Nintendo 3DS Gets Launch Date, Price ... but Only in Japan

Highly awaited by many, the Nintendo 3DS finally has an official launch date: the portable games console with a 3D screen will go on sale in Japan on February 26 next year, followed in March by Europe and the US.

Nintendo 3DS Find the best price

To the great disappointment of Father Christmas, it seems that the rumours which had the Nintendo 3DS ready before the end of the year weren't right.  During a press conference in Japan, Iwata Akira, the company's president confirmed that the console would go on sale there on February 26 next year, for a price of 25 000 yen, or about £190.  The actual retail price for Europe hasn't yet been confirmed.

When it launches, the Nintendo 3DS will be available in a choice of two colours, Aqua Blue or Cosmo Black, and will come with a 2 GB SD card, which will be used to store content downloaded from the Internet, even while the console is on standby, much like the Wii does currently.  The whole thing is set to be very connected, and users will be able to buy Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles from Nintendo's online store and run them on the 3DS' virtual machine.


To get the most out of its glasses-free 3D screen, Nintendo is also planning to offer free 3D videos as part of a pilot project with Fuji TV, but we still don't know if this content will be available everywhere.

Nintendo is reworking all of its old classics to work in 3D, while the camera will be used to offer augmented reality.  It's also used by the new Mii Studio app which you can use to create an avatar for use on your 3DS or somebody else's.  You can turn it into a QR Code to share it easily.

Of course, all the big games companies are getting ready for the launch, which should mean there's a great choice of titles when the new console is launched.


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