Travelers Get Free Wi-Fi on Nintendo 3DS

 

Flight delays are the bane of holiday travelers, but Nintendo 3DS gamers today (Dec. 9) can pass the time for free. Boingo Wireless announced it will offer free Wi-Fi access at its 42 North American airports over the holidays, including Chicago's O’Hare Airport, New York's John F. Kennedy Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

 

Nintendo 3DS users who bring their devices with them on their travels will be automatically connected for free to participating Boingo hotspots, according to a Nintendo statement. The service was made available through the Nintendo 3DS system update on Dec. 8. The update added “Nintendo Zone” free Wi-Fi  from various providers, including Best Buy and AT&T.

 

To launch the Zone and find available free connections, users can tap the blinking Nintendo Zone icon on the “Home” menu. With a Wi-Fi connection, 3DS players can play games with other users online, download new games and watch Nintendo-produced 3D video shorts.

 

The handheld gaming device was released by Nintendo last spring. First to offer 3D play without the need for 3D glasses, Nintendo in July dropped the price of the 3DS from $250 to $170.