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While Nintendo has still not officially commented on what exactly will be powering their new glasses free stereoscopic 3D handheld, the 3DS, someone else has managed to let the cat out of the bag. According to a press release sent out by Japanese technology firm Digital Media Professionals (DMP), as reported on by Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett, they will be providing their PICA200 graphics chips for the Nintendo’s upcoming handheld. Although the PICA200 is about four years old at this point, DMP has stated that it will still be able to provide “high quality graphics” and “low power consumption” for the 3DS. Given the visually impressive demos that were running at this year’s E3, it is easy to believe the part about high quality graphics but we’ll have to wait to see about the battery life. However, when looking at Nintendo’s portable track record, I’d wager we’re likely to see battery life ranging anywhere from seven to twelve hours of 3DS use before the need to recharge.  Again looking at Nintendo’s history, this announcement fits right into what you’d expect from the company. Utilizing a slightly older and cheaper graphics chip will allow them to not only make much prettier games than the original DS was capable of, but will also keep the end cost of the system lower, making it more affordable for the end consumer. That being said, we’re still waiting for an official price and date announcement from Nintendo regarding the 3DS. We’ll let you know as soon as it happens. |