Nintendo Going 3D, Without Glasses

Nintendo is planning to release a 3D version of its portable DS system, with one really intriguing twist: there won’t be any glasses. Dubbed the Nintendo 3DS, the company is calling the device the successor to the current DS series. Nintendo won’t reveal any more details until June, and some analysts questioned the timing of the announcement—the new DSi XL goes on sale Sunday, and some fear it could undercut sales.

Nintendo is the first company to announce a portable 3D system. Sony has promised an upgrade for the PS3 that will allow it to display games in stereoscopic 3D, but gamers will need a 3D TV and those darn glasses. Microsoft hasn’t announced any 3D plans, except to say that a software update could make the XBox 3D-ready, too. (More 3D television stories.)