Talk:Comparison of Nintendo portable consoles

"Location" based sections

Is it really necessary to have these sections like "location of power button" and "location of slot for the stylus to be kept". Not only does it clutter up an already very detailed chart, but things like that are not "technical", not really notable or affecting the overall use of the machine, and, really, who would go to a chart for such a thing? Wouldn't you just look at a picture or actual one? Any thoughts on this? Sergecross73 msg me 20:37, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

It isn't necessary to say that there's GBA slot in bottom of the system because they're alway on bottom. Or it's too detail to show the location differences for the power lights. And for the slot location for stylus, I think it's too good to be removed but you actually got good point about that they aren't "technical" comparison. Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 23:18, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

I only tidied it up, because the phrasing was bugging me. Yes it should go. --Dorsal Axe 14:01, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

I must say, the table looks a lot better now. TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 17:03, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Status Indicator Lights

At first, it was added from the abandoned DS vs DS lite comparison chart. And then it was removed and returned twice.

I just happened to view it as cluttering up the table. So... is it worth to stay? I am unsure whether should we elimate it from the table or not because this table is about technical comparison.Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 08:35, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, I think it should stay out. There's really no point in having a whole row just for indicator lights... TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 17:04, 28 March 2011 (UTC)

we should keep it inSeanbobe's cat (talk) 22:46, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

production

Okay I removed it because I thought that it isn't how comparison work, and it wasn't returned for many hours. But now someone restored it back up recently. I'd like to hear your opinion about whether is comparing production makes sense or not? I mean, what if they're all "current" or "discontinued"? Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 20:43, 29 March 2011 (UTC)

If they're all discontinued, then we'd probably remove it. But I'm sure that's quite some time away. It's quite handy for the Nintendo DS article (on which this template is also displayed on) to show which models are currently being produced, and which ones aren't. And I would argue that there's no harm in showing that some of the DS models are being produced alongside the 3DS as well. Other similar articles feature comparison tables with a production status box, so this is not entirely without precedent. Just my two cents. --Dorsal Axe 21:42, 29 March 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Well, I haven't deleted or restored it, but I do think it's notable to mention whether or not they're being made anymore. (And probably be a little more useful once Nintendo inevitably discontinues other models in the future...) Sergecross73 msg me 21:45, 29 March 2011 (UTC)

A row named "production" is the only one that is not "eternal" and/or "technical", right? That's why it doesn't look right in the comparison table, IMO. And we could have mentioned about this in their articles respectively. Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 23:13, 29 March 2011 (UTC)

Nintendo 3DS RAM/Memory confirmed

Don't understand what the problem is, but the 3DS has been physically taken a part and the amount of RAM and the manufacture has been found. It is all over the video game press as a report, not a rumor. There are multiple sources, don't see why not to add it to the template. --Interframe (talk) 01:25, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Well, please list these "multiple sources". So far, it's just been presented by obscure, random blogs that aren't necessarily reliable sources... Sergecross73 msg me 02:00, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Found a source that is not a blog, and this website was linked by the manufacture as well: The news article and the same article listed on the manufacturer's website: (the search result) and the company's news page. --Interframe (talk) 02:24, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Well, my main concern had been that no major video game news websites had picked up on the story. However, I recently saw Destructiod do an article about it, and then someone else added that as a source, so unless anything else develops, I personally no longer oppose including this. Sergecross73 msg me 18:48, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Region Lockout

Okay, so user Mmark089 keeps on trying to add certain information to the chart, but it keeps being removed because I think it's being worded unclearly, and he hasn't tried to discuss what he's trying to do. So I'm doing it for him.

So, he keeps on trying to add DSi and DS software region lock under the 3DS section. It continually gets reverted because he either deletes other information in the process, or because people say "wrong section". However, what I think he's getting at is, is that DSi/DS content is region locked when played on a 3DS. I personally can't attest to this since DSiware content isn't playable on a 3DS until a May update, and I don't have any DS games from another region. Additionally, he hasn't presented a source for this information; so I don't know if it's announced or not. But despite the fact that he never argued this point himself or provided a source, if it is true, I believe it's actually worth mentioning. Sergecross73 msg me 12:36, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

I just assumed that it was obvious that DSi software would be region-locked no matter what system one might be playing on. So I kept on reverting it. TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 17:01, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

And that's fine, I could go either way on that part. Is the plain DS game part true though? That would be notable if true, because normal DS games aren't region locked. I'm not sure that's treu though... Sergecross73 msg me 17:06, 1 April 2011 (UTC)

Completely forgot about discussion pages. Was using edit summaries to communicate. Anyway, I am trying to find a source that states that the Nintendo DS games with DSi features (such as Pokémon Black and White} are region locked to the Nintendo 3DS (assuming if there even is a source). This would make sense as the Nintendo 3DS is backwards compatible with the Nintendo DSi and, as such, have the region lockout codes for that system which we have information on in the Nintendo DSi's Regional Lockout box.Mmark089 (talk) 07:11, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

