Nintendo's 3DS may or may not have been announced prematurely, but if the system's screen actually premiered this week, the company may have had one more reason to get their publicity machine working. The 3DS will need a portable 3-D display, and Sharp now appears to have one. While there is no way to know for sure whether or not the two concepts will join together handheld harmony, the details unloaded by Sharp in Tokyo Friday paint a convenient portrait of coincidence that could mean we've just seen our first glimpse of a 3DS hardware component.
Sharp declined to name who their clients might be who will use their new 3-inch display, which is meant to be viewed from about a foot away, but Nintendo is a likely candidate, according to Boston.com. The screen will sport a touch panel, a Full Wide Video Graphics Array (480 x 854 pixels), 500 cd/m2 lumiance, and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, according to a Japanese press release spotted by Siliconera.
Even if Sharp's layered liquid crystal display doesn't turn out to be a part of the 3DS, it's easily the closest thing to what the device needs that we've seen so far. If Nintendo picks something else, their final choice is going to bear a strong resemblance.
Do you think Sharp will be supplying the 3DS with screens? What do you want to see out of Nintendo's next handheld platform? Share your expectations in the comment section below.