History of video game consoles (eighth generation)

History of video games

The history of video games goes as far back as the 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann filed a United States patent request for an invention they described as a "cathode ray tube amusement device." Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and...

, the eighth generation of video game consoles is a term to describe the next iteration of video game console

Video game console

A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...

s that are expected to follow the current seventh generation
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...

: Microsoft's Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, Sony's PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, and Nintendo's Wii

Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

. It also describes handheld game units released in the similar timeframe. The Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...

was released on February 26, 2011 and Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

s PlayStation Vita is due to be released on December 17, 2011 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Presently, only Nintendo has announced its home console successor, the Wii U, to be released in 2012. Several journalists have classified the system as the first eighth generation system.

Though previous console generations have normally occurred in five year cycles, the transition from seventh to eighth generation units has lasted more than six years. The transition is also unusual in that the previous generation's best-selling unit, the Wii, is the first to be replaced in the eighth generation. Both Microsoft and Sony have stated they have begun looking at their next iteration of consoles, but consider themselves only halfway through a ten-year lifecycle for their current seventh-generation offerings. The addition of motion controllers and camera-based controllers like Kinect and PlayStation Move are considered to have extended these systems' lifetimes.

It is anticipated that the eighth generation of video game consoles will face stiff competition from the smartphone

Smartphone

A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...

and tablet

Tablet computer

A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...

gaming markets. There are some that dispute this though.

Wii U

In November 2010, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the release of the next generation of Nintendo would be determined by the continued success of the Wii

Wii

. Nintendo

Nintendo

is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

announced their successor to the Wii, the Wii U, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, commonly known as E3 2011, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association . The event took place June 7–9, 2011 at the Los Angeles...

on June 7, 2011. It is slated for release in 2012.

The Wii U's main controller features an embedded touchscreen that can work as an auxiliary interactive screen, in a fashion similar to the Nintendo DS/3DS, or even as the main screen itself, enabling games to be played without the need of an extra screen connected to the console. It will also be compatible with its predecessor's standard controller, the Wii Remote

Wii Remote

The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...

and its upgraded version, the Wii Remote Plus, along with all of their peripherals and the Wii Balance Board

Wii Balance Board

The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...

Name	Wii U
Console
Release dates	After E3 2012
Media	Wii U Optical Disc 25 GB (single layer)
CPU Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...	IBM IBM International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas... Power Power Architecture Power Architecture is a broad term to describe similar RISC instruction sets for microprocessors developed and manufactured by such companies as IBM, Freescale, AMCC, Tundra and P.A. Semi... -based multi-core 45 nm 45 nanometer Per the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the 45 nm technology node should refer to the average half-pitch of a memory cell manufactured at around the 2007–2008 time frame.... microprocessor
GPU Graphics processing unit A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...	Custom-designed AMD Advanced Micro Devices Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets... Radeon HD Radeon Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units and random access memory produced by Advanced Micro Devices , first launched in 2000 by ATI Technologies, which was acquired by AMD in 2006. Radeon is the successor to the Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by...
Storage	Internal flash memory, expandable via SD Secure Digital Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital... memory cards and/or USB Universal Serial Bus USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices.... hard disk drives

