3DS date and price reveal in September

By Robert Purchese Published 29 July, 2010

Nintendo pinpoints 29th.

Nintendo will reveal the date and price of the 3DS in Japan on 29th September 2010.

The Mario maker poinpointed the date to Bloomberg Japan (via GamesIndustry.biz).

Nintendo revealed the 3DS at E3 in June. We were told the dazzling new handheld would be here in 2011.

Professional guessers (read: analysts) have predicted that the 3DS will cost between $249 and $299 (£159/£191). I'm putting my money on £159.99. What say you?

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • clearblue #1 2 years ago

    Hmmm. A countdown to a countdown. Saucy

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #2 2 years ago

    $300 ! god i hope there wrong, i know it does 3D but pricing it the same as a PS3 ouch!

  • geeza2020 #3 2 years ago

    I've never understood how a handheld can sell at these sort of prices. Obviously they do sell, i just don't know why. Its far too expensive for something i would only use while commuting, when i'm at home i prefer to use a console.

    /shrugs

  • MiniAmin #4 2 years ago

    If it's under 200 it's a day 1 purchase for me.

  • abigsmurf #5 2 years ago

    £149.99 with a 'free' built in game or 3DSware points.

    Japan: November
    US: November
    UK: March.

    Console will be region locked.

  • Markitron #6 2 years ago

    March over here and 220-250 euro id say

  • Beano #7 2 years ago

    Nintendo have allready mentioned that the 3DS is much more expensive to manufacture than the DS and they don't plan on losing money on the hardware. I expect it to be expensive.... DSi price + 50% maybe? :p
    Edited by 1 at 29/07/10 @ 10:45

  • menage #8 2 years ago

    Pfff, announcing what the heel it will cost me, I´m so excited.

    The last time I touched my DS was 6 months ago, I don´t think I need another. .

  • DUFFMAN5 #9 2 years ago

    If Resident Evil or MGS3 gets released with it I will be a day one owner.

  • Gambit1977 #10 2 years ago

    Doesn't this have all the whizz bang going? Everyone mumbling about the price happily pays over double for something you can chat to people with (smartphones) or at least a little bit more for a launch iPod. Seems reasonable for nintendo to expect people to pay for 3D, a 3D camera, wifi, a good gaming catalogue (at least first party) and the ability to show off for a while to poor folk ;)

    Still wouldve been happier with £120 but then I'll get vat off hehe

  • the_dudefather #11 2 years ago

    'Nintendo announcing the 3DS release date + pricing on Sept 29. They announced the original DS on Sept 20th and it came out November 21st.'

    Here's hoping :)

    a Christmas release at around £150 (or cheaper, who knows?) could potentially do a lot of damage

    edit: bah, nov release was US, UK was march, my bad
    Edited by 2 at 29/07/10 @ 11:03

  • evilboo #12 2 years ago

    what is the age limit for being allowed to be excited about this?

  • varsas #13 2 years ago

    @menage: Why not sell your old DS and buy the new one since it's backwards compatible?

  • rotmm #14 2 years ago

    @RobPurchase, "£159.99. What say you?"

    If it's $249, then that equates (as you say) to £159 at todays exchange rate.

    However, that's £159+VAT@20% = £191.

    Add onto that Nintendo's Special EU Tax and you're looking at somewhere between £199 and £229. My guess is the latter.

    And if it's $299, add £40 to all those figures, and you have a price of £279.

  • Lee_Morris #15 2 years ago

    If the 3DS is £159.99 I'll run round Leeds in my birthday ie I don't think it will be that cheap ;)

  • CrispyXUK64 #16 2 years ago

    @evilboo

    About 70 years old.

  • ryohazuki1983 #17 2 years ago

    Around £200 I reckon, there's so much hype for 3DS already. Nintendo know it will sell out everywhere regardless off the price.

  • beep #18 2 years ago

    On the 29th of September, Shigeru Miyamoto will walk on stage with his back to the crowd, lower his trousers, grab the left and right cheeks of his bottom, and slowly pull them apart to reveal the cost of the 3DS. He will then hoot about the stage like the Daffy Duck of old and aggressively insist that the world kiss his arse. Just wait and see!

  • dfish #19 2 years ago

    Their console is unique enough for an up to a £229 price tag i reckon. I'll be surprised if its less than £199

  • wizlon #20 2 years ago

    March at £179.99, Monster Monster!

  • Spooke #21 2 years ago

    Under £179 and I will be interested, over that and I'll wait.

  • chrisno21 #22 2 years ago

    I'm very interested - if it's over 200 then I'd be surprised and would hope for a game in the box.

  • smithdown #23 2 years ago

    I haven't owned a handheld console since the original Gameboy. I don't commute by bus or train, and I have an awesome games room so I don't even have to wait for my missus to finish watching Come Dine With Me before I can play games. So I have no idea when I would use a 3DS. But godammit I'm still going to be queuing up with every other sucker on release day. If it appeals to me, a person who has no worldly need for it, then it's going to fly out the shops at whatever price Nintendo slap on it. Let's just hope its under £200 .

  • evilboo #24 2 years ago

    finally a chance to play Star Wars Holo-Chess properly

  • brseg #25 2 years ago

    I'd say 179.99 max. It can then come down to 149.99 later, which is ipod touch price point. We all know it can sell at a higher price, but I reckon 200 is too high for a handheld.

  • Widge #26 2 years ago

    Nothing EVER gets released at the price people want it to be at!

