Rumor: New 3DS will double RAM and (nearly double) VRAM.

[the_dengle]

Vena said:

the_dengle said:

I'm starting to think Nintendo might be eyeing the mobile business model of regular new hardware iterations without true "successors" that render previous iterations immediately obsolete.

This is the same timeframe that the DS-DSLite-DSi had last generation. It doesn't seem like they've changed much of anything in terms of how it has and is being done, then and now.

There are several differences. The DSi didn't change the button configuration of the DS line; the New 3DS adds two buttons and an analog pad. The DSi didn't receive significant exclusive software support from Nintendo; with Xenoblade, New 3DS already has more worthwile exclusive content than the DSi ever had, and Nintendo has promised additional support. DS games didn't benefit much from the additions made to the DSi; New 3DS will not only impact upcoming games, but will retroactively provide a benefit to games that supported the Circle Pad Pro, and to games that support stereoscopic 3D -- almost all of them, in other words. The DSi XL actually made games appear blown up and pixelated, while the New 3DS will do the opposite and improve image quality.

The time frame may be similar, but if one thing is clear it's that Nintendo is absolutely changing the way they're going about their mid-generation remodel. This represents a much more significant improvement over the 3DS than the DSi was over the DS Lite, mainly because Nintendo seems to be committed to actually making the upgrade worthwhile with exclusive games not possible on the older hardware.