If you were not already aware, the N3DS is set to release a web browser come June 7th in conjunction with the release of its eShop. This web browser will allow users to surf the Internet on the go, or at least a small percentage of the Internet.

The Nintendo 3DS Blog spotted an official specs note on the official Nintendo site wrapper that show Adobe Flash or HTML5 will NOT be supported by the browser, if the translation is correct. What does this mean? Well these missing essentials will means that 3DS owners won’t be able to access to a lot of online content, browser games or even YouTube (you can access that on the Wii)!

This does seem to follow Nintendo’s previous web browsers and their need to protect their cute, family friendly reputation with kids and their parents. However it really does make you wonder why Nintendo got into online services in the first place. With the N3DS, we expected that they would have bring a lot more user friendly online experiences and with more mature franchises like Resident Evil getting exclusive releases for the handheld, more would be done to make it appeal to the average gamer. This also does not fair well for what we can expect from the online side of Project Café, however I do hope I’m proven wrong.

As someone who would have liked to keep up with a lot of online stuff via twitter etc on their 3DS, I would have hoped for a far better web browser.Having decent online access is a major part of every day life these days and it would have made sense for Nintendo to give us a great web browser rather than just the bare bones of one.

Did you expect a lot more from the N3DS’s online capabilities when it came to surfing the web? Do you really care or will you be too busy playing games?

http://sticktwiddlers.com/2011/06/02/news-no-flash-or-html5-support-for-the-3ds-web-browser/

they claim it as news but I will post it as Rumor...better wait for info from Ninty themselves. and I'm a tech noob :P so can someone tell me what's the deal with html5? pros or cons of not having it?

The latest version of netfront supports (some) HTML5 and plugins like Flash Lite. Either 3DS is going to use an older version, or there's a mistake somewhere.

that's a good sign then :) good I put this as rumor. and they can enable such features via apps later on am I correct?

Well, this is all assumption, but it may also be a customised version of the browser. So who knows until someone gets hold of it to test. The proof will be in the pudding!

and the pudding will be on the table in less than a week! :D

we need a youtube app, at least!

this is bad  : (

Nintendo enhanced 3DS with so many communication features, it's stupid to have a browser without youtube or facebook

Give me NETFLIX!

Nintendo themselves have said it won't have Flash plug in.

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/06/02/nintendo_3ds_browser/

Hopefully it's a typo.

Flash is so resource intensive that it isn't included in a lot of mobile devices.   Flash Lite is a possibility though (Wii uses it).

I would expect a later version to include HTML5 support.  MUGEN, they can update the browser via firmware or simply offer a new version of the browser in the eShop later.

The benefits of HTML5 are that it works as a replacement for Flash (so long as the site is coded for it) making it much easier on mobile devices...hell, all devices really.  

As for Facebook, it used Flash for games and video.  You can still use the 3DS browser for standard Facebook uses.