3DS close to 360 and PS3 quality

The victory of the DS over PSP in the current handheld generation proves amongst many things that graphics are not the be all and end all – so claims that the upcoming 3DS will boast processing power on par with current home consoles certainly raise eyebrows.

IGN claims to have word from several developers” saying that the 3DS has processing capabilities that far exceed the Nintendo Wii and bring the device with abilities that are close to HD consoles such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360”.

Of all the pre-E3 rumours doing the rounds, this one is perhaps less plausible than many.

Though the success of the high-specced (and equally high-priced iPhone) shows that consumers will spend big on pocket devices if the perceive the value as being there, a high-end 3DS would certainly indicate a change of tact for Nintendo.

Furthermore, with even the likes of Xbox 360 and PS3 unable to go 3D without graphical compromise thanks to high processor demands the technology requires, for a 3D handheld to boast graphics of this nature it would internal power beyond anything we’ve seen in the sector before.

Nonetheless, handheld rival Sony indicated to MCV just last month that the iPhone has changed the handheld landscape – and increased the amount gamers will spend on portable devices.

I think in handheld over all the industry is at a bit of a tipping point SCE UK sales director Mark Howsen stated. We’re seeing a trend whereby consumers are relatively accepting of the fact that they have to buy high-price hardware.”