Nintendo’s next-generation 3DS handheld could be on sale in Australia as early as the last quarter of 2010. It was originally scheduled to ship in 2010

The leak came about after developers were given access to developer kits for the new device. The date is significantly earlier than the originally promised fiscal 2011 and if correct will deliver a big boost for Nintendo running into the peak Christmas buying period.

 At least one publisher told CVG that they had previously heard it might ship “much closer to Christmas.”

The 3D enabled device will include a possible Professor Layton game.

Representatives from Nintendo declined to comment on “rumour and speculation.”

The console is officially due to be unveiled at E3 in June and should be a major leap in features and performance. Its signature feature is officially a dual 3D display that doesn’t need glasses, possibly made by Sharp, but it’s also expected to use a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra chip that could give it far more advanced graphics while still running legacy DS games. Analog controls and force feedback are also considered strong contenders for the finished design.