Nintendo DS specification leaked

News - Online snapshot offers clues

Eurogamer.net are this afternoon reporting on an internal leak of Nintendo DS specifications, which found their way online in a Japanese summary of the product, which is expected to be fully unveiled at E3 in May.

Among previously known and unknown details revealed, is the product's code-name 'Nitro', though Ninty UK have already dismissed suggestions this will be the retail name. Two CPUs will be used in the device, an ARM-9 CPU running at 67Mhz and an ARM-7 CPU running at 33Mhz. The system will also have 4Mb of RAM, shared cache/RAM and 656Kb of video memory.

Of course the DS has impressive 2D rendering capabilities, but it also boasts an impressive 3D processing power too, with claims of 120,000 polygons per second draw-rates mentioned. Naturally, good 3D capabilities will offer new potential for games and this power puts the DS on equal footing with the Sony PSP.

The de facto standard for wireless networking will be included in the shape of a 802.11 wireless LAN unit, and a touch-screen input device is among the other claims. Other features include a standard D-Pad, and two screens both of 256x192 resolution. Of course, this leak could be nonsense, but somehow we doubt it, and given these better-than-expected specifications the Nintendo DS will certainly warrant further investigation.