Your 3DS Is More Than Just A Gaming Handheld… It’s A Way Of Life
The 3DS is a great platform for handheld gaming, giving you unique 3D visuals and plenty of great Nintendo games to keep you occupied. However, did you know that there’s more to the 3DS than just playing games on it? It’s true, handheld gaming is just the beginning of the 3DS experience, offering you plenty of other features right at your fingertips. With everything that most handheld devices are capable of, Nintendo is not one to be shown up by their competitors in the when it comes to entertainment outside of games, either.
First off, the 3DS (like the DSi before it) has a build in camera. This one, though, is a little bit different from previous generations of the handheld in that, much like its gameplay, gives you the option of taking pictures in the same stereoscopic 3D as your games. While it’s outclassed by many commercial grade cameras (at only about 1.6MP for its dual rear and single front facing camera), it makes up for that with its 3D picture functionality, something that would cost significantly more in a camera whose only function is to take photos.
Another great way to use your 3DS is as a music player. With an SD card inserted in the lower slot on your 3DS, you can turn it into a personal music player or a neat DJ station to play music for you and your friends. The 3DS can play any standard MP3 audio files and gives you fun tweaking options like pitch bending, changing music speed, and setting up playlists with your existing music. If you don’t have any music or audio on your 3DS, you can make some with its built in microphone, recording and saving audio files to its SD card.
Aside from its unique hardware features, the 3DS also has several apps you can download to it through the eShop. Like many handheld devices in general, the 3DS can make full use of a Netflix account, meaning you can have your games, music, and movies in one device. While connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can start up the Netflix app and start streaming your favorite movies or TV shows right away. In addition to Netflix, Nintendo is also working on support for a Hulu Plus app as well.
Aside from more general apps, the 3DS also has a few unique apps of its own. One really cool app in particular is called Colors 3D and is most definitely for even the slightly artistically inclined. Turn your 3DS into a canvas and paint using the touchscreen, then see your pictures in 3D when you’ve finished! Even better, you can save your masterpieces and watch them draw themselves as a recording of your work.
Another unique app that the 3DS has is the SwapNote app. It lets you draw personalized notes and messages for your friend then send them over a Wi-Fi connection. You can also send photos and recordings you took with your 3DS camera to send your friends a photo or video message. The 3DS has tons of non-gaming features, which just makes that much more useful for people who don’t want to just buy a gaming handheld.