Nintendo 3DS groped in first-look video

Our American pals at CNET.com have done geeks everywhere a solid and filmed their hands-on time with Nintendo's 3DS portable games console at CES.

The 3DS is the first games console, portable or otherwise, to offer glasses-free 3D. It generates the 3D effect courtesy of a 'parallax barrier', which sits above the main display and directs a slightly different image to each eye.

That means you have to keep your head relatively steady in a specific position to avoid breaking the 3D spell. That said, when we tested the 3DS last year, we found we could move our bonce about 3 or 4cm to the side and still see the 3D effect.

As we mentioned in our in-depth preview of the 3DS, it's a liberating feeling to be free from the tyranny of 3D specs, and the console's 3D effect is very impressive overall. Another advantage of the 3DS system is that colours never look washed-out, which they can do when you're wearing 3D glasses. In fact, everything on the display looks bright and sharp.

If you've got a stinking hangover and just can't face playing in 3D, you can adjust the intensity of the effect via a slider by the side of the screen. If you want, you can play in 2D.

Jeff Bakalar's smashing video doesn't show the 3DS in action (the 3D effect doesn't work on camera anyway), but you will be able to see the hardware, which is rather charming in its own right. We particularly like the inclusion of dual cameras, so you can take 3D photos.

Watch the video below, and then let us know your thoughts on the device in the comments section below. The 3DS will be out in March for a currently undisclosed price.