As it is, the source that you posted said that normal DS software is not region locked in a 3ds, but the way you keep wording things in the chart, it makes it look like you're trying to say the opposite, which is why I removed any mentioning of "normal DS" games. Even if DS games w/ DSi content was region locked, that would still fall under DSi software I would think... Sergecross73 msg me 22:27, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

We have the DSi's Region Lockout as "Nintendo DS software with DSi content and DSiWare". I believe the 3DS Regional Lockout should be reworded in this manner (in addition to the 3DS software) especially since the system update in late May will support DSiWare.Mmark089 (talk) 22:55, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

I think it covers things pretty well how it is right now. If anything, I think the DSi column should be re-worded in the manner that the 3ds one is now. There are so few games that are DSi exclusive, that aren't DSiWare, that I think the mentioning should be kept at a minimum... Sergecross73 msg me 12:24, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

"Physical Controls" Vs. "Inputs"

Discuss. Personally, I prefer "physical controls", because I find "inputs" to be awkward sounding/looking. I mean, in general, when people discuss video games, do they ask "What are the controls?" or "What are the inputs?". It's just not the term typically used... Sergecross73 msg me 01:58, 3 April 2011 (UTC) I think "controls" sound more appropriate than "inputs" but "inputs" is more appropriate in some other ways. Basically, "controls" is more appropriate for when people were going to say something and the word "inputs" is being commonly used in technical listings. Do you understand what I mean? Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 02:31, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

I think of physical controls as making inputs, as a result of being pressed/slid/touched. So I found physical controls to be more accurate. TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 14:35, 3 April 2011 (UTC)

If we're going for "Physical Controls", we only have to prove that 3DS and DS models have "buttons, sliders, and touch screen", without giving anymore details about what buttons/sliders they have (that mean "3D slider, Volume slider, and WiFi slider" would be a single word: "sliders"). But if we're going for "Inputs", there would be "A/B/X/Y, 3D slider, Volume slider, Touch screen, etc..."

To be honest, I viewed "physical controls" and "inputs" as in term of being "common" or "specific"... Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 10:48, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

But wikipedia in general is supposed to be written in a way in which anyone (literate) can read it. In that respect, a more "common" approach makes more sense. People in general are more familiar with "controls", and more likely to understand it. Sergecross73 msg me 13:03, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

And as obvious as it might seem, "A/B/X/Y buttons" will mean nothing to some. Which is why they are referred to as "push-buttons". TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 15:38, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

A word "Inputs" alone could mean "Video Input/Output", but "Input Controls" will define it better. I'm sure "Input Controls" will seem familiar to people because of a word: "Controls", just like the "Physical Controls".

"ABXY buttons" mean something to me. I know they're "push-buttons" but there's nothing mentioned about "ABXY buttons" anywhere in articles of the 3DS and DS. And that technical comparison table can be about technical specifications of each 3DS/DS models OR compare two of them. The "push-buttons" is especially worse for the comparing table because there are some certain buttons/sliders that DS doesn't have ("HOME" buttons). I know that you said something before about why "ABXY buttons" is worse - "Nintendo 3DS have 'ABXY buttons' just like DS" doesn't sound right to you, but that table isn't just for lectures. I found nothing wrong with "Inputs Controls" and "ABXY buttons" anyway. Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 02:04, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

When I said that "A/B/X/Y buttons" won't mean anything to some, I meant that some won't have any idea what A/B/X/Y buttons are. When writings articles, you have to assume a certain amount of ignorance in the reader. That's why I wanted "push-button" to be used here. TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 02:33, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

Oh I thought you mean that "ABXY buttons" is not worth enough to mention in the table...

Of course, "ABXY buttons" and "push-buttons" mean same things but the only differences is that it's more or less specific... I don't want people to think that DS have HOME button just like 3DS or perhaps they'll ask what buttons do the 3DS have, exactly?

Wait, there's "A/B/X/Y buttons" in the Nintendo DS's article, but it wasn't mentioned for the 3DS yet... Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 03:04, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

Noted. It is in the DS article. It says "A/B/X/Y face buttons", too. That could be acceptable... TheStickMan^[✆Talk] 14:02, 5 April 2011 (UTC)

software compatibility chart

When I was on safari in my iphone and read some recent page updates... I went to template:3DS vs DS series and there's a column on the left looked huge and awkward than the other columns. I went to my computer to manage some large works in the editing pages. I assumed that most of them are already mentioned in elsewhere and I think it shouldn't be there in the table at all.

Well, I was kind of bad for deleting it out of the table because it's somewhat relevancy (yes, it was backed up recently by another user).

