Items tagged with Handheld
Sony has just announced a new edition of its longstanding PlayStation Vita handheld console, destined for North American shores this Spring. Bigger may oftentimes be better, but when it comes to mobile gaming, slim is most certainly in. Sony's PS Vita has done reasonably well over the years, changing design a couple of times but never name. Now, the company is bringing a slimmed-down version (which is already available elsewhere on the planet) to a new market. It'll initially ship with Borderlands 2 for $199.99, giving U.S. gamers the chance to pick up a console that European gamers already have access to. In total, this model is around 20 percent slimmer and 15 percent lighter, arriving with...
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While Nintendo gets left behind in this year's next-generation console war, it's doing something a little different. Granted, Nintendo has always operated a little differently. It was the first to truly embrace motion controls on its Wii, and the Wii U shipped with a GamePad that's most definitely a first in the sector. But, with the Wii U doing so poorly that it's being forced to hack $50 from the cost of the 32GB unit, Nintendo is having to lean on something else: handhelds. The 3DS has been fairly successful, and Nintendo's handheld lineage as a whole is one that gamers far and wide have grown to respect. This thing, however, is questionable at best. Nintendo has just unveiled the 2DS: it's...
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Sony's handheld sales haven't exactly been mind-blowing, but then again, the handheld game in general has been massively disrupted by the advent of iOS and Android gaming. With all of that said, Sony's hoping to toss in a surge to its bottom line by slicing the price (again!) of its PlayStation Vita. The Vita is now available in the U.S. for $199.99, and because it's still the latest, a ton of new titles are expected in the coming months. Plus, Sony has announced Remote Play, which will more closely link PS Vita gameplay with PS4 gameplay. The brand new price applies to all PS Vita systems available at retail, including the limited edition PS Vita Walking Dead bundle that launches this week....
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Where portable gaming systems are concerned, this has to be some sort of record. Tommo's just-released Neo Geo X handheld has found itself in the hands of its first customers this past week, and already people have figured out how to run custom ROMs on the device. To call it a "hack" is a little generous, however, as the process involves little more than cracking the device open and getting access to the internal SD card. With the internal SD card plugged into your PC, you can simply copy over your custom ROMs in order to play them on the device. But, there are a couple of important caveats. At the moment, the device requires certain details to align in order for a game to run, such as the game...
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There's a price for pleasure, and if you're looking to grab one of the unknown gaming handhelds of the world and make it your own, that price has now been released. The Neo Geo X handheld promises to bring back that retro vibe that you once cherished, with the handheld shown here being priced at $130. The unit is slick, sleek and pretty simplistic, with a 4.3" display, an expandable game card slot, and 20 classic Neo Geo titles pre-loaded from the start. What more could you want? It'll ship to stockings everywhere this December, and you can register your interest at the Via link below....
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Nintendo took the wraps off its new, super-sized 3DS XL handheld on Friday, but reactions have been anything but enthusiastic. The new DS offers a larger set of screens (4.88 inches top / 4.18" bottom), better battery life, and will ship with a copy of New Super Marios 2 for $199.99, but it's launching into a very different market than what the original DS XL faced in 2009. The 3DS XL's battery improvements aren't just icing on the cake -- they're seen as remedying a critical problem with the current handheld. It also won't support the second circle pad added by the Circle Pad Pro, which implies Nintendo is ready to kill that peripheral altogether. The other major problem is that a larger screen...
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Looking to get your handheld game on? Here's another option, courtesy of.. Nintendo? Yep, the company responsible for the original Game Boy is hitting back with yet another 3DS system. And this time, it's super-sized. The 3DS XL will ship on August 19th, with a mondo 4.88" top screen that dwarfs the original 3DS. Furthermore, there's a 4.18" bottom screen -- also much larger than the standard 3DS. This unit will ship with a 4GB SD card, too. Oddly, the new design doesn't bring the Circle Pad Pro into the factory mix, but perhaps the more immerse screens will take care of any lingering gripes. Pricing? $199. Better save those summer pennies!...
