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Rumor: New 3DS will double RAM and (nearly double) VRAM.

FoneBone

Member
What effect, if any, will this have on preexisting 3DS games? Will they run at a higher framerate? Will they be more stable? Or are the benefits of these hardware upgrades be limited to exclusive titles developed specifically with the new 3DS in mind?

Unless they're specifically patched, my guess would be that previous 3DS games will run in a "compatibility mode" that limits them to the original 3DS' clock speed and RAM.
 
ULTRA 3DS!

Sounds like a fairly solid revision but damn, I already have a 3DS and an XL. Maybe I'll just sell the original or something. :/
 
CPU cores are either clocked faster, or it's employing new ARM cores. It apparently has double the system memory and double the VRAM. It has new buttons and a realigned structure. It already has one exclusive game that can't be played on previous systems.

"Virtually identical" is quite inaccurate.
But new hardware is much more so. Sorry man. I actually really love the idea, design, and name of it, but it's based on meagerly upclocked 3DS hardware with more memory. It's using the same core name. At least in Wii's case it was obviously a new platform even though it was based on earlier hardware.
 
So are people ready to admit that this is finally enough to call it a "new platform"?

- 2nd analog stick
- extra trigger buttons
- more CPU / RAM / VRAM

It's a new platform...


Yeah sure DSi is a new platform too...
You know that this 2nd analog stick and extra triggers are on circle pad pro right ?
 
So are people ready to admit that this is finally enough to call it a "new platform"?

- 2nd analog stick
- extra trigger buttons
- more CPU / RAM / VRAM

It's a new platform...

It's a stop gap. Are you guys too young to have heard of the DSi or Gameboy Color?! They both had better/extra HW but weren't the "next" platform
 

Espada

Member
Unless they're specifically patched, my guess would be that previous 3DS games will run in a "compatibility mode" that limits them to the original 3DS' clock speed and RAM.

Gotcha. That's what I suspected it'd be like, since previous things like the GBC and NDSi didn't offer any kind of performance benefit to titles that weren't tailored to them.
 

TomRL

Banned
Adding the extra shoulder buttons makes me skeptical. Are going to try emulate some console games on the device?
 

Ty4on

Member
Ouch, which games are that low res on Vita? Is there like a list of games with their native-res number?
You can probably google it. A lot of big, early 3D games were non native res to pull more effects, but ended up looking really jagged like Uncharted.

On the bright side 2D games look super sharp.
The Vita can run multiple multitasking apps in parallel (the 3DS can only run one at a time) and the RAM among those apps is managed in a similar way to a smartphone OS. But the RAM reserved for games is fixed and never shared with background apps or OS processes.
It is shared.
BjrWSYG.jpg


Makes browsing much better as I can use 100ppp with GIFs and pictures.
 

Volotaire

Member
Adding the extra shoulder buttons makes me skeptical. Are going to try emulate some console games on the device?

They already added the extra shoulder buttons on the CPP. I guess MH4 and others used those buttons. They're already starting with Xenoblade, I would assume other Gamecube games that used the Z trigger would follow. Perhaps a substitute for the pressure variance of the analogue triggers on the GCN controller.
 
Adding the extra shoulder buttons makes me skeptical. Are going to try emulate some console games on the device?

They are essentially not wanting to have to make another circle pad pro attachment. They integrated the extra stick and buttons directly into the system itself.
 

Kathian

Banned
I suspect the majority of NEW Nintendo exclusives will be ports of console games.

For Europe this will probably launch with MH4
 

Astral Dog

Member
I had no idea the 3DS had such a small amount of RAM. Fucking crazy.

I dont think is that small,if you are comparing itto modern smartphones,ofcourse its awful, but at the resolution the 3DS displays the games and the relatively lower dev costs, its not bad,also its high speed mobile RAM too, of course, more RAM brings benefits like the better browser.

Dont forget that this NOT the true successor to the 3DS line,its comparable to a DSi and exclusive games will be few,even if the upgrades are more prevalent.
 

M3d10n

Member
Actually, the 3DS used 96MB for games and 32MB for the OS, I'm pretty sure.

Those figures come from a picture of a dev 3DS took before launch. The 3DS has multiple memory region layouts. The 96MB+32MB layout is used to run debug builds, which uses more RAM than release builds. The layout used in retail units is 64MB+64MB, as explained at 3dbrew.org. There are three memory regions. Their sizes at the retail layout are:

- APPLICATION: 64MB - games are loaded here
- SYSTEM: 44MB - the home menu and "multitasking" applications are loaded here
- BASE: 20MB - OS processes and services/drivers go here

This means the 3DS browser can only use up to 44MBs of RAM (the home menu is unloaded when you load a multitasking application like the browser or miiverse).

You can probably google it. A lot of big, early 3D games were non native res to pull more effects, but ended up looking really jagged like Uncharted.

On the bright side 2D games look super sharp.

It is shared.
BjrWSYG.jpg


Makes browsing much better as I can use 100ppp with GIFs and pictures.

Wow, I didn't know that. It would be nice is the New 3DS could allow the browser to use the entire RAM if there's no game running. Still, it doesn't change the fact that games are first-class citizens on Vita and they'll have a guaranteed amount of RAM to work with.
 

trixx

Member
This is cool because with this extra power it's likely that we will see GBA and Snes virtual console available for the New 3ds, no excuse now. Quite possibly n64 as well

However I don't get the hype. What games will they release on this console? I'm thinking very few games will be exclusive to it. Newly announced Xenoblade exclusive for the new 3ds, okay cool. But why would I as a wii u owner go out and buy a new 3ds for Xenoblade when i can get the sequel. Many games will likely be on the wii u as well. I don't think i can justify paying 160+ for this "new" console. I don't think there will be a single title that will sell me on it.
 