Thoughts? Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 21:07, 7 April 2011 (UTC)

How is what software the systems play not relevant? It's mentioned elsewhere in the respective system articles, but so is most of the information on the chart. I don't understand how you find it not relevant honestly... I'll admit the formatting to it may be a little awkward, but I think that's grounds for adjusting the formatting (something I'm not especially good at), not grounds for removal. I would like to see other people's thoughts on this part of the chart though... Sergecross73 msg me 03:01, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

So, I am looking at ways to move the cells around in the Software Compatibility Chart and I thought of a couple ways.
Here's Table A

	Software Compatibility
3DS Software	Y	N	N	N	N
DSiWare	Y[a][c]	Y	Y	N	N
DSi Software	Y[a]	Y	Y	N	N
DS Software	Y[a][b]	Y[b]	Y[b]	Y	Y
GBA Software	N	N	N	Y	Y

And here's Table B.

Software Compatibility	Nintendo 3DS	Nintendo DSi XL	Nintendo DSi	Nintendo DS Lite	Nintendo DS
3DS Software	Y	N	N	N	N
DSiWare	Y[a][c]	Y	Y	N	N
DSi	Y[a]	Y	Y	N	N
DS Software	Y[a][b]	Y[b]	Y[b]	Y	Y
GBA Software	N	N	N	Y	Y

Just putting some ideas out there to improve the software compatibility chart. After that, maybe we can work on the fine tuning.Mmark089 (talk) 07:10, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Well, is this about making new table for them, right? I think having two separated tables will look really good. I like the table B... Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 07:25, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

No, I think he just didn't want to copy and past the whole chart in the discussion page. Again, care to explain your reasoning on why software compatibility "isn't relevant" to the systems that play them? Nevermind, I hadn't looked at the changes yet. If you guys are happy with that, I suppose its fine... Sergecross73 msg me 12:26, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Comparison Table of the 3DS vs DS series?

Whoa, I felt bad about the comparison table. I felt that it's pointless to compare between five systems (3DS, DSi/XL, and DS/Lite) in 3DS and DS articles! I mean, there's no such comparison table for the "DS vs GBA", "GBA vs GameBoy", "Wii vs GCN", etc... I really dunno why I feel that way...

It'd be better if we take 3DS specs from the table and put it into the 3DS article and the rest goes to the DS article?Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 09:22, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Looks good now. Although... it would look better if we could get both tables' columns (there are 6 in each table) aligned with each other (which, sadly, I don't know how to do). It would look cleaner that way.Mmark089 (talk) 10:43, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

Template from DS Lite

I've removed the template from Nintendo DS Lite and replaced it with this one. I've included the text below in-case there is anything not included here. ▫ JohnnyMrNinja 06:05, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

Template from Nintendo DS Lite

DS Lite vs. original DS

Comparison of DS and DS Lite

	original DS	DS Lite	Change	Notes
Weight	300 grams (11 oz)	218 grams (7.7 oz)	-27%
Dimensions	148.7×84.7×28.9 mm (5.85×3.33×1.14 in)	133×73.9×21.87 mm (5.236×2.909×0.861 in)	-41%
Screen size1	3 inches (76 mm)	3.12 inches (79 mm)	4%
Battery capacity	850 mAh	1000 mAh	18%
Battery life2	10 to 14 hours	15 to 19 hours	42%	Battery life drops after 500 charges.
Screen brightness	backlight on/off	4 levels		The option of turning the backlight off in the main menu has been removed.
Stylus	75.0 mm × 4.0 mm	87.5 mm × 4.9 mm	75%	The stylus is side-loaded and located next to the power switch.
D-pad		18.6 mm	-16%	Lines are printed into pad, similar to Wii Remote and Game Boy Micro
Wrist strap	Included, with thumb stylus	Included in Japan, without thumb stylus
Start and Select buttons	Above A, B, X, Y	Beneath A, B, X, Y		Size decreased.
External connectors	Compatible with GBA EXT2 port	Incompatible with GBA EXT2 port		Connector is only used for the AC adapter.
Power toggle	Button above D-pad	Slider on right side
Status indicator light	Below bottom screen	On right hinge
GBA cartridge slot	Cartridges flush with system	Cartridges protrude 1 centimetre (0.39 in)		Filler cartridge included to block dirt
CPU	Larger, with greater power consumption	Smaller, with less power consumption
Microphone	Below bottom screen	Middle of hinge
Shock resistance	Less	More

¹ Screen size is measured diagonally.
² Battery length is based on gameplay with lowest brightness settings.

I added this to every DS model article, but it was removed from DSi (despite editors mentioning that the article is lacking technical information on the talk page, and the article having no technical comparisons). I don't want to edit war, but if someone else wants to add it back feel free. ▫ JohnnyMrNinja 07:34, 29 April 2011 (UTC)

About "In Production" row, specifically in production of the Nintendo DS Lites

Well, I understand it's cool to have there, but the problem is whether Nintendo DS Lite is still in production or not.

