Nintendo 3DS dissected like a dead frog

iFixit dismantle another new gadget

3 March 2011 14:27 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Ever wondered what the inside of a games console that is capable of letting you play 3D games looks like? Thought you had, and so did the chaps at iFixit who’ve been busy once again, taking apart the latest and greatest gadgets so we don’t have to.

This week it’s the turn of the Nintendo 3DS to get the X-ray without the X-ray bit.

Flown in from Japan especially, the Nintendo 3DS received a 5 out of 10 repairability score, mainly for the extreme difficulty in accessing the top half of the unit.

But what did they learn? Well apart from the fact that it’s probably put together by robots rather than humans, the 3DS' top display produces 3D images through the use of parallax. Let us explain: a layer in the top LCD responds to adjustments in the 3D slider and changes the image slightly between each of the viewer's eyes. When it is viewed from the recommended distance, the image appears to be 3D.

Unlike previous DS consoles, the entire back cover of the 3DS comes off as one piece rather than having a small door to access the battery. This makes for a cleaner look, but also means that replacing the battery will take a little longer.

For a full piece by piece dissection zip over to iFixit.com

Full tags

Gaming, iFixit, Nintendo 3DS