Factory Worker Leaks Hi-Res Photos + Video of 3DS
A worker in one of Nintendo’s factories has smuggled a 3DS off the assembly line, and given us a sharp picture to admire. Updated with a third batch of pictures.
You may remember the rough sketch of the 3DS that was leaked by an anonymous blogger many months ago, prior to E3 2010. Today, an employee from a factory manufacturing 3DS handhelds has snitched one from the line and taken it home – only to show it off to the Internet, of course.
The picture was supposedly posted on this forum, but the original thread has long since vanished. However, the moderators clearly weren’t quite fast enough, as the picture has already been saved and immortalized by eager fans.
As you can see, it’s a clear photograph of the “Cosmo Black”-coloured 3DS. Although the image’s compression may interfere a little, you can get a nice look of the texture of the system just by looking at it. This is most likely the final design of the 3DS, which actually differs slightly from the allegedly final version Nintendo showed us on September 29. The “Select,” “Home,” and “Start” buttons appear to have been flattened to sit flush with the touchscreen’s border. Other than that, though, it’s the exact same 3DS you’ve been seeing for the past few months.
Source: Twitter
UPDATE: We’ve got a new batch of photos, which we’ve posted below for your viewing pleasure.
The new images contain several tidbits of interesting information, like the confirmation of 96 MB of RAM, a good idea of the system’s size relative to past Nintendo handhelds, and a massive 1300 mAh battery (for comparison, the DS Lite had 1000 mAh while the DSi has just 840). The 3DS in these pictures sadly doesn’t appear to have any software installed on it, so we probably won’t be getting any leaked game screenshots or anything of the like out of this.
Source: TGBus.com
UPDATE 2: Well, well, the leak continues! Now, we’ve got a crystal-clear video, too! Check it out!
UPDATE 3: This leak just doesn’t want to slow down. At Nintendo 3DS Blog, they’ve just come across another batch of pictures. They’re not as great-looking as the ones above, but they’re still worth a look.
Source: PC Games via Nintendo 3DS Blog
UPDATE 4: shatteredempathy from our forums has linked us to a third batch of photos. Will these leaks ever stop? Some people are starting to think that this may be a carefully-planned publicity stunt of Nintendo’s design.
Source: Stage1 (submitted by shatteredempathy)
SWEET!
WOW!
Now i REALLY need a 3DS! I don’t care how much it costs.
first comment!
WOW!
Now i REALLY need a 3DS! I don’t care how much it costs.
Lol i hope whoever did this doesn't get caugth…..respect to him/her….yup its the 3ds as we know it…cant wait!!
wow…unbelievable
"The “Select,” “Home,” and “Start” buttons appear to have been flattened to sit flush with the touchscreen’s border." I have a feeling that that I supported that modification along with others, because when I went to MCM Expo in October I was talk to one of the Nintendo reps about the 3DS while waiting to go on kirby and I remember mentioning to her that the select home and start buttons looked a bit cheap like a mobile phone because of the plastic, and she wrote it down with a bunch of other comments and said she'll pass it on. I'm actually quite surprised that they changed it. This is making me think that we could actually see some DLC in the next mario game lol I emailed them about the easy difficulty from SMG 2 and gave a couple ideas too
Back to the subject
From the looks of things, it's looking better than it did before
Wow, you told them they should change that? Cool…it's great to hear that one of our readers influenced a design decision!
Cheers
Not long til the release now, I may even be able to get an import from Japan however it is very unlikely
I don't see any change to these buttons. I played the 3DS in August and they looked exactly like they do now.
I agree they look the same.
The 'Select', 'Home', and 'Start' buttons should, in my opinion, be touch sensitive instead of physical to add more style and also the touchscreen's border and button plate thing should be all one piece. That ugly line splitting the two is annoying, and they could have easily had it as one piece
lol i'm a bit obsessive compulsive so I pick up on these things 
96MB RAM = 3x the PSP
Very nice.
