What will Nintendo's next handheld be like?

[charlesr]

Will it have 3D? Will have dual screens? Will it be an always on device that streams games like OnLive? Will it do GT3? Will it make toast? Will it have a D-Pad? Will it print money?

[Neon Ignition]

I think, barring some shock fad coming up the Vita will be a fair representation of what the 3DS2 will be like but with Dual Screens in 3D. Nintendo tend to keep it little behind the curve by using the current console innards so the WiiU in minature. Probably something quite conservative for the big N as there's a real possibility they'll be the only handheld on market.

[nakamura]

I think it will still be DS but with a better touch screen and no 3D on the top screen as it hasn't proven to be a system seller.
Dual circle pad too and probably about a large as an XL to start with.

[CMcK]

I think it will be a dual screen version of the WiiU tablet with an entire WiiU inside. Download only of course.
Why else did they release such a low power system last year? A mere die shrink away from being portable.

[briareos_kerensky]

I don't think Nintendo will go download only for their next portable and even home consoles. At least not until they get a decent username system like any other online system on this planet. And their servers get a bit faster, downloading Lego City now and it's sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooow.
Anyway, two screens, 50% chance of getting the upper 3D. Will launch in a hurried way, with underdeveloped hardware and will have an hardware revision shortly after one year. Double analog stich, clamshell design, DS/3DS backward compatibility.

[Dogg Thang]

It won't have any buttons and instead will be controlled by a Kinect-style camera. 3D will be dropped. They'll call it the DS-x and will wonder why people are confused about whether it plays old DS games or not. It will require an update every 20 minutes but the plus side is that it will be fully integrated with Nintenbook, Nintendo's own social network. You get stars every time you recommend a game to someone.

[teddymeow]

I seem to remember reading somewhere Iwata saying they won't use 3D next time.

[PeteJ]

I think it will be a software application that sits on any handset or console. A bit like Steam.

As soon as developers find a good way to control games on a touch screen I cannot see any reason for anyone to own a separate handheld.

[Party boy]

It won't have any buttons and instead will be controlled by a Kinect-style camera. 3D will be dropped. They'll call it the DS-x and will wonder why people are confused about whether it plays old DS games or not. It will require an update every 20 minutes but the plus side is that it will be fully integrated with Nintenbook, Nintendo's own social network. You get stars every time you recommend a game to someone.

People would be confused whatever you called it, you either know what the situation is or you don't. iPad's, iPhone's and iPod Touch's all have numbers and different names, but that doesn't mean games won't work on one just because the number or name is different - though they might not.

There's a definite logic to making a portable Wii U, but Nintendo seem to prefer to keep home consoles and hand held's seperate. I could see the top screen being like a Vita's, but the bottom screen being like all the other Nintendo touch screens, which I quite like. I imagine it'd have two analogue stick's and at least 8 buttons, maybe analogue triggers and the power of a Wii U, even if it couldn't play Wii U games.

It's a bit early to be talking about a new one though isn't it?

[Brad]

As soon as developers find a good way to control games on a touch screen .

If I could just stop you right there. Lol.

[Party boy]

I think it will be a software application that sits on any handset or console. A bit like Steam.

As soon as developers find a good way to control games on a touch screen I cannot see any reason for anyone to own a separate handheld.

There is no good way for traditional games though, unless they're really simple, that's the problem. You can only touch the screen with your thumb's if you hold it naturally, and you can't feel where virtual buttons are. So realistically you can have an analogue stick or one button for each thumb, and that's it.

[ETC]

I don't think there will be one, think the 3ds will be the last for at least the next 5-10 years

[J0e Musashi]

Listen to this man... Call yourself gamers? You can have a different coloured light each by Christmas...

[PeteJ]

There is no good way for traditional games though, unless they're really simple, that's the problem. You can only touch the screen with your thumb's if you hold it naturally, and you can't feel where virtual buttons are. So realistically you can have an analogue stick or one button for each thumb, and that's it.

Not possible yet, but one day! Buttons could raise out of the screen. Sounds crazy but the technology is closer than you think.

[Decider-VT]

I should hope not. I like consistency in my control interfaces. I'd rather have companies conforming to a pre-designed hardware interface than cack-handedly inventing their own.