Could the 3DS be the Wii 2?

I don’t believe that there’s a chance of this happening at all, but it’s nonetheless an interesting concept I believe is worth mentioning.

xpersiussa of the IGN Boards was thinking that there might not be a separate Wii 2 at all; that the Wii 2 would simply be a 3DS plugged into a TV. He backs this up by saying that the 3DS can use its graphical horsepower to render higher-quality graphics instead of a three-dimensional image. It would be turned into a “Wii 2” by means of a dock you pop the 3DS into, which connects it to your TV. After you’ve docked it, you’d use a wireless remote or controller to control the system.

Nintendo 3DS Charging Cradle Dock

There are several flaws with the theory, though: for one, even though the 3DS is very powerful for a handheld, I highly doubt it has enough oomph to produce the HD visuals console gamers demand these days – when not rendering in 3D, its resolution is 400×240, compared to the 1920×1080 of a modern HDTV. It seems more like an Apple-y thing to do, but I digress.

In addition to that, the home console market is worth millions and millions to Nintendo, and they would never jeopardize its existence by creating a singular handheld to replace it completely like this. Rather, I believe Nintendo will devise some kind of connectivity between the 3DS and the (separate) Wii 2, like they have done in the past (the GameBoy Advance connected to the GameCube, and the DS to the Wii) – only this time, I expect it to be better and genuinely useful.

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Comments, Reactions, and General Hooliganism

  1. Wolvesgod

    If they are talking about that thing the 3DS is connected to, they have to be extremely stupid… or living underneath a rock. That is the cradle to charge the 3DS and up the download speed.

    • F0

      I know that’s the charging cradle. I don’t think this concept has a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming a reality at all; but I thought it was still a pretty interesting idea. The original poster on IGN was thinking of a different cradle that would be designed for connection to a TV.

    • Wolvesgod

      O no, I read what you said afterwards, but I was just stating that the original post must be living under a rock, if they think the cradle can be used that way. it’s to charge not to pass information to a tv. Also like you said they can use it, to hook up to the next Nintendo console, it will feel weird to have a handheld without a home console, from Nintendo.

  2. Roy

    This is actually an awesome idea. Probably wrong but awesome anyway.

  3. xemnas

    nintendo may bring something out that lets you play 3ds games on your tv like they did with the gameboy but not as a home console

  4. Great and imaginative idea however it won’t happen xD

  5. They wouldn’t do that… it doesn’t make much sense from a business and profit perspective. They would lose out on the money they could have made selling two separate consoles.

    But with the world trying to be a bit greener and more environmentally friendly, it saves on plastic I guess… 🙂

  6. George Tirebiter

    Meh. Too much setup.

  7. wiiboy101

    this is the hybrid console idea something iv said for a long time could happen but im think its likely nintendo will have cross over software but not hardware… think about it a docking system console can work but if nintendo disrupt the competition away then theres no need to be radical just make two separate systems but allow crossover gaming and multiplay between wii 2 and 3DS

    im sure iv shown my hybrid ideas on this site before but something kinda makes me feel nintendo will carry on with a tv based family unit a console and handhelds as portables and personal devices

    its very hard to guess this one with out all the data company’s like nintendo work from and there experience in this business.. but a dock at home wii 2 come walk out the door 3DS unit as one device is interesting and iv been thinking is this Nintendo’s next move !!!?

    but with sony and microsoft basically shafted as profitable console companys, theres no point in it as wii2 can go basically unchallenged so just keep making two separate devices i cannot see glasses free 3D tv taking hold for a while a few years yet so even wii 2 as a tv unit could be 2012to2015 hell even longer HOPE NOT

    a hybrid console come handheld wii 2 3DS system vs tablets phones etc doing it for media and minio computing maybe nintendos answer to a GAMING SYSTEM using the idea

    or nintendo will not go that way instead just follow there own path of gaming devices one at home the other a portable as theres no longer a direct competitor
    and only nintendo is a true gaming device everything else is ether a tablet a smartphone or a pc and has more computing but far less gaming in its design and controls

    iv always guessed and worked out whats coming i did with wii and its success but this time im stumped will nintendo go hybrid idea or not or a radical idea we aint thinking of i seen motion coming from the n64 days something said to me n64 controls make me think of twisting the controller and tilting it and shooting from i…t remember the center handle and how it fit in ur hand like a mouse pod and how n64 pad could tilt from the wrist i just new motion would come one day

    but as far as the next trick innovation im stumped this time is it a hybrid or just a wii 2 and 3ds as buddys the docking station charger does kind of ease in the idea of a console dock one day replacing the charger maybe…..

  8. wiiboy101

    just had a mini brain wave the dock is replaced with a small box thats a wii 2 apple tv like device that also charges 3DS maybe even needs a 3DS to function again this starts getting silly and hardcore and lacks mas market appeal its tricky…

    if we were talking a upgrade say a small box that needs 3DS to function and has a disk slot for wii backward play it acts as wii wii 2 is very cheap and uses wii controls and 3DS docks to it but is this going to sell and be understood by average jo/joe

  9. Scientist

    Every time I read/hear something that completely ignores our current technical limitations, I’m tempted to make a Star Trek reference.

  10. wiiboy101

    what limitations 4x core ARM A9 AT 2GHZ USING LESS POWER/HEAT THAN A WII CPU….22NM CHIP BUILDING IPADS FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN X360 COULD BE MADE NOW

    POWERPC 576FP @ 1.6GHZ USING LESS THAN HALF THE POWER OF WII CPU

    the tech is already here imagine tegra 2 at double clockspeeds and a better gpu presto x360 power in a tiny device ur like 5 years behind science dude CATCH-UP…

    did you realise phones are running computer OS there called smartphones go check them out

    HEPTIC FEEDBACK 3D ADVANED RUMBLE ““FEEL THE GAME”” COULD BE WII-2….iv seen cod 4 running on a ion netpad ion 2 is 3x as powerful again pc games at 720p on a tiny netpad already exists…

    • F0

      Smartphone operating systems aren’t exactly computer operating systems. Try running Photoshop on them – it’s not happening. They still have a ways to go.

      Scientist was referring specifically to the 3DS’s limitations, which are already set.

  11. wiiboy101

    try running photo shop on a os photo shop wasn’t made for!!!!! WHAT HAS THAT GOT TO DO WITH THE CPU GPU AND RAM POWER

    smartphones like iphone 4 could run windows xp easily stop confusing processing power with compatibility why would i do mainstream computing on a phone your point is very confusing and un-logical….

    and i was talking about the docking unit not the 3DS alone

    3ds leak system shows 96mb ram 32mb for OS maybe !!!!!!

  12. wiiboy101

    yeah but was it 3DS or isit a dev kit version they always have more ram …96mb seems to suggest 128mb ram chip and 32mb reserved for OS leaving 96mb for games or its 64mb main ram and 32mb graphics ram we might find out over the next week or so 3DS PRESS EVENTS

  13. james braselton

    hi there curent wii plays youtube xl soo if this s true could 3DS play youtube in 3D