Sources are confirming that Nintendo is admitting that the projected 3 to 5 hours of battery life on the Nintendo 3DS are accurate when the unit is in 3D mode. As we told you previously, it will depend on the title and how well optimized it is to make use of the 3D mode, as well as how heavily the title uses the 3D mode to determine how much actual battery life a player will get.

Nintendo is admitting that the unit with the 3D mode off (and taking some other battery saving measures, such as turning off the wireless and dimming the screen) the 3DS is able to achieve battery life targets of over 8 hours without a problem. The 3DS will offer a “power-save” mode, but it isn’t clear when it is turned on what it will do to help save system power; but we suspect that wireless off and screen dimming are part of the strategy.

Analysts we spoke with today tell us that the battery life isn’t as big of an issue as the reaction of many consumers to the $249 price tag that was announced for the unit. Software that makes significant use of the 3D in a spectacular way will be necessary in order for the unit to be successful. Still, if most 3D titles hover close to the 3-hour mark in play time, the battery life could become more of an issue with buyers.