpler hardware.

[Masterchef2007]

hardware is pretty good for a handheld.

[ULTIMATE_REVENGE]

The 3DS's 3D feature doesn't work that well anyway, if you move slight off from the centre position you lose the 3D effect. If none of the current glassless 3D TV's shown at CES impressed anyone then I don't see how this will.

I don't own any of the current hand-held platforms on the market, but I seriously can't wait to see what the PSP2's specs are.

[soren]

eh its alot more powerful then the psp ign compaired them once and by looking at first gen 3ds games and the games that r out on the psp now the 3ds is already way ahead imagain what it looks liek latter down the line? no doubt the psp will be sronger and sony will most likely buy a 3ds and look into makeing the 3d screen more advance and then make a psp23d or something hats how sony is lol so exspect 360 grafics or highr then ps3 grafics on psp cus sony likes to over do things and charge 700 dollers for it lol

[GFahim]

yeh but with that also expect a hefty price!

[soren]

lol yeah thats what i got the 700 doller price range from it will defently have a very high price and probly lack games again