Nintendo DS specs revealed...

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11 Mar 2004, 12:56 AM
Spike

Nintendo DS specs revealed...

The picture below was found over at the Beyond3D forums. It looks like it's the official spec sheet for the Nintendo DS, which goes by the codename of Nitro.

http://www3.emu-zone.org/images/1272193-3lELEkra1O.jpg

Thanks go to Kobunheat over at the gaming-age forums for the translation:

Quote:

Main Processor ARM946E-S
Subprocessor: ARM7TDMI

Memory
Main Memory: 4 Mbyte (Debugger use: 8)
ARM9/ARM7 for use together - 32Kb (16kbX2)
ARM7 specialty use interior work RAM: 64Kbyte
VRAM: 656

LCD
Screen size (dimensions)
Number of colors?

2D graphic Engine (A,B)
Background: 4 screens max.
Objects: 128 max.

3D graphic engine
(not sure on this first one)
Polygons: 120K/s
Pixels: 30M/s

Sound: 16ch (max 8ch of PSG (which is... what?)
Microphone Input

Wireless communication: IEEE802.11 base protocol

Input devices
Touch panel
crosskey, A, B, R, L, Start, Select (X, Y to be determined(? not sure))

Power stuff - sleep mode, etc.
11 Mar 2004, 12:57 AM
bahn

Cool, but I wanna see what it looks like. May needs to hurry up.
11 Mar 2004, 01:05 AM
Damian79

Wow, confusing.
11 Mar 2004, 01:13 AM
Rocca

ditto, E3 is just around the corner...already? :|
11 Mar 2004, 01:20 AM
neonglow

Wow, a 3D graphics engine on a Nintendo handheld!
11 Mar 2004, 01:21 AM
Giga Power

Very, very interesting. Awesome find!
11 Mar 2004, 01:41 AM
Drewbacca

hahaha, nitro, hahahaha. They're names a 5 year old would choose.
11 Mar 2004, 01:49 AM
Grave

Nitro makes me think that Nintendo's next handheld is going to be an American Gladiator.

Silly, but Apple's used weirder code names.
11 Mar 2004, 02:13 AM
Frogacuda

The 2D specs are identical to the GBAs. This thing ought to be backward compatible.

Also, only 97Mhz on the ARM9 is disappointing. I wish they'd got the Zodiac route and use the 233.
11 Mar 2004, 02:17 AM
EMAGDNIM

I can't wait till E3 so I can see what it looks like...
11 Mar 2004, 02:24 AM
LOL

I can't wait until E3 so I can put my balls on it.
11 Mar 2004, 02:33 AM
AstroBlue

One on each screen?
11 Mar 2004, 02:41 AM
Lhadatt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Also, only 97Mhz on the ARM9 is disappointing. I wish they'd got the Zodiac route and use the 233.

200 MHz. The Zodiac's processor is this fast to a) match the Palm Tungsten 3 (it's as fast though the clock speeds don't match since the Motorola chip is roughly twice as powerful than what Palm's using) and b) to compensate for including a 2D chip instead of a 3D chip. The slower clock speed doesn't matter here, since this thing has a PSX-level 3D chip. Zodiac's 3D is software-driven, so it's not that great (lots of popup in their flagship tech demo, Stuntcar Extreme, and the frame rate isn't too hot).

802.11 networking? Sweet. Yet another device goes wireless. Can't wait to hack into the neighbor's LAN with my Gameboy.

So, is the DS Nintendo's real answer to the PSP? Or do they have something else cooking as rumored?
11 Mar 2004, 03:08 AM
Damian79

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lhadatt

So, is the DS Nintendo's real answer to the PSP? Or do they have something else cooking as rumored?

No, well that is what they say anyway. It is an alternate "experimental" line. Sort of like the Virtual Boy. I just hope that this time around they test the damn thing better.
11 Mar 2004, 06:29 AM
Teddman

John Riccardi posted a handy dandy translated mock-up at Gaming-Age forums. The original spec sheet has been confirmed to be genuine by IGNCube.

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/tedrancho/ds-e.jpg
11 Mar 2004, 07:07 AM
SMBChick

Sounds pretty cool to me.
I'll have to play it first before I make up my mind completely.

Oh, and they better put in the extra buttons.
11 Mar 2004, 08:18 AM
MVS

Amazing what some competition does.
11 Mar 2004, 08:33 AM
Yoshi

A GameBoy with Wake on LAN. Crazy.
11 Mar 2004, 10:25 AM
Kbu Chan

The resolution makes me sad.
11 Mar 2004, 10:29 AM
Zerodash

What I really wonder is...cartridge or disc?
11 Mar 2004, 10:37 AM
Wildkat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lhadatt

802.11 networking? Sweet. Yet another device goes wireless. Can't wait to hack into the neighbor's LAN with my Gameboy.

Its says 802.11 based proprietary meaning somthing like 802.11 but not the same. So I doubt it will do anything with a wireless lan.
11 Mar 2004, 10:47 AM
Cheebs

*Crosses fingers*

C'mon X and Y buttons, c'mon X and Y buttons....

Seriously, the "X and Y buttons to be determined" is the most exciting spec on the sheet.
11 Mar 2004, 10:59 AM
Frogacuda

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerodash

What I really wonder is...cartridge or disc?

