Estimate: 3DS Costs Nintendo Less Than $100 To Build

You’ll be paying $250 when you pick up your Nintendo 3DS this weekend, but how much does it cost Nintendo to put the thing together? An estimate puts the total parts cost to Nintendo (not counting R&D, marketing, etc.) at just less than $100. These Apple-like levels of profit we’re talking about here.

The estimate comes to us by way of Eurogamer, which quotes UBM TechInsights, “the preeminent provider of sophisticated information services, consulting, and management software for technology companies seeking to leverage and protect their technology and intellectual property assets.” Sounds authoritative to me.

The UK is in a bit of an uproar since the MSRP over there is £230, or about $370.

I think you’ll agree that $370 is quite a bit more money than $250.

As such, retailers over there for around £190, or around $307. That’s still more than we’ll be paying here in the U.S.

It’s a big mess.

Nintendo is quick to point out that you can’t experience glasses-less 3D anywhere else, and certainly not for that kind of money, and even the high-ish price represents a decent value for your dollar—or pound, as it were.