The Nintendo 3DS is a portable game console by Nintendo, which can produce "3D effects without the need for any special glasses" via a process called autostereoscopy. The device was released in Japan on February 26, 2011 for ¥25,000, and will be available in Europe on March 25, 2011 at a retailer-defined price, in North America on March 27, 2011 priced at $249.99 USD. and in Australia on March 31, 2011 for $349.95 AUD. It succeeds the Nintendo DS series of handhelds, which primarily shares the handheld console market with Sony's PSP. The Nintendo 3DS will feature backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software.