Description

The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. The console was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony’s PlayStation Vita.

The most prominent feature of the 3DS is its ability to display stereoscopic 3D images without the use of 3D glasses or additional accessories. Other features of the 3DS include its StreetPass and SpotPass tag modes that are powered by Nintendo Network, augmented reality capabilities using its 3D cameras, and Virtual Console, which provides a method for users to download and play video games originally released for older video game systems.

The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26, 2011, and worldwide beginning in March 2011. The console went on to become one of Nintendo’s most successful handheld consoles in the first two years of its release. As of September 30, 2022, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.94 million units, and games for the systems have sold 388.89 million units.

The 3DS had multiple variants over the course of its life. The Nintendo 3DS XL, a larger model featuring a 90% larger screen, was first released in Japan and Europe in July 2012. In August 2012, it launched in the US for $199.99. An “entry-level” version of the console, the Nintendo 2DS, with a fixed “slate” form factor and lacking autostereoscopic (3D) functionality, was released in Western markets in October 2013. The New Nintendo 3DS features a more powerful CPU, a second analogue stick called the C-Stick, additional buttons, an improved camera, and other changes, and was first released in Japan in October 2014.