Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable dual-screen <a href="/facts/Handheld_game_console/l1hmKVPx">handheld game console</a> produced by <a href="/facts/Nintendo/dMrLpaHu">Nintendo</a>. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the <a href="/facts/Nintendo_DS/4uVHPrnp">Nintendo DS</a>, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features <a href="/facts/Backward_compatibility/FbHFBu5y">backward compatibility</a> with the Nintendo DS's library of video games. As an <a href="/facts/Eighth_generation_of_video_game_consoles/ATJVb6Sf">eighth-generation console</a>, its primary competitor was <a href="/facts/Sony_Interactive_Entertainment/tnH01NqQ">Sony</a>'s <a href="/facts/PlayStation_Vita/KEvRtFjD">PlayStation Vita</a>.
The most prominent feature of the 3DS is its ability to display <a href="/facts/Stereoscopy/jfHumNV8">stereoscopic 3D</a> images without the use of <a href="/facts/3D_glasses/jfHumNV8">3D glasses</a> or additional accessories. Other features of the 3DS include its <a href="/facts/StreetPass_and_SpotPass/H4jB354h">StreetPass and SpotPass</a> tag modes that were powered by <a href="/facts/Nintendo_Network/tntfYrEK">Nintendo Network</a>, augmented reality capabilities using its <a href="/facts/Stereo_camera/jkeqCnlm">3D camera</a> system, and <a href="/facts/Virtual_Console/rovAzWYB">Virtual Console</a>, 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 the next month. Less than six months after launch, Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from US$249.99 to US$169.99 amid disappointing launch sales. The company offered ten free <a href="/facts/NES/PGEKMhFI">NES</a> games and ten free <a href="/facts/Game_Boy_Advance/oRJksVAa">Game Boy Advance</a> games from the <a href="/facts/Nintendo_eShop/gIcrK2yP">Nintendo eShop</a> to consumers who bought the system at the original launch price. This strategy was considered a major success, and the console went on to become one of Nintendo's most successful handheld consoles in the first two years of its release. As of December 31, 2024, the <a href="/facts/Nintendo_3DS_family/nXIxNh1b">Nintendo 3DS family</a> of systems combined have sold 75.94 million units, and <a href="/facts/List_of_Nintendo_3DS_games/9vpBpgm3">games for the systems</a> have sold 392.14 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 originally released in July 2012. An "entry-level" version of the console, the <a href="/facts/Nintendo_2DS/bGQyYTXf">Nintendo 2DS</a>, with a fixed "slate" form factor and lacking autostereoscopic (3D) functionality, was released in October 2013. The <a href="/facts/New_Nintendo_3DS/G0zRg7xz">New Nintendo 3DS</a> features a more powerful CPU, a second analog stick called the C-Stick, additional buttons, and other changes, and was first released in October 2014. The 3DS was officially discontinued on September 16, 2020; the Nintendo eShop for the 3DS officially shut down on March 27, 2023, and the <a href="/facts/Nintendo_Network/tntfYrEK">Nintendo Network</a> online service shut down on April 8, 2024, with the exception of <a href="/facts/Pok%25C3%25A9mon_Bank/D1u9a9ER">Pokémon Bank</a>, Poké Transporter, and the ability to redownload previously purchased software.

Nintendo 3DS open-in-new

Nintendo 3DS