2 x the gamecube
Actually only the first PSP model has 32MB. The others have 64MB. So it's not 3x the PSP's.
NGP (PSP2) has 1GB RAM = 10x the 3DS
Even nicer.
I never realised how naked the bottom of the system was!
I think they just took the bottom panel off the console to get the photos of the batery
That is without the bottom plate of the system, they never got a chance to put the bottom peice on before he stole it, so no that is not what the final product will look like and this guy couldn't be a little more patient and actually get a completed one, the ignorance of some people!
lol
The only reason the 3ds looks like that is because the bottom of it was screwed off to show us what the inside looks like.
@Alex
3DS also has 4 MB of VRAM compared to PSP’s 2 MB.
However…
PSP slims/Gos have 64 MB of RAM, 4 MB of VRAM.
The PSPhone/Zeus has 512 MB of RAM.
PSP2 is rumored to have 1024 MB of RAM.
PSP only reserves 5 MB for the OS.
3DS has to reserve more since it has an in-game web browser.
Comparing processing power:
PSP has 2, 333 MHz processors compared to 3DS’s 2, 266 MHz processors.
PSP’s GPU runs at 166 MHz, and 3DS’s 133 MHz.
This have more ram than gc or wii! (GC has 24MB+16MB, WII has 64+24MB, I think), It has lower resolution and with shaders, some powerfull arm processor, and up tu 8BG cartidges . As a hardware is not much, but in comparation what they did in gc, ds, wii, they can make fantastic games in 3ds.
The 96 MB of RAM were a pleasant surprise to me, too; earlier rumours pegged it at just 64, but now we know that's not true. For a handheld, the hardware under the 3DS's hood is actually quite impressive – it's rare to see a such a portable device with a completely dedicated GPU, and one as capable as the Pica 200 at that.
OMG i wonder if he is getting fired or not because all he was doing was showing us how spectacular it is.this is bound to make more demand for the console meaning more much needed money for nintendo:)
I wouldn't go as far as to call it spectacular. It impressive, but that's about it.
next stop prison cause nintendo take these things seriously, do remember that corocoro waorker went to jail for leaking pokemon black and white.
I remember that man from Corocoro. Sadly, companies like Nintendo will go to great extents to protect their trademarks and "secret" products until they think they're ready.
But on the bright side, a massive leak like this = a massive surge of buzz for said product, which translates into more publicity and sales for them. So it's far from a complete loss from Nintendo.
This guy isn't a huge criminal, and neither was the guy from Corocoro. But at the end of the day, unfortunately, it is illegal, and Nintendo by all means can ensure they make it to Prison. I disagree with it, but I guess Nintendo have a right to prosecute or whatever
I feel sorry for the guy though, he just wanted to show the world what the 3DS would look like!
Does it really have 96MB ram and 1300 mAH battery?!?!?!?!?
Yep. You'd better believe it.
96MB really isn't that impressive you know….their are phones coming out now with 10x that. 1300mAH isn't anything special either considering the size.
Wait, I'm not that good with understanding these kind of things. Does this mean the battery life will be longer than we thought it would be (smaller than the ds series)?
Probably not. Nintendo said at E3 that the 3DS's battery life will be around the DSi's. However, the 3DS's extra horsepower and 3D screen use a lot more energy than that does, so a larger battery is required to maintain the same length of battery life. Hope that clears it up for you.
Ahhh maaaan… too bad, but still, it's got a charging dock….thnx anyway.
well a lot of other devices have a lot worse battery life. The itouch only lasts for a little more than an hour
1300mAh isn't that surprising considering my £80 phone has 1500mAh
I love the way he's playing the Mario theme tune in the background :L
I think the D pad looks like it is in a really awkward place. I think they should have put the 3D slider below it.
im sure its been tested and it will feel right once we get our hands on it!
This is going to be fantastic! I really cannot wait to get my hands on the 3ds! I was wondering if nintendo will allow uk customers to try it out before the release date?
… Is this legal?
Wow, that is something.
nope… it's not legal in any way.
