E311 | Why Does the 3DS Lack Multitouch?

By Jorge Ba-oh 12.06.2011 6

E311 | Why Does the 3DS Lack Multitouch? on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

3DS hardware producer Hideki Konno discussed why the new portable continues the DS stylus tradition instead of going multi-touch.

Speaking to Joystiq Konno answered: back compatibility. The original DS consoles use resistive touchscreens, where a stylus-like object (or your fingerips) can be used to control the screen. These days capacitive screens which require conductive materials, like a bare finger, are commonplace in devices like tablets, mobile phones etc - allowing for multitouch control.

So why does the 3DS use the same aging screens as the 6-year old DS? The reason being the DS's huge back catalogue of games that Nintendo couldn't give up.

Really, it's all about the backwards compatibility. We have to play DS games on this and we want to make sure they work.

Konno felt that there wasn't currently a feature rich touchscreen that could come close to emulating the DS feel.

Fair enough, but what about the new Wii U - The Wii doesn't require a resistive touchscreen and with Apple's iPad/iPod and other similar capacitive devices being the norm, why does the Wii U use the older touchscreen technology? We're sniffing at possible DS emulation..

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meeto_0 is offline. meeto_0 12.06.2011#1

multi touch would be better for two people playing a game solely on the pad.

Why constantly emulate stuff? Its a tad unadventurous.

 
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RudyC3 is offline. RudyC3 12.06.2011#2

Though surely capacitive single touch would have been great for Wii U, multi touch for a controller which already has buttons for all the functions which would require multitouch, isn't really necessary (as Mike pointed in the latest podcast :p)

But meeto's made a good point here, what with that Othello demo we saw during the E3 presentation reel.

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welshwuff is offline. welshwuff 12.06.2011#3

understandable. the pad is JUST a touch screen, not a console in itself, it should only really be used for selecting inventory. Multitouch just seems irrelivant for gaming, maybe for web browsing or media related stuff, but im buying a games console here, not a pc or media center.

 
Birdo Is A Tranny is offline. Birdo Is A Tranny 12.06.2011#4

Speaking of Multitouch, supposedly the WiiU pad will be capacitive screen. I'm guessing to keep costs down.

 
Marzeee is offline. Marzeee 12.06.2011#5

Birdo Is A Tranny said:
Speaking of Multitouch, supposedly the WiiU pad will be capacitive screen. I'm guessing to keep costs down.

Or so we can draw using the stylus. Smilie

 
Echoes221 is offline. Echoes221 13.06.2011#6

Have we considered the fact that the 3DS touch screen is just far too small for a multi-touch screen. I mean seriously, that bottom screen is smaller than my Wildfire phone. There is no need for multi-touch on there what so ever.

 

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