Someone would change it to "No" for DS Lite, supposedly because the Nintendo 3DS has been released and there'll alway be DSi for DS games, but no real sources supporting this. Others would say it should stay "Yes". Again, not much sources supporting "yes" after the release of Nintendo 3DS.

Would "unknown" best fit for Nintendo DS Lite's in production status? Or should it stay a "Yes"?

Or... just get rid of "in production" row.

Thoughts? Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 05:34, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

Well, someone posted source supporting "yes". I suppose we can disregard this topic. Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 05:42, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

All portable consoles prior to the DS

Is there any particular reason for why pre-DS consoles are currently excluded from this Nintendo portable console comparison? Curious if there's a reason or if it's on the docket. czar · · 07:23, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

The article was formally a template used in the 3DS article to compare previous generations of the DS. A recent discussion here concluded that the comparison belonged in an article and was moved. The question now is whether or not to make this a comparison of all previous Nintendo handhelds as the title suggests, or if it should be renamed Comparison of Nintendo DS consoles. --GoneIn60 (talk) 03:02, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Easiest thing to do would be just rename it. If there's interest in a similar article for previous handhelds, a similar article called Comparison of Nintendo Gameboys could be made. Since they're two different lines (despite the older DS models playing GBA games) it might make sense to make them seperate articles. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.226.130.57 (talk) 21:20, 19 November 2012 (UTC)

Cuz the admin did a terrible job at handling this and simply deleted the prior material on this article. « Ryūkotsusei » 19:26, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

I've worked on the GB line. Now we have a table with images, specs, release dates and so on for it, like the DS/3DS table below.

In my opinion, the page looks good and informative with all the handhelds together. I would oppose renaming it to Comparison of Nintendo DS consoles as suggested above, but I suppose it is a moot point, since that proposal was made at a time when the entirety of this page consisted of a comparison of DS and 3DS consoles. (In which case, I believe Comparison of Nintendo DS and 3DS consoles would be a more accurate title - the template which previously contained that comparison was even called Template:3DS vs DS series) Daniel Carrero (talk) 00:54, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Orphaned references in Comparison of Nintendo portable consoles

I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Comparison of Nintendo portable consoles's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "bweek":

• From Game Boy Color: "A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy". BusinessWeek. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
• From Game Boy: "A Brief History of Game Console Warfare: Game Boy". BusinessWeek. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved 2008-07-30. Game Boy and Game Boy Color's combined lifetime sales reached 118.7 million worldwide, according to Nintendo's latest annual report.

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT⚡ 20:33, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Y Done Alphathon /'æɫ.fə.θɒn/ ^(talk) 02:06, 10 February 2013 (UTC)

3D Depth Slider

Why is the 3D Depth Slider supposed to be considered a type of input control for the 3DS? Just like the volume slider (or wheel on older models) all it does is adjust the output, it never actually influences gameplay. -- Ishbane (talk) 21:47, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

I think you have a good point. Perhaps it should be listed as a feature as opposed to an input control. I reverted your edit which removed it for two reasons: 1) You labeled the edit as "minor" and 2) If in the wrong section, it should still be listed somewhere and appropriately moved. --GoneIn60 (talk) 22:27, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

I'm usually roaming the german wp, where people are rarely giving a whatwhat about what's supposed to be a minor edit or not.
I'd put the 3D Depth Slider into the row "3D enabled", with "Yes (adjustable depth)". -- Ishbane (talk) 00:56, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Width/Depth/Height

I think it's interesting that the dimensions of the 3DS XL are listed as:

156 mm (6.1 in) W

93 mm (3.7 in) D

22 mm (0.87 in) H

When it sounds a lot more reasonable to say:

Width: 15.6 cm (6.1 in)

Height: 9.3 cm (3.7 in)

Depth: 2.2 cm (0.87 in)

--Diblidabliduu (talk) 02:44, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Why is it more reasonable? Dimensions of products are usually given in millimetres not centimetres, and the 3DS XL is no exception - check the ref. Also, using millimetres avoids using a decimal. Alphathon /'æɫ.fə.θɒn/ ^(talk) 01:10, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Chronological order

The article was a mess, i.e starting with the newest system first. Which AVGN would say is bullshit and what are you thinking. to grasp history you start first with the oldest, not the newest. DoctorHver (talk) 03:08, 23 July 2013 (UTC)

Agreed. Changing. Ozdarka (talk) 07:42, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Delete?

I went ahead and requested an AfD. IDK if I'm doing it right? Rukario-sama ^ㅈ^ -(...) 20:18, 26 June 2016 (UTC)