How the 3DS might work

The entire games industry has been knocked off its stride with the surprise announcement of a true successor to the Nintendo DS this morning – and a video on Nintendo Japan’s site might offer a hint at how the new device will work.

Nintendo has stated that 3D glasses will not be needed to play 3DS games. This could either mean that the upcoming machine will employ cutting edge – and extremely expensive – new 3D screen technology, or that some kind of other trickery is involved.

And considering Nintendo’s historical reluctance to use high-end spec in its new hardware, the former option is unlikely.

The video below demos the use of the DSi’s camera to create a mock 3D effect. The camera is able to track the movement of the handheld and this information is then used to manipulate the image, tricking the user into believing they’re seeing a 3D image.

Thanks to Twitter user @pjmaybe for pointing out the video – check it out below the ad: