Nintendo 3DS Price and Release Date Revealed

Kris Erickson • Oct 15, 2010 • Comments ()

When Nintendo's new 3D-enabled handheld launches in February 2011, it's not going to be cheap. In a bizarre reversal of roles, where Sony's most expensive handheld suddenly looks like a bargain, Nintendo's new hardware will cost $299 on launch. We don't yet know when to expect the 3DS in North America, or how much it will cost over here. Nintendo revealed the information in an official document distributed to the press this week. As well as the price and launch date, the materials also gave us some more specifics about the design specifications of the 3DS.

First of all, like the DSi system, the 3DS will come bundled with a suite of free software tools and games. These include 3DS camera tools for taking pictures, a Mii creation studio and plaza where players can interact with others online, and a set of Augmented Reality games that take advantage of the outward-facing camera of the 3DS. There is also a web-browser that can be accessed by pressing the "Home" button on the device, even during gameplay.

Inside the box, customers will find a charging cradle, a 2GB SD card, telescoping metal stylus and six paper cards that are required for playing the aforementioned Augmented Reality games.

Hearing that Nintendo is packing so much value into the box helps to ease our sticker shock, a little. But at $299, this new Nintendo hardware is going to stretch the budget of many gamers who absolutely must have the latest machine (ourselves included). Assuming things remain the same for the North American launch, is this price acceptable to you, or will you be holding out for a better bargain? Let us know in the comments!