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Most of the major news in consoles this week was in handhelds, but there are major implications for both Sony and Nintendo. Nintendo broke a record that's stood for almost 125 years and posted the company's first ever yearly loss this week. The company had issued profit warnings as early as November, but the amount—$533 million—was double what the company projected back last fall. Part of the problem was the massive price cut Nintendo gave the 3DS last summer, when it slashed the price from $250 to $160. The $90 cut drove the unit's price below its cost-of-manufacture, and has left Nintendo reliant on software sales to make up the difference. As a result, the 3DS faces a much slower...
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Remember Neo Geo? For any gamer in "that" generation, the answer is probably "yes." Tommo Inc. and BLAZE have announced plans to release a Limited Edition Neo Geo handheld -- yes, a handheld -- for worldwide release in Q2 2012. That will follow the 20th anniversary of the Neo Geo AES console, which will feature 20 officially licensed games including retro classics. Things like Metalslug, The King of Fighters and Fatal Fury. Specs wise, there's a 3.5" LCD, A/V output, internal stereo speakers and a headphone jack. There's also an SD card slot, and while there's no price given yet, we suspect old-school gamers will be lined up regardless....
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Hackers and modders just don't get the universal praise and respect that they deserve. For example, look at this absolutely amazing "Supa Sweet Handheld Console." It's shaped like an SNES controller, boasting a 3.5" LCD and support for SNES cartridge playback. It's designed and produced by Hyperkin, who will be launching their SupaBoy Handheld Video Game Console this month. The SupaBoy will play original SNES cartridges on a built-in 3.5" LCD screen and is designed to emulate an original SNES controller including a D-pad, face buttons, as well as right and left shoulder buttons. The SupaBoy also includes two front loading ports that are compatible with full-size SNES controllers and video/audio...
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50 million. Regardless of who you are, or what you're selling, that's a lot of product. Nintendo's Game Boy line has sold like hotcakes around the globe, practically cementing it as the most popular and well-known gaming handheld series this world has ever seen. Now, the DS line is on its way to reaching the same type of elite status. The best-selling video game system in U.S. history reached another milestone in September: Lifetime sales of the Nintendo DS family of systems have surpassed 50 million units, according to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing, didn't have to have...
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Remember the Sony Dash? We wouldn't blame you if it has slipped your mind, but Sony's keeping it alive and kicking, and it's giving people a reason for taking a second look if you've overlooked it in the past. The company has introduced two new models (the HID-B7 and HID-B70), which offers enhanced real-time, customizable, information delivery, and the addition of a basic Internet browser. For portability, the HID-B70 Dash model now features a built-in lithium ion battery, so the device can be easily transported from room to room. It is also available in three colors: Brown, slate blue and orange. Both models feature a seven-inch LCD measured diagonally color touch screen, and utilize a wireless...
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The newest 3D-flavored handheld from Nintendo may have sold like gangbusters on launch day, but purchases since then have fallen sharply. Current estimates indicate that the company has sold just 830,000 3DS'since the system's March debut. That's particularly significant once we include the 400,000 units Nintendo claims it sold at launch. Subtract those numbers from the total, and the 3DS may be struggling to break 100K a month. With game publishers like Sega already delaying titles in a supposed bid to improve sales farther down the line, the 3DS risks being caught in a downward spiral. Nintendo's price cut, which is scheduled to take place on August 12, may be enough to reverse disappointing...
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There's news from the 3D sphere of both Sony and Nintendo today and neither company sounds particularly cheery. On the Sony front, 3D development chief Mick Hocking has advocated that developers only use 3D when it actually improves the title as opposed to tacking it on as a bullet point feature. "It's been a good first year," Sony's 3D chief Mick Hocking told Eurogamer in an interview this afternoon. "We've got 50 million PlayStation 3s that support 3D playback. 3DTVs are selling well. We've had great response from our fans out there at game shows and forums about the 3D games we've produced. But the most important thing is 3D quality." "We need to, and we're trying to encourage everyone to...
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Netflix took a beating this week as they raised prices without actually providing a fundamental improvement in their offerings, but at least there's some bright news in the Netflix camp to focus on. Netflix streaming is now available on one of the most popular handheld gaming consoles out there: Nintendo's 3DS. Starting now, 3DS owners in the U.S. and across Canada can download a free application that allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix. Interestingly, there's actually not any 3D content on Netflix to enjoy just yet. Why launch on a 3D product without 3D content? Hard to say, but we're sure 3DS owners will be glad...
