Nintendo has given an indication of the battery life we can expect from its much-anticipated 3DS console.
According to estimates revealed by the platform holder at its Nintendo World event in Japan yesterday, you'll get three to five hours of battery life whilst playing a 3DS game with the backlighting turned down.
However, that figure increases to in-between five and eight hours if you're playing a standard DS game.
It takes 3.5 hours for a 3DS battery to fully charge.
Kotaku reports that the figures don't tell the full story, however, as 'the more you increase the screen's brightness, the bigger the hit the 3DS' battery life will take'.
Nintendo 3DS launches in Japan next month and in Europe and the US during March. We're expecting an official EU and North America release date will be announced on January 19.
I don't know where Kotaku is getting their info, but the official spec page gives 3-5 hours - but it doesn't say that's with the backlight turned down. It doesn't say at what brightness level that's for.
It says:
"3-5 hours when playing 3DS software. 5-8 hours when playing DS software. The battery life varies depending on the brightness of the screen*
*The approximate battery life. May be less depending on operating conditions."
I would suppose based on this that the 3-5 hours isn't based on max brightness, since it says the battery life can be less than this, but it doesn't say it's based on the low brightness setting either.
Either way it is a surprising figure for Nintendo.
more expensive games, shorter battery life, and supposed expensive handheld upfront, is all the more reasons not to buy it in 2011. This is sounding like a costly mistake, or what will appear as pulling a "Sony" with what happened with the ps3 at launch till now.
Battery life doesn't bother me at all as I'll be mostly playing it plugged into the mains anyway. What concerns me more is the pricing. If the Jap prices translate exactly to £ sterling then I might have to re-think a release day purchase. We live in austere times in this part of the world and Nintendo would do well to remember that.
It is sort of funny when you think about it, how much they seem to be going after the PSP market and making decisions that seem in line with what Sony did with PSP at a platform level (power-orientation, hardcore games from third parties, home system ports, more expensive games). Even in control design it's just bringing the DS up to the original PSP standard and no more - I expect another few years of people wishing Nintendo had put a second stick on the system the same way PSP owners have been for the last few years
I am wondering - was Sony's approach really so inspiring? Were their results on the market so impressive to Nintendo to orientate the 3DS so strongly in this kind of direction?
Or is it an acknowledgment on Nintendo's part that it's going to be much tougher to compete for the casual end of the market this time around, and it's safer to try and bet on the hardcore? What, though, if Sony comes out and does the hardcore thing so much better, as they pretty much always have compared to Nintendo?
and this is why I think the psp2 is going to fall flat tbh, the first psp (which I do love btw) has a battery life around that and it effectively means the console isn't portable without taking the charger and plugging it in everywhere I go. I haven't taken it out of the house in months as a result of the poor battery life and if the psp2 is going for, as the rumours suggest, 360 quality graphics its going to have even worse life than this.
Lol, yet again all the techies crawl out from under their rocks and start prophesying doom based on some specs. What constantly amazes me, but never surprises me, is that they completely negate the public need to have their imagination captured and the 3DS most certainly does that. Your general consumer is not gonna look at the box and go "b*****ks to this, it's not as powerful as the Iphone 4 and it's only got 4 hours of battery life", they're gonna go "Bloody hell! It's 3D and I don't need glasses! I can play the Ocarina of Time on it! What? There's a new Mario Kart for it too?! £200? I can just not eat for a week, I'll be too busy playing this!" And I'm sure all the techs will scowl and look down their noses at general consumers while they're having fun with their new toy.
Don't worry lads, the forums will still be open for you to pour your derision on how stupid and pathetic people are, while the rest of us will be down the pub showing off our nice shiny new box of tricks to things called "friends".
techies? none in here mate, we are all enthusiastic about the 3ds because it looks incredible, but a four hour battery life and the fact that its going to cost more than an xbox is very off-putting to a lot of people. I suggest you get off your high horse, calm the f**k down and stop over reacting to a few people who are worried about the battery life.
and this is why I think the psp2 is going to fall flat tbh, the first psp (which I do love btw) has a battery life around that and it effectively means the console isn't portable without taking the charger and plugging it in everywhere I go. I haven't taken it out of the house in months as a result of the poor battery life and if the psp2 is going for, as the rumours suggest, 360 quality graphics its going to have even worse life than this.