Card. Apparently it'll use a low-cost high-capacity ROM card that's supposedly re-writable, and can hold up to a gigabit.
11 Mar 2004, 12:20 PM
Zerodash

...so these cards trounce optical discs in every possible way. If this is true, then Sony had better re-examine the ROM medium of the PSP...
11 Mar 2004, 12:28 PM
Cheebs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

Card. Apparently it'll use a low-cost high-capacity ROM card that's supposedly re-writable, and can hold up to a gigabit.

That can't be right. Even most 8-bit NES games were larger than a gigabit. GBA games are several gigabytes in size....so even 1 gigabyte would seem way too small.
11 Mar 2004, 12:32 PM
Zerodash

1GB?
11 Mar 2004, 12:49 PM
epmode

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheebs

That can't be right. Even most 8-bit NES games were larger than a gigabit. GBA games are several gigabytes in size....so even 1 gigabyte would seem way too small.

um. maybe i'm missing something here.
1 gigabit = 1/8 of a gigabyte = roughly 125 megabytes.
the biggest gba game i know of is 16 megabytes, though there might be a 32 megabyte cart.
11 Mar 2004, 12:53 PM
Cheebs

Doh! I lose. :bang:

Got my gigas and my megas mixed up.
11 Mar 2004, 12:59 PM
Frogacuda

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerodash

...so these cards trounce optical discs in every possible way. If this is true, then Sony had better re-examine the ROM medium of the PSP...

No, I think they still hold less than the optical discs, but they have their own advantages too, without as much cost burden as carts. The re-writability has enormous potential.
11 Mar 2004, 01:32 PM
mollipen

I'm going to laugh if this thing STILL only has two face buttons.
11 Mar 2004, 01:45 PM
Damian79

Quote:

Originally Posted by epmode

um. maybe i'm missing something here.
1 gigabit = 1/8 of a gigabyte = roughly 125 megabytes.
the biggest gba game i know of is 16 megabytes, though there might be a 32 megabyte cart.

Yeah, 256 Mbit was the maximum on the GBA spec sheets.

So most likely most games will be around 64megs. So you can pretty much kiss all those cinema's goodbye. Then again I don't know if I would care, since I would be seeing them on a tiny screen and hence the wow factor is considerably diminished.

I hope they stick with the 2d games since 64megs will make things very cramped for devs for 3d games.
11 Mar 2004, 01:50 PM
Yoshi

If Nintendo gives it six face buttons arranged Street Fighter style, I will sleep with it every night.
11 Mar 2004, 01:58 PM
Frogacuda

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damian79

Yeah, 256 Mbit was the maximum on the GBA spec sheets.

So most likely most games will be around 64megs. So you can pretty much kiss all those cinema's goodbye. Then again I don't know if I would care, since I would be seeing them on a tiny screen and hence the wow factor is considerably diminished.

I hope they stick with the 2d games since 64megs will make things very cramped for devs for 3d games.

64 megabytes/512mbit is plenty. That's how big RE2 was on N64. Twice the size as Zelda. I don't know why you think 3D games take up more space than 2D games either.
11 Mar 2004, 02:05 PM
Damian79

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogacuda

64 megabytes/512mbit is plenty. That's how big RE2 was on N64. Twice the size as Zelda. I don't know why you think 3D games take up more space than 2D games either.

Most of RE2 is 2d(ie backgrounds). If they had to make it entirely 2d, you have the problem with repetitive textures. 3d games take up a fair bit of space at the start and take far less than 2d games for adding new levels and the like. But the initial size is quite big. Unless you are happy to see n64 textures on it, it is a tad cramped.
11 Mar 2004, 02:10 PM
George

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damian79

Most of RE2 is 2d(ie backgrounds). If they had to make it entirely 2d, you have the problem with repetitive textures. 3d games take up a fair bit of space at the start and take far less than 2d games for adding new levels and the like. But the initial size is quite big. Unless you are happy to see n64 textures on it, it is a tad cramped.

You wouldn't hear me complaining if I basically got a portable N64.
11 Mar 2004, 02:16 PM
Cheebs

Texture size isn't going to be a problem at resolutions this small.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damian79

Most of RE2 is 2d(ie backgrounds).

Let's not forget the tons of FMV that made it onto that cart.
11 Mar 2004, 02:31 PM
Damian79

Yeah, tose cinemas were both low res and grainy as hell. Then again who would bitch about that in such a small screen.
11 Mar 2004, 02:44 PM
Zerodash

Wait, I thought 2D games were more memory-intesnsive than 3D games. Virtua Fighter 2 on Saturn has a fraction of the load time that SFA2 has. SoulBlade on PSX loads faster than any 2D fighter, and without anything cut out either...
11 Mar 2004, 03:00 PM
Kinopio

I think the touch screen is by far the coolest part. The microphone input has potential too. I can't wait to see what R&D1, HAL, and others do with these features.
11 Mar 2004, 05:20 PM
Lhadatt

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildkat

Its says 802.11 based proprietary meaning somthing like 802.11 but not the same. So I doubt it will do anything with a wireless lan.

So? More likely than not, the lan drivers are stored in the software so they can be updated -- otherwise, Nintendo would have to deal with potentially crappy lan drivers throughout the system's lifespan unless they could flash the lan chipset's ROM (which they probably don't want to do, since that introduces a whole new set of problems). I find the development of homebrew software exploiting the wireless lan entirely feasible, given what we know here.

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