The New Nintendo 3DS was an upgraded version of the original Nintendo 3DS handheld console, released in 2014 in Japan and 2015 in other regions. It offered several key improvements over the original, including better hardware, new control options, and an enhanced 3D viewing experience. A larger version, the New Nintendo 3DS XL, was released alongside it.
Key features and improvements
- Super-Stable 3D: The face-tracking feature used the inner cameras to adjust the 3D images based on the user’s viewing angle. This removed the “sweet spot” issue of the original 3DS, which often made the 3D effect blurry if the console was not held perfectly steady.
- Enhanced Performance: A more powerful processor and increased RAM resulted in faster loading times, quicker downloads, and smoother operation of applications like the internet browser and Miiverse.
- Additional Controls: Nintendo added a C-Stick (a small analog nub) and two extra shoulder buttons (ZL and ZR), providing expanded control options for compatible games. These features mimicked the functions of the Circle Pad Pro accessory for the original 3DS.
- Amiibo Support: An NFC reader was built into the bottom screen, allowing players to use amiibo figures and cards with compatible games without needing a separate adapter.
- Customizable Face Plates (standard model only): The smaller, standard-sized New Nintendo 3DS featured removable and replaceable cover plates, allowing users to customize the console’s appearance.
- Exclusive Games: A small number of games, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D and SNES Virtual Console titles, were developed exclusively for the more powerful hardware of the New Nintendo 3DS, making them unplayable on older 3DS models.
- Storage Change: The system switched from using standard SD cards to microSD cards, and the slot was moved to a less accessible location under the back cover.
Discontinuation and legacy
- Phased out: As Nintendo’s focus shifted to the Nintendo Switch, the New Nintendo 3DS was gradually phased out. Production for the smaller model officially ended in 2017.
- Final model: The last model in the 3DS family, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, was released in 2017 before the entire line was discontinued in 2020.
- Enduring improvements: The New Nintendo 3DS is remembered for its significant quality-of-life upgrades over the original model, especially the improved 3D display, which many players found made the feature enjoyable to use for the first time.