Hardware Nvidia Tegra chip to be used in 3DS?

[DigitalDeviant]

You guys think that the rumored Nvidia Tegra chip will be used in the Nintendo 3DS? And if so will that mean much better graphics than compared to the current DS?

 

[DeMoN]

There's been tons of speculation that it will. I personally hope so, but Nintendo may play the "gameplay>graphics" card again.

 

[PettingZoo]

I sure hope they do

 

[dinofan01]

The latest IGN Wii podcast pretty much confirms no and its likely to be an ATI card instead. Too lazy to link.

 

[Saddamsdevil]

The latest IGN Wii podcast pretty much confirms no and its likely to be an ATI card instead. Too lazy to link.

Most likely since they use ATI in all recent consoles. (Gamecube and Wii.)

 

[Porobu]

Probably ATI

 

[popoffka]

Yarr, I don't like ATI >_<
But if they'd use something from NVIDIA, that'll really increase console's price.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Probably.

I'd rather it use the Tegra 2. It would have more than enough power, then.

 

[Livin in a box]

Probably.

I'd rather it use the Tegra 2. It would have more than enough power, then.

...and therefore make it even more expensive.

Remember, they need to market the 3DS at around the £100-£150 mark, otherwise you might as well go buy a 360 for £180 (or whatever price it will be at next year), so they don't want to over-complicate and have it like the PSPgo, launching at £220. Otherwise it just won't sell.

 

[VmprHntrD]

Look all I know for a fact and you have no reason to believe me, but I do know the system should put out a visual level in the range of the Gamecube along with this '3D' style they're going with it too. I was told this just because my brother works for a branch of THQ and they get to see these things far earlier than we do.

 

[Mechachu]

Look all I know for a fact and you have no reason to believe me, but I do know the system should put out a visual level in the range of the Gamecube along with this '3D' style they're going with it too. I was told this just because my brother works for a branch of THQ and they get to see these things far earlier than we do.

April Fools!

 

[granville]

The latest IGN Wii podcast pretty much confirms no and its likely to be an ATI card instead. Too lazy to link.

With all due respect, that was not only IGN we're talking about, but it's also their opinion. It wasn't the guy quoting some Nintendo rep, he just "thought" it would use Tegra. And lets please remember that at times, IGNorance knows no bounds with them.

I'm more curious that IF the 3DS does indeed have "Gamecube caliber graphics", how they intend to handle the back compatibility. Even with a chip like Tegra or whatever, they can't just emulate the old DS/DSi hardware. And Tegra or even a new chip wouldn't be automatically be compatible with the old DS hardware either. And I seriously doubt they intend to include a new fancy GPU chip AND the old DS hardware. If they did, that would present us with 3 problems. First, that would be very crowded inside the system and it would seriously hinder portability (it would be huge trying to fit DS/DSi/3DS hardware all in one system). Secondly, it would be very inefficient in terms of power and battery life, even in regards to heat management. Thirdly, all that hardware would definitely cost a ton. Cramming in both DS and 3DS hardware would be very expensive, and we the consumers would be pinned with that bill.

I hate to say it, and as always, I would love to be proven wrong (really, i would this time, i WANT a gamecube portable lol), but i think the new 3DS will just be another step in the DS/DSi overclocking thing they have going on. Whatever power the new system has, i seriously doubt it would be powerful enough to emulate the old DS/DSi. And I doubt they can cram all the bones of the DS/DSi/3DS in together without serious size, heat, power, and price issues. Maybe Nintendo knows something i don't about technology or whatever, and lets hope they do. But knowing them, i wouldn't put it past them to just offer it up as an even further overclocked DSi (which in itself is an overclocked DS). There is hope though, since the system is being marketed as a "DS successor" and not just a minor upgrade or whatever. Still too early to tell, and i'm just using my own logic here, which can be crushed.

Just remember everyone that we don't really know ANYTHING about 3DS besides that it has non-glasses 3D tech and works with old DS/DSi games. Any other info as of now, can very well be complete rubbish. That includes what i said above and what anyone else says.

 

[Rydian]

We also know the development kits are easier to use for developers that are used to developing on the gamecube (and presumably the wii), so we should end up with games that play more like their wii counterparts.