  • orangpelupa #27 2 years ago

    "Console will be region locked. "
    ....... why nintendo not let 3DS and 3DS Lite region unlocked.... just like DS and DS Lite......

    btw does this mean GAME from region A can;t played on Region B machine
    but Player from region A still can meet player online region B.

    or online play also locked?
    Edited by 1 at 29/07/10 @ 12:39

  • Raiko101 #28 2 years ago

    Nintendo never sell a console at a loss, but in recent years haven't exactly sold consoles at a high price either. I wouldn't expect this console to sell for anymore than £150. I'm reckon it'll sell at around £130, with no games bundled with it for the first 6 months.

  • abigsmurf #29 2 years ago

    @orangepelupa

    The DSi and DS XL are both region locked. Play import any games that are DSi enhanced and they won't work on UK consoles. The kicker is they'll play on any regular DS just fine.

    It's not something that's widely known because there have been next to no DSi enhanced titles worth buying. When Pokemon Black/White comes out though, there will be lots of angry importers (it'll be DSi enhanced)

  • Darren #30 2 years ago

    I've seen some very good games on the DS, courtesy of my mother, yet I've still not bought one (I had a GameBoy Colour years ago though). If the 3D on the 3DS is actually good and works for me then I may well finally buy one of these, not solely for the 3D but mainly for the other games the system has too like the Professor Layton and Zelda games.

    I admit that I'm more curious about 3D on this handheld than I am expensive 3DTVs but only because it doesn't work for me on the latter (or at the cinema for that matter).

  • smelly #31 2 years ago

    september eh?

    Hmm.. my guess is they'll launch it a week or 2 after the announcement.,..

  • Caimbeul #32 2 years ago

    Even if it is £149-£159 it is still virtually the same as a Wii or an X360. Shamefull really. No doub the tech is great but £100-£120 would a perfect price point.

    Nintendo will no doubt bleed everyone dry and force mothers in to unspeakable acts to supply their children with a 3DS.

  • Segnit #33 2 years ago

    Based on the kind of demand this thing will have... based on the shortage and the astronomically inflated ebay price it will have...

    I reckon €250 is an absolute steal. People could buy 10 at launch and then resell them for at least €50 Euros more and make a profit. At this stage, in my opinion €250 is an impossibly low but excellent price. I reckon it's gonna retail for €300. Even at €400 it'll be a DAY MINUS 1 for me.

  • originaljohn #34 2 years ago

    An announcement for an announcement. Great... I won't pay more than £150 at launch for this unless there is really good games out at launch.

  • Sonic_D #35 2 years ago

    £150 is the magic number I think, so they'll probably go for £160-170.
    Edited by 1 at 29/07/10 @ 14:39

  • CallousB #36 2 years ago

    The DSi XL has a £159.99 rrp.

    It won't be cheaper than that.

    People also have to remember the problems with the pound/euro exchange rate.

    When the Wii launched it was 250 euros (which was around £170 at the exchange rate of the time)..now 250 euros = £210

    If they charge $250 in the US, it'll be 220-250 euros... meaning we'll pay £180 - £210

    I'd say £189 is likely.
    Edited by 1 at 29/07/10 @ 15:10

  • Kafeen #37 2 years ago

    £170 - £180 I think.

    £150 would be nice though.

  • Acrid #38 2 years ago

    How much will the 3DS Lite cost?

  • MoGamer2006 #39 2 years ago

    To a certain extent, Nintendo can charge what they bloody well like at launch - the heat is such that this will sell to the hardcore no matter what, plus stocks are bound to be limited which will boost the 'gotta get one' factor even more. Then when supplies improve in time for Xmas they can gauge its success and maybe do a drop to something more reasonable.

    All that said, I doubt it'll be more than £180 - there's pushing it, and then there's taking the piss. ;)

  • wez_316 #40 2 years ago

    For everyone moaning that it costs the same as a 360 or Wii you are missing the point entirely. The DS is a handheld system you fools. Isn't taking the games anywhere you go a selling point? The DSi sold plenty of units at £150 and so 3DS could go for more than that comfortably. In honesty I wouldn't call £200 greedy. I still think it would have an outstanding launch at £250.

    DSi and Wii have been the same price in the past. PS2, GC and Xbox were less than PSP or DS. N64 and DC were less than GBA. Why does the fact that it is a handheld system make it have to be cheaper to all home systems on the market? If 3DS was cheaper than Wii, Wii sales would be pitiful. £180 is my guess but I would pay twice as much if they priced it that way.

  • Rack #41 2 years ago

    I'm betting on £180. Unless they pull a Kinect and make it £470.

  • smelly #42 2 years ago

    I recon 159 (same as xl).. with the dsi and xl getting a price cut on the same day as the announcement... and it getting launched within a few weeks of said announcement.

    They'd be mad to miss xmas - unless they have no games available...

  • Segnit #43 2 years ago

    I'm definitely on Wez said on this, I mean of coarse the cheaper it is the better for us. But I make no secret of the fact that I am easily willing to pay over twice the amount many of you seem to be suggesting. I think that this will be the gadget to have until there comes another handheld device that does 3D with no glasses (or some other MAJOR hook).

    The only things is, If I pay €400 for this, I would expect some useful apps and some pdf type functionality. I could pay even more then €400 if it had excellent at Internet browsing (Flash and HTML5).
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/10 @ 08:10

  • SlackMaster #44 2 years ago

    I think it'll more likely be £199.99. The DSi was £159.99 when first released and I think the 3DS costs a quite a bit more to make.

    I wan't to pre-order and get one at launch... I'm the most excited about this than I've been about a console launch in years.