Should You Buy The 3Ds Now?

            Should you buy the 3DS?

This is the no doubt the next gen handheld console era. Mobile hardware has improved to such a point where it is now possible to play the next gen console quality games on a portable console. But the question still remains, as is with the iteration of a new console: which one should you buy?

In order to make decision on a new handheld, you must first look at the specs. The value of a gaming console is easily weighed by more features you can get at the same or lower pricepoint. And feature wise, 3DS does indeed win in this aspect. Why? Because of the primary point that is priced lower, filled with more features! The 3DS is now CURRENTLY priced at $169 down from $250! A big difference from the vita, which is priced at $249. The big price difference is due to the graphics horsepower of the vita. But should graphics alone be the main keypoint in getting a console? Lets look at the features.

The 3DS is not completely underpowered. Under its hood, it features a Digital Media Studios Pica 200 Gpu, which packs quite a punch. You only have to look at resident evil revelations to have a glimpse of what beast is capable of.  So therefore, the 3DS is quite powerful. It does sport the latest rendering features such as shaders, which look awfully similar to pixel  shaders 4. Now the main feature of this console obviously the first two characters of the console’s name: 3D! This is what sets the 3DS apart from the vita. 3D stereoscopic vision. Not only does 3D visuals make the gameplay more interactive and fun, but it also adds a new dimension to gaming. The visuals literally seem to ‘pop out’ of the screen. And, its glasses free 3D, meaning you won’t need those clunky glasses to experience 3D visuals.

The controls have improved a massive bit as, the 3DS features new additions. Along with the traditional  a,b,x ,y and the dpad, there is an analog stick right below the dpad. Not only that, but there’s also a Motion sensor and a gyroscope! And let’s not forget the 3inch touchscreen on the bottom. So as you see, there’s four different ways to play games. The  shoulder pads are pretty much the same as on the older ds models, except they feel more tactile. The looks of the console are real sleek and nice. The 3DS feels good to hold and is easy to get grasp of.  The games at the moment are pretty good. New iterations of Zelda, pilotwings 3D, streetfighter 4 3D,metal gear solid sake eater 3D, asphalt 6 3D, resident evil revelations, need for speed the run, driver renegade(3DS version of driver 3) certainly do make the 3DS a worthy console. Many other great games are about to e announced. And there are talks of battlefield 3 being ported to 3DS! So the gaming lineup is definitely not bad at all. One good thing about the 3DS is  the additional features that you also get with it. The 3D stereoscopic  camera is a great feature.  One real neat thing is that a 2gb sd card is included with the 3DS. It comes in real handy. Streetpass  is something that syncs your player details with any other 3DS users that passes by. Augmented reality uses the camera to project images and details from AR  cards which are then used to compile a new game. They are kinda fun sometimes.

So there you have it. all that you need to know in order to make your decision about buying a 3DS. What more could you want from a next gen handheld console that costs   $80   less than the playstation vita?