The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld system that was produced as the true successor to the Nintendo DS while retaining some of the upgrades introduced with the Nintendo DSi.

History

Nintendo 3DS
Manufacturer	Nintendo
Type	Handheld
Generation	Eighth
Lifespan	2011-Present
CPU	268MHz Dual-Core ARM11 MPCore, single-core ARM9
GPU	DMP PICA200 GPU
Media	DS/DSi/3DS Game Cards; SD/SDHD Cards
Storage	Cartridge Save; 2 GB of internal memory; SD/SDHC Cards
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (with WEP and WPA/2 support)
Online Service	Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo eShop
Release Date	JP February 26, 2011; US March 25, 2011; EU March 27, 2011; AU March 31, 2011
Units Sold	68.98 million (3DS + 2DS)
Top Game	Mario Kart 7
Compatibility	Nintendo DS, DSi
Predecessor	Nintendo DSi
Successor	New Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS was released in early 2011 and experienced sales that were low enough to disappoint Nintendo. Likely factors included the high price point of $250.00 matched with the low selection of first party games. Satoru Iwata issued a public apology and dropped the price to 169.99 in August. Iwata apologized to those who bought the 3DS at full price and treated them to the Ambassador Program as compensation. This program allowed those who qualified to download ten NES games and ten Game Boy Advance games for free to play on the 3DS.

After the price drop, the 3DS's sales turned around, and it went on to quickly become one of Nintendo's best selling consoles. Several new variations of the 3DS have been introduced over time without a true successor, although some of Nintendo's more recent home consoles (the Wii U and the Switch) have incorporated more elements of handheld consoles. The 3DS has remained in production as of 2019, eight years after its initial release, without any signs of the system being completely replaced or discontinued.

Features

As the name implied, the 3DS had a design similar to the DS, complete with featuring two screens. This 3DS's most notable new feature was that the upper screen had the ability to display games in stereoscopic 3D, without the need for special glasses. A slider controlled the amount of depth that was viewable, even go so far as to turn off the effect altogether.

Compared to the original DS, the 3DS's upper screen was slightly wider, while the touch screen became slightly smaller. The 3DS has an analog stick, called a Slide Pad, above a D-Pad on the left side of the console, in addition to the standard four buttons (A-B-X-Y) on the right side of the the console and two shoulder buttons. The 3DS also had both gyro sensor and motion sensor technology. Like the DSi, the 3DS utilized cameras, with two on the outside and one on the inside. While it still had 0.3 megapixels, pictures could now be taken in 3D.

The 3DS came with a cradle that could be used while charging it.

eShop

The 3DS has its own online shop which launched in June 2011. It retains the same inventory as the DSiShop (with a few exceptions). In addition to DSiWare's library, the eShop stocked games for the 3DS Virtual Console, the short-lived 3D Classics line and original Nintendo 3DS Download Software. The eShop also contained a video service and trailers that are available in both 2D and 3D. North American players could also use the eShop to stream videos from a Netflix account.

The eShop marked one difference from Nintendo's previous online shops, as it accepted currency directly rather than in the form of Points.

Firmware

The 3DS's firmware has a menu with user information and several applications. The default applications include the 3DS Camera, 3DS Sound, Download Play, Face Raiders, AR Games, a Mii Maker and a matching Streetpass Mii Plaza. Firmware updates are received from time to time, with the most notable being the one in early June 2011 which added the eShop (with the 3DS's Virtual Console), an internet browser and the DSi Transfer Service. One application called Swapnote ran from 2011 until it was closed down in 2013.

In 2013, a 3DS version of Miiverse was made available through an update, matching the program on the Wii U. It allowed players to share comments, screenshots, accomplishments and messages over the internet. Unlike the Wii U version, this one required a Nintendo Network ID and lacked a private messaging feature. The service was ultimately closed down in November 2017.

Backwards Compatibility

The Nintendo 3DS is compatible with Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi cards as well as access to DSiWare games. Nintendo also allows DSiWare transfers from either of the Nintendo DSi models, although a select amount of games could not be transferred. Like the DSi, the 3DS has no slot for Game Boy Advance games.

Other Versions

There have been a number of variations on the 3DS console that have been released throughout its lifepsan.

3DS XL

Released in 2012, the 3DS XL was a larger version of the 3DS that featured screens which were 90% larger, as well as a larger battery which enhanced the battery life.

2DS

Released in 2013, the 2DS was a different version of the 3DS that was designed to appeal to children. Instead of being a console that folded it up, it was a flat console, and it also lacked the stereoscopic 3DS effect in favor of a simpler overlay effect applied to a single display panel. It also had lesser sound quality and battery life compared to the 3DS.

New 3DS

Released in 2014 and 2015, the New Nintendo 3DS was an enhanced version of the 3DS that was capable of playing some more advanced games. This caused the production of some games that could exclusively be played on the New 3DS, while other games had greater functionality on it. It also added amiibo functionality.

Two further 3DS versions were base don the New 3DS; there was the New Nintendo 3DS XL, released in 2015, which was a larger variation much like the original 3DS XL had been; and the New Nintendo 2DS XL, released in 2017, which acted as a 2DS counterpart to the New 3DS with a new design.

Nintendo 3DS

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