I was being sarcastic, that's why I put this,
This an SDK version. '-'
Fall in the hands of hackers would be the first step for the creation of a Flashcart. I wonder what kind of anti-piracy protections the 3DS have…
Well, he removed the video.
the video is gone!
OK!!! WHO REMOVED THE VIDEO!!!!! (cuz i didnt get to see it !)
It looks more like the one he stole does not have a bottom cover yet. Keep in mind he stole this from the line. This will give Nintendo a good idea where in the line to look for the thief. Not very bright to show off that part in my opinion. Hopefully this is just a ruse by Nintendo to raise hype. If not, this worker stole a $300 peice of hardware from one of the largest gaming companies in the world prior to release. The person is screwed.
ram could be 64mb plus 32mb or a 128mb lump and 32mb reserved for O.S or 32mb gpu 64mb main ram.
im thinking its more likely a 128mb ram and 32mb is for os and background and sound purposes and there’s a 4mb gpu buffer we shall see soon enough as for anti piracy didnt nintendo explain all of that at a 3DS conference a few months back jesus dude you got a short memory
they explained the 3DS updating system months ago
The video was remove :'(, but i saw it
Everyone, I've put up a new video that works.
Thank you Feld0!!!
AWESOME!!
its not nintendo he needs to fear its the factory managment its 1 theft and 2 a embarrassing to them,, as it now has to be explained to nintendo (unless a leak by nintendo for pre 3ds show hype) and laws and punishments are high stake in china,,lets hope his leaking on a open wifi signal not his own in his own name and address…just seems to be very close to the press event hhmmmmm maybe some hype ,before the original DS press event the specs were leaked and its code name nitro and the cart size so take with a pinch of salt..
96mb ram looks like its 128mb 32mb for o.s and some kind of gpu catch ram involved..
i cant wait to see what the 19th has in store! (wait it is January 19th when more info is released… isn't it?)
)
NOW THE QUESTION REMAINS! WILL IT HOLD UP TO THE STANDARDS WE HAVE GIVEN IT! (o'course it will
Actually, there is a Nintendo World event in Japan January 8-10, but January 19 (the European and American equivalents) they will probably announce release date and price in EU and USA)
I wonder if anymore pics will come up?
I wonder, too; though there have been an awful lot already. If I find any more, you can be sure I'll add them in.
I'm glad I could help the site with some news btw
It's very much appreciated. We love it when our readers give us things to write about; and I'm happy to say that were one of those sites on which we read our own forums. If you hear anything else, let me know about it! ;P
hey do you guys think I might be able to help scout out more news?
Of course! If you know or hear about anything news-worthy, feel free to link to it in the comments, post it on our forums, or email us anytime.
What colour 3DS is everyone here getting?
Blue! (Y)
I was originally leaning to the Cosmo Black, but I've since decided I want the Blue
all my consoles are either black, or blue, or silver/white… so… i'm thinking… blue… for my n64 is blue, so i'm stayin with the nintendo vibe…
Guys, anybody notice that the bottom left photo on update 4, the analog stick/3d slider is a different colour??
heh heh, looks a bit too awesome now… xD what i mean is all these pictures… makes it look planned… but i hope that i am wrong xD
@DS Maguire- I notices that too, but in that pic the start and select buttons also look a little more plasticy like they did with the first “final model” I think that’s one pic that wasn’t taken by the Nintendo worker. Also, did anyone else notcie there was more than one guy who helped make the video? When the 3DS’s screen is opened, you see two hands holding the camera, yet at the same time there were the two hands touching the 3DS… Hollywood wizardry?? I think not, it looks to me more like the luckiest friend in the world!
This is great, I wake up today and its like the 2 updates, and as the day goes by MORE!! Best Day ever, I just hope nothing bad comes from this leak like sony stealing Info from the Nintendo 3DS to add it to the psp2 or R43ds cards I dont want bad things to happen to the Nintendo 3DS ;___; hope its reallly hard to crack, maybe bye the 4 or 5 year there able to and untill then Nintendo stays ontop ^_____^
when is nintendo world 2011 on again? im all cuffufled…
By the way, thanks for this info and pictures…
although this whole thing just doesn't seem right… they stole it?
