Nintendo has announced a new 3DS portable gaming system.

According to Nintendo’s press release, the 3DS platform will allow users to play 3D games without the need for special glasses. It will also be backwards compatible with existing Nintendo DS and DSi games. In other words, users will be able to play older games on the new 3DS.

Nintendo says the device will launch sometime between late 2010 or early 2011. Nintendo will also present the device at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this June at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Japanese reports from Nikkei and Asahi business publications say the system will achieve naked eye 3D by using Sharp’s parallax barrier LCDs.

The 3DS screen will also be smaller than the 4.2 inch screen on the DSi LL, according to Nikkei.

Other Nintendo 3DS details (courtesy of Gizmodo):

• It may have an accelerometer for tilt-controls with motion-led gaming, just like the iPhone/iPod Touch.
• The screen might be higher-res, maybe reaching 720p—and measuring around the same size as the DS.
• It will have two screens just like previous portables, but they’ll be used in conjunction as one giant screen, according to RPAD.tv
• A Tegra chip could be powering it.
• Nintendo might put a 3G SIM in, for over-the-air downloads.
• Those over-the-air downloads might include ebooks, something already seen on the DSi XL.
• It will include two cameras (one backwards-facing, one forward-facing), just like the DSi—for DSi backwards compatibility support.
• 3D control sticks may help with gaming, if Nikkei’s report is correct, and the 3DS itself could vibrate like a Rumble Pak.