The much awaited Nintendo 3DS, was recently released at E3 for all to behold. Structure wise, it is somewhat wider and thicker than the DS Lite, although it bears striking similarity with the DSi in terms of dimensions. The device itself is fairly well built and feels quite sturdy. A 2GB memory card is provided by default with the 3DS package. The conventional DSi charger continues to exist, with Nintendo failing to provide a microUSB still. The buttons on the 3DS consist of the Power switch, a Wireless toggle switch and a Volume control switch (apart from the primary gaming buttons of course).
The 3DS features a 800×240 3.5 inch glasses free 3D display. The screen functions by using lenticular lenses to produce 2 different images at once. For an enjoyable 3D experience, the display needs to be held at a reasonably close distance from the eyes, say 10 inches or so. Nintendo has included a 3D slider, using which you can set the level of 3D image production in the display. Turning it completely off produces vivid, completely normal 2D images which is pretty useful when the eye becomes strained due to relentless 3D action.
Nintendo has managed to include a 1300 mAh battery in the 3DS, 30 per cent better than the one in DS Lite. In spite of this, the battery life of the 3DS is alarmingly low (4 hours) compared to that of the latter (15 hours). The back side of the 3DS features dual cameras, along with a front facing camera as well. They are all VGA resolution cameras with not much clicking prowess, sadly.
To sum up, the 3DS somewhat looks like an alpha, with the 3D screen’s fun factor not able to overcome the baggage of constant headaches and glares that come with it. It is a better version of the DS Lite for sure, but at the cost of serious battery life.