UK 3DS owners can now connect to O2's thousands of wi-fi hotspots for free

While the 3DS is great for some solo gaming on the go, its lack of 3G connectivity means competing online when you're away from home can be a hit-and-miss experience.

Thankfully, Nintendo is trying to do something about that. Well, strictly speaking, something MORE about that.

You see, Ninty has just inked a deal with UK telco O2. As a result of this partnership, UK 3DS gamers will be able to automatically connect to the internet (via Nintendo Zone) at O2's over 7,000 UK wi-fi hotspots for free.

So, if you pop into a branch of McDonald's, Debenhams, or Pizza Hut, for example, you'll be able to piggyback on an O2 hotspot for nowt.

And should you be taking in some entertainment at London's premier music venue The O2, you can hop online for free there, too.