Like they'd use the same battery for something that's much more powerful. Besides those are rumors these aren't apparently. But it proves that the 3DS is just a PSP really (maybe slightly more powerful) and in 3D. The 3D will make it sell loads though.
Its alot more powerful than a PSP you only have to look at RE and SF4 to realise this unless your blind.
Anyway all this negativity towards the battery life is stupid at the moment. Like whats been mentioned before these battery life estimates could be having the screens on full brightness with wifi and volume turned all the way up. We wont know for defo how long the battery lasts until we get some one who owns one and has tested this stuff.
From Nintendos website this is the DSI battery chart
Its alot more powerful than a PSP you only have to look at RE and SF4 to realise this unless your blind.
Anyway all this negativity towards the battery life is stupid at the moment. Like whats been mentioned before these battery life estimates could be having the screens on full brightness with wifi and volume turned all the way up. We wont know for defo how long the battery lasts until we get some one who owns one and has tested this stuff.
From Nintendos website this is the DSI battery chart
'' Its alot more powerful than a PSP you only have to look at RE ''
I bet that Resi game that was announced for the PSP a few years ago is this 3DS game so theres that out of the question.
You shouldnt pull facts out of your arse. Just because there was an RE game announced for the PSP years ago doesnt mean this is it. And again nothing on the PSP comes close to the visuals in the new RE game. Capcom have really got to grips with the 3DS and are putting Nintendo themselves to shame in that department.
Like they'd use the same battery for something that's much more powerful. Besides those are rumors these aren't apparently. But it proves that the 3DS is just a PSP really (maybe slightly more powerful) and in 3D. The 3D will make it sell loads though.
did you even read my post, where did I say that sony were going to use the same battery? a more demanding machine needs a more powerful battery, this means that you either get a cheap battery and crap life out of it, or a more expensive machine and better battery life. so if the psp2 is going to be even more demanding then the 3ds then its either going to have a short battery life, or is going to be very expensive, and both of those things are off putting to potential buyers.
Man,there's quite a few bitter psp fanboys in here eh?
Yes, I agree there will be similarities to the psp with some games but its a Nintendo machine remember folks they know the hand held market inside out so rule them out at your own peril.
Nintendo will no doubt set the standard of what types of games work for the 3DS then the rest will follow suit & that battery life suits me fine as I tend only to play a hand held for a few hours anyway.......& mostly I don't play them outside or on public transport.
I expect another few years of people wishing Nintendo had put a second stick on the system the same way PSP owners have been for the last few years
The gyro sensor & touch screen says hello.
Also if Nintendo have a smaller redesign in mind (inevitable) they may have no choice but replace the gyro sensor with a second thumb slider.
I guess it says a lot about the level of innovation expected from nintendo that this is some kind of criticism, when Sony and MS have never released a console that is anything more than a more powerful version of what came before (this applies to most Nintendo consoles too). Yet for Nintendo they're expected to reinvent the wheel somehow.
And battery technology issn't progressing as fast as processor tech, so we are going to find these issues increasingly more important with handhelds. They should have battery packs that you can swap around, would solve a lot of problems but these battery specs are still better than my Game Gear. I had a car adaptor and rechargable power pack for that (nearly the same size as the GG itself!) to avoid spending about £10/day on AA batteries!
Ric, no one thinks Nintendo should reinvent the wheel! Anyway, I think glasses-free 3D is pushing that boundary, even if it would be useless for helping to move your cart along. We're just a little disappointed by the battery life, is all.
Although if what people say about the DSi having the same life holds then I have no problem.
Imagine the furore regarding battery life had this site been about when the Game Gear was released? Battery schmattery. I'll be using this indoors as I never use *spit* public transport. Too much riff raff.
Ric, no one thinks Nintendo should reinvent the wheel! Anyway, I think glasses-free 3D is pushing that boundary, even if it would be useless for helping to move your cart along. We're just a little disappointed by the battery life, is all.
Although if what people say about the DSi having the same life holds then I have no problem.
It's cool, I wasn't referring to you dude - I'm a bit disappointed at it too! Just some of the more predictable posts from some of the more predictable members on here saying it's just like the PSP, as if Nintendo were supposed to do more!
I agree about the 3D too. I think it's a big deal, even though I'm not that into it. Makes a change from just making it more powerful.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Besides those are rumors these aren't apparently.