-Horizon-

Member
Its cool but I'm still not sure if I want to get it. Lets see what exclusives come only to it for now. Then I'll decide.
SMTxFE New 3DS exclusive confirmed
 

KyleCross

Member
So, how much can I get for a slighty used 3DS XL? I only used it to play Resident Evil Revelations and I sure don't need it now.
 

M3d10n

Member
This is cool because with this extra power it's likely that we will see GBA and Snes virtual console available for the New 3ds, no excuse now. Quite possibly n64 as well

However I don't get the hype. What games will they release on this console? I'm thinking very few games will be exclusive to it. Newly announced Xenoblade exclusive for the new 3ds, okay cool. But why would I as a wii u owner go out and buy a new 3ds for Xenoblade when i can get the sequel. Many games will likely be on the wii u as well. I don't think i can justify paying 160+ for this "new" console. I don't think there will be a single title that will sell me on it.

My 3DS is old and it's battery is dying. I'm not buying a new console, I'm buying a revision.
 
The Wii U is more powerful then the Wii/new 3DS though, so that's not an answer.

If you're simply asking if Minecraft could be ported to New 3DS? Almost certainly it could... that said, they have shown very little interest with working with Nintendo so.... yeah wouldn't count on it.
 

18-Volt

Member
This is cool because with this extra power it's likely that we will see GBA and Snes virtual console available for the New 3ds, no excuse now. Quite possibly n64 as well

Wouldn't count on it. 3DS' resolution isn't high enough to emulate neither one of SNES or N64. Maybe GBA, but that's it.
 
Wouldn't count on it. 3DS' resolution isn't high enough to emulate neither one of SNES or N64. Maybe GBA, but that's it.

Err... what?

SNES 256x224 (nearly all games, except a few 'hi-res' 512x224 ones)
N64 320x240 (most games, a few 640x480 exceptions)
3DS 400x240 (x2)

I wouldn't count on N64 simply from a pure processing perspective... but resolution wise? A mostly non-issue.

Is this new 3DS still compatible with DS games?
Yep.
 

chadboban

Member
So, how much can I get for a slighty used 3DS XL? I only used it to play Resident Evil Revelations and I sure don't need it now.

I dunno.There will probably be a trade in program at gamestop or other places like there was with the 3DS XL when it first released. Or you could check out ebay and see how much a used one goes for on there.
 

Sapiens

Member
Simply an amazing upgrade - it answers a lot of my recent complaints of the system - especially the speed of multitasking. It had become downright painful.

Can't wait to own it -> going to be painful to wait until 2015.
 
How big a jump in performance is that? Please, explain like I'm five.

For existing games? Best to expect none. They will likely run in a 'compatibility' mode that disables the features.

For games that are 3DS compatible, but can take advantage of the N3DS, you can likely expect faster loading and better performance (steadier frame rates, less slow down).

For games designed from the ground up for it and aren't 3DS compatible, you can expect much more open areas, more graphical effects, more (any) AA, etc.
 

RobbieNick

Junior Member
It's a stop gap. Are you guys too young to have heard of the DSi or Gameboy Color?! They both had better/extra HW but weren't the "next" platform

DSi is arguable, but I always considered GBC it's own platform even if it shared hardware with it's predecessor.

I hope this comes to the U.S. Soon. I just bought a circle pad pro for my 3DS XL, but my XL already has a crack in the top right so I don't know how much longer it has.
 

MrXavier

Member
Something to keep in mind... The price difference (at this point in time) between 128MB chips they are currently using on 3DS and 256MB chips are probably next to nothing, likewise for the processor. Any additional costs probably come more from the (again rumored) larger battery and the R&D on the design itself.

Besides basic R&D and refitting costs, this is probably costing Nintendo practically nothing to upgrade their current production lines to it.
Sometimes it may even be cheaper. As manufacturers phase out models in their production cycles, older/smaller sized ram chips become more expensive to manufacture.
 

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
I just don't get it. If there are going to be a ton of games that require the new version, why not just go all out and put out the true successor to the 3DS. If there aren't going to be a bunch of game that take advantage of it, what's the point? This whole thing just seems weird to me. I am intrigued to see what comes of it, at least.

You do not need to get a circle pad pro or the nfc pheripheral for your new 3DS
 

rokkerkory

Member
So are people ready to admit that this is finally enough to call it a "new platform"?

- 2nd analog stick
- extra trigger buttons
- more CPU / RAM / VRAM

It's a new platform...

It's a very solid refresh but not a new platform.

Nintendo doesn't want it to be a new platform either so they can club the sales in with current 3DS.
 
Just give me Mario 64 2 or Sunshine 2 since it's apparently never coming to the Wii U. Or a remake of 64! Man I always get so excited when Nintendo announced new hardware.
 

synce

Member
Double RAM and 50% clockrate boost is huge... Like basically 3.5DS. Hopefully it gets a bunch of games to take advantage of it
 
Those figures come from a picture of a dev 3DS took before launch. The 3DS has multiple memory region layouts. The 96MB+32MB layout is used to run debug builds, which uses more RAM than release builds. The layout used in retail units is 64MB+64MB, as explained at 3dbrew.org. There are three memory regions. Their sizes at the retail layout are:

- APPLICATION: 64MB - games are loaded here
- SYSTEM: 44MB - the home menu and "multitasking" applications are loaded here
- BASE: 20MB - OS processes and services/drivers go here

This means the 3DS browser can only use up to 44MBs of RAM (the home menu is unloaded when you load a multitasking application like the browser or miiverse).

Thanks for posting this. This is great information!

If they didn't do anything else with the additional memory, keeping the system menu and browser loaded at the same time would be a significant improvement.
 
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