3DS buttons to be backlit?

A little birdy tells us something new about the final version of the 3DS – backlit buttons are on the cards.

The 3DS rumour mill continues to grind away, and we’ve just got hold of a juicy little nugget. The buttons on the front of the 3DS are likely to be backlit. That’s the D-Pad, the A, B, X, Y Start, Select, Power and Home buttons – as well as the 3D depth indicator to the right of the unit.

This information comes from a reliable contact, and the source is an individual working for a major developer. Unfortunately, we can’t get more specific. Having said all that, this news should still bear a great big “Rumour!” disclaimer around its neck.

Due caution aside, let’s get speculating! There are a few bits of cumulative evidence that support the info. Firstly, there’s the fact that back-lighting buttons is becoming a standard practice in handheld devices – gadgets like mobile phones have been doing it for years.

The 3DS’ buttons all feature white markings – pale colours are suited to backlighting – and in contrast to the DS, there’s a bit of white writing or a symbol on every one.

It should also be noted that this lighting hasn’t been there in the preview models of the 3DS seen so far.

I doubt backlit buttons will be a deal breaker for anyone still sitting on the fence about the 3DS – but they are another example of the little extra touches Nintendo are renowned for. It’s also good to know that it’ll be easy to play Resident Evil: Revelations in the dark!

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