First 3DS tech details emerge

The first sketchy details surrounding the possible technology powering Nintendo’s 3DS have arrived courtesy of the Japanese press.

Spotted by Engadget, Asahi claims that the device will indeed use the parallax barrier LCD screen technology from Sharp and not – as was suggested earlier – some sort of motion-sensing trickery.

Parallax barriers work by applying a layer on top of an LCD screen that effectively feeds separate images to each eye. The downside of this technology is that a player must have the device positioned very specifically for it to work effectively. This could be a big problem for home console users (hence the lack of parallax-based 3DTVs), but not so much for portable users.

Nikkei adds that the 3DS will include two four-inch screens – slightly smaller than the 4.2 inch screens seen on the DSi XL. The paper also claims that the device will also use one of two ‘3D control sticks’, which more likely than not will take the form of one or two analogue nubs similar to those seen on the PSP.

New control methods are also said to have been patented. Expect improved wi-fi speeds and battery life, too.