I mean if he was part of a nintendo factory, he could of just told
his friends and the whole entire world… something seems fishy here…
That it was stolen is the most plausible theory at this point. I agree that it's starting to sound a little fishy, especially after the fourth leak; but for us, the end result is that we've got a bunch of beautiful pictures to drool over until Nintendo World, when I'm sure they'll release more.
I heard that the DSi has 16 MB of RAM…
I wonder if 96 mb ram is just the mode for backward compatibility since the game in the 3DS is mario 64 DS.
I found this on wikipedia : "Developers reported the console enters one of two modes for running software; a native mode, allowing access to the system's extra processing and memory resources for DSi-exclusive software and a compatibility mode for software able to run on DS and DS Lite consoles."
the nintendo 3ds could feature a similar native mode
im happy with the flattened home button, it looks better!
If this guy was heading to prison, he is now heading for the electric chair lol:P
Does anybody wonder if this IS a carefully-planned publicity stunt of Nintendo’s design? XD
Obviously the back plate in't on as he snatched it off the production line before it was finished. It looks awesome xD
I feel like the "production" models that we saw had a black joy-stick, not that weird white..? It totally throws the feel of the device.
The "production" models you're referring to are the September 29 ones, right? I can confirm that those had white slide pads.
hi there yeah 96 mb of ram vs wii 88 mb ram 4 mb video ram vs wii 3 mb of ram soo 100 mb ram vs 91 mb of ram and 1.5 gb ir 2 gb internal flash memory is more then wii also soo it looks like nintendo 3ds coukd be more power full then wii
Its totally smaller than the other ds's I'm suprised I thought it would be giant
It's actually bigger than the DSi, about the size of a DS lite, maybe a bit bigger.
Do you think he stole all that stuff from Nintendo?
Hmmm…has anyone else noticed that there are 2 people taking the video shot? There's the one moving the 3DS around…showing it off…and then when he opens it up to turn on SM64…you can clearly see another person holding a digital camera in 2 hands reflected in the screen. I wish the video had gone on longer so we could have seen how the screens looked actually running something, though. lol…
hi there 3ds 4 life what are you talking about what you mean by it is smaller then other ds systems for a hand held portable console you do want small but not too small or too big dsi xl is way too big for pockets dsi or ds lite are more portable but ds is too small i think nintendo 3ds is perfect size not too big not too small i have a nintendo dsi a sony psp at 4.3 inches but i can not travel with it it is way too big soo i also got a sony psp go with a smaller screen size and more portable thats why i use iphone 4 nintendo dsi psp go
Can you put the ds lite battery in the 3ds when you get it to make the battery longer?
Also does anyone have a link for the video on youtube? It isnt working for me
Does anyone notice that the touch screen seems very square than rectanguler? Or is that because of the angle it was taken at?
I hope if i get one it actually has an OS
hope it comes out pretty soon, love the dsxli but cant wait for 3d.!
it cant be any thing but a publicity stunt because if you look really close the picture at the top of the page the bottom next to the touch screen is normal but in the video if you look at the same place its glazed and shiny so either this is a publicity stunt and he got 2 3ds's or he stole 2 3ds's it is very unlikely that he stole 2 3ds's as he would have had heaps of trouble just getting 1 so the only possible eplanation is that its a publicity stunt another thing is that update 4 bottom left photo the slide pad is a different color which is more evidence that the only explanation is that it was all set up and this is just a publicity stunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 : )
I… Did not understand what you said, lol.
Incredible. What a dumb move to make. A bold move to show it to everyone instead of devious deeds like sending it off to sony so that they can reverse-engineer it.
128mb of RAM and a 1500mAH battery would have been nice, but it still looks great so whatever :L
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