TechTheDay

Top Japanese video game company, Nintendo, has promised before that even when the Nintendo Switch gets released they consider the Switch as a home console, not as a handheld console. That honor goes instead to their Nintendo 3DS line of devices, which was first released way back in 2011 with the first Nintendo 3DS.

And it seems that Nintendo is keeping their word with their announcement of the New Nintendo 2DS XL last month. The new handheld console is part of the New Nintendo 3DS sub-family of the 3DS line of devices. This device is able to play all of the DS library, including DS games, 3DS games and those exclusively made to play for the New Nintendo 3DS.

The device is basically a 2DS device that has been given the New Nintendo 3DS treatment: the same powerful processing power inside the New Nintendo 3DS, minus the 3D effect. It also was given the old DS clamshell design, with some tweaks, and 2 XL screens. The device will also come with a built-in support for the amiibo cards and figurines. Finally, the C-stick is also there along with the ZL and ZR buttons. Battery life will probably be around the same as the New Nintendo 3DS or maybe longer due to the absence of the 3D function. The new device will also be sold with an adapter for charging.

Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, says that the new device is a demonstration to their commitment to the handheld market, adding that the new device will offer a balance between price and performance.

Along with it, two new 3DS games were announced, Hey! PIKMIN and Miitopia. The two games will be released on the same date as the new device, July 28, 2017. It will be sold for $149 SRP. The whole package will include the following:

• The New Nintendo 2DS XL console
• A stylus
• Free 4GB microSDHC memory card
• AR Cards
• The operations manual
• AC adapter

The DS Family

The Nintendo 3DS family of devices has been Nintendo handheld device since way back in 2011. The original NDS is the second best selling video game console in history, the first being the Sony Playstation 2. Though the original Nintendo 3DS, which came after it, is considered to be of a different generation, it continues the DS’ legacy of portable gaming, now with the added 3D gimmick.

The Nintendo 2DS, released in August 2013, was a bit different: it has the same hardware as the 3DS minus the clamshell case design and, as the name implies, the 3D effect. It was sold with a younger target audience in mind. Following this, one year later, the New Nintendo 3DS device was released which featured a lot of improvements such as increased RAM and better 3D display. They also added the C-Stick analog and the additional ZL and ZR shoulder buttons. It also featured Nintendo’s move from using standard SD cards to using micro SD instead.

Nintendo’s Earning Report

The announcement for the new device was released just hours after Nintendo released the report for their earnings for the last fiscal year that ended last March 31st. The report includes sales of the Nintendo 3DS line of devices as well as the new Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s 3DS hardware sold some 7.27 million units around the world by the end of March. Nintendo Switch sold some 2.74 million units. For software sales Nintendo sold a total of 5.46 million units for the Switch and 55 million for the 3DS, showing that sales for the 3DS devices and software remain strong despite the Switch. For this fiscal year, they predict selling some 10 million units for the Nintendo Switch and some 37 million units for the 3DS in hardware while 35 million units for the Switch and 40 million units for the 3DS in software.