Controller Game controller A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...	Main Wii U Controller Wii U controller The Wii U controller prototype was first shown at E3 2011. The main feature of the controller is its built-in touchscreen, which either supplements or replicates the gameplay displayed at the television screen... Wii Remote Wii Remote The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and... /Wii Remote Plus (up to 4 via Bluetooth Bluetooth Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security... ) Wii MotionPlus Wii MotionPlus The is an expansion device for the Wii Remote video game controller for the Wii that allows it to more accurately capture complex motion. According to Nintendo, the sensor in the device supplements the accelerometer and Sensor Bar capabilities of the Wii Remote to enable actions to be rendered... attachment (for Wii Remote) Nunchuk attachment (for Wii Remote/Remote Plus) Wii Classic Controller attachment (up to 4 via Wii Remote Wii Remote The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and... compatibility) Wii Zapper Wii Zapper The Wii Zapper is a gun shell peripheral for the Wii Remote. The name is a reference to the NES Zapper light gun for the Nintendo Entertainment System... (including upgraded version with docks for main controller and Wii Remote/Remote Plus) Wii Balance Board Wii Balance Board The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
User interface User interface The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the... (Wii U Main Controller)	Built-in: 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope Microphone and speakers Front-facing camera IR sensor strip 6.2 inch (15.7 cm) 16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... resistive touchscreen Two Circle Pads Analog stick An analog stick, sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation... and one D-pad D-pad A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones... Stylus Stylus A stylus is a writing utensil, or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example in pottery. The word is also used for a computer accessory . It usually refers to a narrow elongated staff, similar to a modern ballpoint pen. Many styli are heavily curved to be held more easily... Select, Start, Home and Power buttons A/B/X/Y face buttons, L/R bumper buttons and ZL/ZR trigger buttons Controller sync button
Video	1080p 1080p 1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard.... , 1080i, 720p, 480p or 480i, standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen Anamorphic widescreen Anamorphic widescreen, when applied to DVD manufacture, is a video process that horizontally squeezes a widescreen image so that it can be stored in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio DVD image frame. Compatible playback equipment can then re-expand the horizontal dimension to show the original widescreen... Analog AV port supporting: Composite video Composite video Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal... YP_BP_R YPbPr ' is a color space used in video electronics, in particular in reference to component video cables. is the analog version of the YCBCR color space; the two are numerically equivalent, but YPBPR is designed for use in analog systems whereas YCBCR is intended for digital video. cables are also... component video Component video Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals... S-Video S-Video Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma... (NTSC NTSC NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as... consoles only) RGB SCART SCART SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together... (PAL PAL PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system... consoles only) D-Terminal (Japan only) HDMI out port
Audio	Analog stereo via the Analog AV port. Six-channel PCM Pulse-code modulation Pulse-code modulation is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form for digital audio in computers and various Blu-ray, Compact Disc and DVD formats, as well as other uses such as digital telephone systems... linear output via HDMI
Peripheral capabilities	SD SD SD may refer to:* Salvia Divinorum* Southern Cross Decoration , a South African military award* Stage directions* Sisters of the Destitute, a Syro-Malabar Catholic women's order* Spasmodic dysphonia... memory card slot (supports SDHC cards) 4 USB 2.0 ports (2 at front of console, 2 at rear) Bluetooth Sensor Bar power port "AV Multi Out" port HDMI HDMI HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA... out port
List of games	List of Wii U games

All consoles are capable of producing 3D images using anaglyph

Anaglyph image

Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...

or frame-compatible systems (side-by-side/SbS, top and bottom/TaB), as these do not require any special output hardware. As such, these display modes are dependent on the software being displayed rather than the console.

Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS

is a portable game console

Handheld game console

A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...

produced by Nintendo

Nintendo

. It is the successor to the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

. The autostereoscopic

Autostereoscopy

Autostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...

device is able to project stereoscopic 3D

Stereoscopy

Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...

effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility

Backward compatibility

In the context of telecommunications and computing, a device or technology is said to be backward or downward compatible if it can work with input generated by an older device...

with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi

Nintendo DSi

The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...

software. Announcing the device in March 2010, Nintendo officially unveiled it at E3 2010

Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, commonly known as E3 2010, was the 16th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software...

, with the company inviting attendees to use demonstration units. The console succeeds the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

series of handheld systems, which primarily competes with Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

's PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

. It will compete with Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

's handheld, the PlayStation Vita.

The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan

Japan

on February 26, 2011; in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

on March 25, 2011; in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

on March 27, 2011; and in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

on March 31, 2011. On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced a major price drop starting August 12. In addition, as of September 2011 consumers who bought the system at its original price have access to ten Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...

games before they are available to the general public, after which the games may be updated to the versions publicly released on the Nintendo eShop

Nintendo eShop

The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...

