Warning: Nintendo 3DS Not Recommended For 6 and Under

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If your child is already begging you for a Nintendo 3DS, you might want to consider the following warming. On Nintendo’s Japanese website (although we’re quite sure the notice extends to those who live Stateside), it says that children under the age of six should not use the 3D technology because it may cause developmental problems in their eyes. You don’t have to completely the children, however. The 3DS does come with a switch to render all images in 2D, and that type of viewing is safe for people of all ages.

Other recommendations for gamers over six include taking a break after 30 minutes of play (Fat chance of that happening if you’re playing Resident Evil: Revelations) and stopping if you feel dizzy or sick. (Well, duh!) The company has determined what roughly translates to a “likelihood of fatigue” when playing titles on the handheld gaming console. We’re also betting the 3DS is going to cause some sore thumbs.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime was aware of this problem back in June 2010 and spoke to Kotaku regarding the issue. “We will recommend that very young children not look at 3D images. That’s because, [in] young children, the muscles for the eyes are not fully formed,” he told the website, adding that the same warning is added on 3D movies and on the old 1990s Nintendo Virtual Boy. Fils-Aime said that the company’s research determined that the 3D technology did not caused any health problems for older users.

More on TIME.com:

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