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Sony's PlayStation Vita is the next big thing from Sony's handheld gaming department, but if you're curious as to how the long-lived PlayStation Portable line is doing, here are the numbers. Sony has just revealed that a whopping 70 million PSP handhelds have been sold globally up until now, starting way back in December of 2004. That's a big, big number, no matter how you slice it. It's important to note that Nintendo still holds the overall gaming handheld crown, but they effectively started the trend way back with the Game Boy. Their DS line alone has sold well over 100 million units to date, so Sony's still lagging in that regard, but it's still a ton of units and has for sure been profitable...
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And now, we know the name for Sony's Next Generation Portable. The NGP, as it's called, will now be forever known as the PlayStation Vita, and unlike the PSPgo launch, it's looking more and more like Sony may just get this one right. The Vita will be sold as a standalone handheld gaming console (with Wi-Fi), or as a 3G device exclusively from AT&T. Sony Ericsson and AT&T have a longstanding relationship, so it's possible that the Sony roots there assisted in making this one available only to America's most hated network. The PS Vita will sell for $249 (Wi-Fi) or $299 (3G), and the name itself is worth talking about. Vita means "Life" in Latin, and it's pretty obvious that Sony's hoping...
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Nvidia announced today that it's acquiring the fabless semiconductor design firm Icera. The UK-based company specializes in soft modem chipsets for a variety of devices, including laptops, netbooks, tablets, and smartphones. The two companies have a history of cooperation; Icera announced Tegra-compatible wireless chipsets back in 2009. Nvidia's Phil Carmack writes: "This is a significant step forward in NVIDIA’s strategy to be the processor company for the post-PC era... Icera’s baseband and RF technologies span 2G, 3G and 4G networks... Icera’s programmable baseband processor architecture will allow NVIDIA and its OEM customers to innovate and adapt signaling algorithms in...
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Well, at least no one can complain about the price tag on Sony's PSPgo any longer. Or wait... can they? When Sony's disc-free PlayStation Portable launched, the reactions were mixed. But almost everyone had a reaction of some sort. Some said it was the future of gaming. Others said physical media wasn't dead yet. Over the years, it has been proven that disc-free is still a little ahead of the curve, and while digital downloads are on the rise, people still aren't ready to give up media altogether when it comes to gaming. Now, Sony has dropped the price on the device to $150, which is quite a fall from the $250 list price at launch. You might say that this price drop is in anticipation of the...
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Black Friday is quickly approaching, and companies are throwing out suggestions for consumers at a near-rapid pace. But this year, it seems like some companies are doing more than simply discounting existing products. Like Nintendo. Nintendo is actually introducing two new products for Black Friday, so if lowered prices don't entice you to hit the shops, maybe new colors will. The popular DSi handheld gaming system will debut in orange and green this Friday, and they will both come bundled with Mario Party. They'll only be available while supplies last, so if you like what you see, you better grab one quick. These new colors join Nintendo’s other bundles for the holidays that are being...
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Windows CE 5.0 may not be the most advanced mobile operating system on the planet right now, but there's still a place for it on certain devices. Certain devices like Eurotech's new rugged family of handhelds. The HRC-4200 and the HRC-3100 are both running Windows CE 5.0 and are based on the low power PXA architecture, and both of them can connect to the Eurotech/Isidorey cloud platform so customers can create end-to-end data solutions that provide immediate data visibility throughout their organization without the need to buy, set up and maintain an IT infrastructure. The HRC-4200 is a rugged powerful handheld computer featuring a unique large half VGA color display. It's a unique screen...
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It's a fact: the world isn't ready to give up on physical media entirely just yet. Well, it's not really a "fact," but it's fairly clear that at least this is true in the video game world. CD sales have been in decline for years, just as iTunes sales have been on the rise. With music, people seem to be okay with downloading digital copies. But with movies and games, it's still comforting to hold onto a physical copy. Sony's PSPgo was an experiment of sorts to see if people were truly ready to do away with physical game discs and go digital-only. The PSPgo lacked a UMD disc slot (that still exists on the traditional PSP), meaning that the only way you could purchase and play games on it was via...
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