. Later the same year, ten Game Boy Advance

Game Boy Advance

The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

games will also be available to consumers who bought the system at its original price at no charge, with Nintendo stating it currently has no plans to release to the general public.

PlayStation Vita

PlayStation Vita is an upcoming handheld game console

Handheld game console

under development by Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...

. It is the successor to the PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

as part of the PlayStation

PlayStation

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...

brand of gaming devices. It is set to be released in Japan and parts of Asia on December 17, 2011 and in Europe and North America on February 22, 2012.

The handheld includes two analog sticks, a 5 inches (127 mm) OLED

Organic light-emitting diode

An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...

multi-touch capacitive touchscreen

Touchscreen

A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...

, and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...

and optional 3G

3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...

. Internally, the Vita features a 4 core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore

ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore

The ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore is a 32-bit multicore processor providing up to 4 cache-coherent Cortex-A9 cores, each implementing the ARM v7 instruction set architecture.-Features:Key features of the Cortex-A9 core are:...

processor and a 4 core SGX543MP4+ graphics processing unit, as well as LiveArea

LiveArea

LiveArea is an interface feature of Sony's PlayStation Vita that acts like a hub page and allows users to hop between different parts of the game space. LiveArea provides live message boards and trophy support. It is the successor to the XrossMediaBar which is featured in the PSP, the PS3, and...

software as its main user interface, which succeeds the XrossMediaBar

XrossMediaBar

The XrossMediaBar is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons, instead of a cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user...

.

The device is fully backwards-compatible with PlayStation Portable

PlayStation Portable

games digitally released on the PlayStation Network via the PlayStation Store

PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...

. However, PS One Classics/TurboGrafx-16 titles will not be compatible at (Japanese) launch. The Vita's dual analog sticks will be supported on selected PSP games. The graphics for PSP releases will be up-scaled, with a smoothing filter to reduce pixelation.