Nothing about the power, THAT is just people guessing, nothing said it will be as powerful as the GC.

 

[popoffka]

If it'll be similar to GC and Wii in development, then we can suggest that it'll have only one CPU, not two (arm9 & arm7) like DS or DSi. And that will also lead us to problems with backwards compatibility - how are they going to emulate two portable CPUs using only one?

 

[Bumpman]

If it'll be similar to GC and Wii in development, then we can suggest that it'll have only one CPU, not two (arm9 & arm7) like DS or DSi. And that will also lead us to problems with backwards compatibility - how are they going to emulate two portable CPUs using only one?

Actually the wii has an arm9(I think) processor in the hollywood chip alongside it's cpu.

 

[Depravo]

There's been tons of speculation that it will. I personally hope so, but Nintendo may play the "gameplay>graphics" card again.

I hope that's the card they'll always play. Why would anybody want it the other way around?

 

[Win]

There's been tons of speculation that it will. I personally hope so, but Nintendo may play the "gimmicks>graphics" card again.

let me correct you.

i honestly hope they will somehow integrate the tegra chip. i wouldnt care about backwards compatibility as long as i get nice gfx AND gameplay without too many gimmicks.

 

[Rydian]

There's been tons of speculation that it will. I personally hope so, but Nintendo may play the "gimmicks>graphics" card again.

let me correct you.

Mind listing what's so gimmicky that DS games in general incorporate?
Of course, I will be judging it based on a dictionary definition of "gimmick".

 

[TM2-Megatron]

The latest IGN Wii podcast pretty much confirms no and its likely to be an ATI card instead. Too lazy to link.

With all due respect, that was not only IGN we're talking about, but it's also their opinion. It wasn't the guy quoting some Nintendo rep, he just "thought" it would use Tegra. And lets please remember that at times, IGNorance knows no bounds with them.

I'm more curious that IF the 3DS does indeed have "Gamecube caliber graphics", how they intend to handle the back compatibility. Even with a chip like Tegra or whatever, they can't just emulate the old DS/DSi hardware. And Tegra or even a new chip wouldn't be automatically be compatible with the old DS hardware either. And I seriously doubt they intend to include a new fancy GPU chip AND the old DS hardware. If they did, that would present us with 3 problems. First, that would be very crowded inside the system and it would seriously hinder portability (it would be huge trying to fit DS/DSi/3DS hardware all in one system). Secondly, it would be very inefficient in terms of power and battery life, even in regards to heat management. Thirdly, all that hardware would definitely cost a ton. Cramming in both DS and 3DS hardware would be very expensive, and we the consumers would be pinned with that bill.

I hate to say it, and as always, I would love to be proven wrong (really, i would this time, i WANT a gamecube portable lol), but i think the new 3DS will just be another step in the DS/DSi overclocking thing they have going on. Whatever power the new system has, i seriously doubt it would be powerful enough to emulate the old DS/DSi. And I doubt they can cram all the bones of the DS/DSi/3DS in together without serious size, heat, power, and price issues. Maybe Nintendo knows something i don't about technology or whatever, and lets hope they do. But knowing them, i wouldn't put it past them to just offer it up as an even further overclocked DSi (which in itself is an overclocked DS). There is hope though, since the system is being marketed as a "DS successor" and not just a minor upgrade or whatever. Still too early to tell, and i'm just using my own logic here, which can be crushed.

Just remember everyone that we don't really know ANYTHING about 3DS besides that it has non-glasses 3D tech and works with old DS/DSi games. Any other info as of now, can very well be complete rubbish. That includes what i said above and what anyone else says.

The GBA managed to provide GB/GBC backwards compatibility by including both the old and new processor; I'm sure that wouldn't have been possible for Nintendo to do in something that size prior. It may be possible now for them to include the ARM7 and ARM9 without adding much to the form factor, although I don't know one way or the other.

Also, if the 3DS uses the Tegra, or Tegra 2; don't they also use ARM processors, just more advanced? I guess it wouldn't be possible for the newer ARM of whichever Tegra to take the place of the ARM9, leaving only the ARM7 (which, being quite old, must be able to be miniaturized quite a bit by now) for Nintendo to include?

 

[Rydian]

The iplayer cart includes a weaker ARM9 in it, even.
http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tms320dm6441.pdf