Hands-on tester calls out 3DS stability issues

In the midst of a media blitz of 3DS enthusiasm, another negative note has sounded. The Geek Beat's David Ewalt called the 3DS "extremely cool", but expressed reservations about its augmented reality features and narrow depth of field.

"The 3DS wants you to keep a distance of about 30 inches from the card, and every time I pulled too far away, it would pause the game. That happened a lot," Ewalt complained.

"Limited movement is also an issue with the 3D screen overall," he continued. "Tilt it to the left or right, or move it towards one side of your body or another, and the screen goes blurry. ... I can see where that would be tiring."

On the possibility of eye fatigue or strain, Ewalt had no observational evidence, but did comment that he had concerns about using the device for hours on end - although Nintendo, like all platform holders, warns against extended gaming sessions even on standard displays.

Ewalt's dissenting voice follows Japanese reports of dizziness and fatigue among Nintendo World attendees, but both reports are heavily outnumbered by delighted accounts of the handheld.

Thanks, GoNintendo.