Handheld comparison

	Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...	PlayStation Vita
Console
Release dates
Launch prices	¥25,000 US$249.99 £/€ - Set by individual retailers, usually about £230 A$349.95	$249/€249/¥24,980 - Wi-Fi $299/€299/¥29,980 - Wi-Fi+3G
Current prices	¥15,000 (as of August 11, 2011) US$169.99 (as of August 12, 2011) £/€ - Set by individual retailers A$249.99 (as of August 12, 2011)	(not yet released)
Units Shipped	Worldwide: 6.68 million (as of September 30, 2011)	(not yet released)
Weight	230 grams (8.1 oz)
Dimensions	134 mm (5.3 in) (w) 74 mm (2.9 in) (d) 21 mm (0.826771653543307 in) (h)	182 mm (7.2 in) (w) 83.55 mm (3.3 in) (d) 18.6 mm (0.732283464566929 in) (h)
Media	Nintendo 3DS Game Card (2-8 GB)	PlayStation Vita Game Card (2-16 GB)
CPU	ARM11 ARM11 ARM11 is an ARM architecture 32-bit RISC microprocessor family which introduced the ARMv6 architectural additions. These include SIMD media instructions, multiprocessor support and a new cache architecture... (Proprietary Nintendo design)	4 core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
GPU	DMP PICA200 PICA200 PICA200 is a graphics processing unit for embedded devices designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. , a Japanese GPU design company. It was announced at SIGGRAPH 2005, and presented on SIGGRAPH 2006 conference. PICA is DMP's brand of graphics processors for embedded devices, scalable from...	200 MHz PowerVR PowerVR PowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and Direct X, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration.... SGX543MP4+
Memory	128 MB FCRAM	512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM
Storage Data storage device thumb\|200px\|right\|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....	256 MB NAND flash internal storage Expandable to 32 GB through SD Cards 2 GB SD card included	4 to 32 GB external storage
Display	Top screen: 3.53 in (90 mm), Autostereoscopic (3D) LCD 800 × 240 px Pixel In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled.... (400 × 240 px per eye) Bottom screen: 3.02 in (77 mm), 320 × 240 QVGA	5 in (127 mm) OLED Organic light-emitting diode An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes... 960 × 544 px Pixel In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
3D enabled
Battery	3-8 hours, depending on screen brightness, Wi-Fi, sound volume, and 3D effect (1300 mAh)	3-5 hours, depending on screen brightness, 3G is active, Wi-Fi, and sound volume (2200 mAh)
Connectivity	Integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi IR Infrared Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm... port	Integrated 802.11 IEEE 802.11 IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent... b IEEE 802.11b-1999 IEEE 802.11b-1999 or 802.11b, is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 specification that extended throughput up to 11 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band. This specification under the marketing name of Wi-Fi has been implemented all over the world... /g IEEE 802.11g-2003 IEEE 802.11g-2003 or 802.11g is an amendment to the IEEE 802.11 specification that extended throughput to up to 54 Mbit/s using the same 2.4 GHz band as 802.11b. This specification under the marketing name of Wi-Fi has been implemented all over the world... /n Wi-Fi 3G 3G 3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union... (Optional) Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
User interface User interface The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...	Circle Pad Analog stick An analog stick, sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation... (2× with add-on) D-pad D-pad A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones... Autostereoscopic 5:3 screen with 3D depth slider Autostereoscopy Autostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"... (top) Resistive 4:3 Touchscreen Touchscreen A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus... (bottom) 3-axis accelerometer Accelerometer An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame... and 3-axis gyroscope Gyroscope A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation... Volume slider Wireless communications switch Front 2D camera and rear 3D camera set Microphone 10 × Buttons (X, Y, A, B, L, R, Start, Select, Home, Power)	2 × Analog stick Analog stick An analog stick, sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation... s D-pad D-pad A D-pad is a flat, usually thumb-operated directional control with one button on each point, found on nearly all modern video game console gamepads, game controllers, on the remote control units of some television and DVD players, and smart phones... Capacitive OLED 16:9 Touchscreen Touchscreen A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus... Rear touchpad Touchpad A touchpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on screen. Touch pads are a common feature of laptop computers, and they are also used as a substitute for a mouse where desk... Sixaxis Sixaxis The Sixaxis Wireless Controller was the official gamepad for the Sony PlayStation 3 from launch until 2008 when it was succeeded by the DualShock 3.... motion sensing Three-axis electronic compass Front & rear 2D cameras Microphone 12 × Buttons ( , , , , L, R, Start, Select, Home, Volume ±, Power)
Camera	One front-facing and a set of two rear-facing 3D 0.3 MP (VGA) cameras	Front and rear 0.3 MP (VGA) cameras (320×240(QVGA) @ 120 Hz; 640×480(VGA) @ 60 Hz)
Regional Lockout Regional lockout Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country.-Video games:...
Online services	Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services... Nintendo eShop Nintendo eShop The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu... Nintendo Video Spot Pass Netflix Netflix Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California... (NA exclusive) Hulu Plus	PlayStation Network
Preloaded applications	DS Download Play Nintendo 3DS Camera Nintendo 3DS Download Play Nintendo 3DS Sound Nintendo eShop Nintendo eShop The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu... Activity Log Game Notes Friend Roster Notifications Menu Internet Browser AR Augmented reality Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is... Games Face Raiders Face Raiders Face Raiders is a 3D augmented reality video game developed by HAL Laboratory, and is preloaded on all Nintendo 3DS systems.-Overview:After taking pictures of people's faces, the faces attack the player, who must shoot them. As people walk by in the background, the game takes pictures of them,... Mii Maker StreetPass Mii Plaza	Internet Browser Friends Music Trophies Photos Group Messaging Welcome Park Near Party Activity PlayStation Store PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
List of games	List of Nintendo 3DS games	List of PlayStation Vita games

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