Nintendo 3DS

"3DS" redirects here. For other uses, see 3DS (disambiguation).

  • Nintendo 3DS
An opened clamshell dual-screen handheld device. A camera is embedded in the internal hinge.
The original model Nintendo 3DS in aqua blue
Also known as3DS (shortened name)
iQue 3DS (China)
DeveloperNintendo Research & Engineering
ManufacturerNintendo, Foxconn
Product familyNintendo 3DS family
TypeHandheld game console
GenerationEighth
Release dateNintendo 3DS:
Nintendo 3DS XL:
  • EU: July 28, 2012
  • NA: August 19, 2012
  • AU: August 23, 2012
Nintendo 3DS LL:
  • JP: July 28, 2012
Introductory price
  • 3DS: ¥25,000, US$249.99,[5] A$349.95
  • 3DS XL: US$199.99, A$349.95
  • 3DS LL: ¥18,900
Discontinued
  • WW: September 16, 2020
Units shippedAll models combined: 75.94 million (as of September 30, 2022)[6]
Media
Operating systemNintendo 3DS system software
CPU
Memory128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM (Fujitsu MB82M8080-07L FC-RAM)
Storage2 GB Toshiba eMMC
Removable storage
  • 3DS: 2 GB SD card (included)
  • 3DS XL, 3DS LL: 4 GB SDHC card (included)
Display
2 TN LCD screens
  • Nintendo 3DS:
  • Upper: 3.53" autostereoscopic (3D) LCD @ 800 × 240 px (400 × 240 WQVGA per eye)
  • Lower: 3.00" resistive touchscreen LCD @ 320 × 240 (QVGA)
  • Nintendo 3DS XL / Nintendo 3DS LL:
  • Upper: 4.88" autostereoscopic (3D) LCD @ 800 × 240 px (400 × 240 WQVGA per eye)
  • Lower: 4.18" resistive touchscreen LCD @ 320 × 240 (QVGA)
GraphicsDMP PICA200 @ 268 MHz
SoundStereo speakers (pseudo-surround, via Dolby Surround 2.0), microphone
InputA/B/X/Y buttons, Circle Pad, L/R bumpers, D-pad, 3D depth slider, volume slider, wireless switch, power button
CameraRear: 2 x 0.3 MP, f/2.85

Front: 0.3 MP, f/2.85

240p@20 video recording
Connectivity2.4 GHz 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, infrared
Power
  • Nintendo 3DS:
  • 1300 mAh, 3.7 V, 5 Wh lithium-ion battery
  • Battery life
    • 3DS games: 3–5 hours
    • DS games: 5–8 hours
    • Sleep Mode: ≈ 3 days
  • Nintendo 3DS XL / Nintendo 3DS LL:
  • 1750 mAh, 3.7 V lithium-ion battery
  • Battery life
    • 3DS games: 3.5–6.5 hours
    • DS games: 7–10 hours
    • Sleep Mode: ≈ 3 days
Current firmware11.17.0-50, as of May 22, 2023; 17 months ago (2023-05-22)
Online services
Nintendo Network (discontinued)
Dimensions
Body
  • Nintendo 3DS:
    Width: 134 mm (5.3 in)
    Height: 74 mm (2.9 in)
    Depth: 21 mm (0.83 in)
    Nintendo 3DS XL:
    Width: 156 mm (6.1 in)
    Height: 93 mm (3.7 in)
    Depth: 22 mm (0.87 in)
Mass
  • 3DS: 235 grams (8.3 oz)
  • 3DS XL: 336 grams (11.9 oz)
Best-selling gameMario Kart 7, 18.99 million units
(as of March 31, 2024)[7]
Backward
compatibility		Nintendo DS
Nintendo DSi
PredecessorNintendo DS
RelatedNintendo 2DS
New Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS[a] is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features backward compatibility with the Nintendo DS's library of video games.[8] As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.[9]

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 were 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 the next month.[10][11] Less than six months after launch, Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from US$249.99 to US$169.99 amid disappointing launch sales.[12] The company offered ten free NES games and ten free Game Boy Advance games from the Nintendo eShop to consumers who bought the system at the original launch price.[13] 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 June 30, 2024, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.94 million units, and games for the systems have sold 392.02 million units.[14]

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.[15] An "entry-level" version of the console, the Nintendo 2DS, with a fixed "slate" form factor and lacking autostereoscopic (3D) functionality, was released in October 2013.[16] The New Nintendo 3DS 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.[17][18] The 3DS family hardware was officially discontinued on September 16, 2020;[19][20] the Nintendo eShop for the 3DS officially shut down on March 27, 2023,[21][22] and the Nintendo Network online service shut down on April 8, 2024, with the exception of Pokémon Bank, Poké Transporter, and the ability to redownload previously purchased software.[23]

  1. ^ "Supplementary Information about Earnings Release" (PDF). Nintendo. October 29, 2010. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  2. ^ Harris, Craig (September 28, 2010). "Nintendo Conference 2010 Details". IGN. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  3. ^ Kaluszka, Aaron (January 19, 2011). "3DS North American Price, Date, Colors Set". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  4. ^ Daniel Vuckovic (February 8, 2011). "Nintendo 3DS launches in Australia on March 31st for $349". Vooks.net. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  5. ^ Moriarty, Colin (October 15, 2013). "The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power". IGN. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "Dedicated Video Game Sales Units". Nintendo. March 31, 2020. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "Top Selling Software Sales Units". Nintendo. March 31, 2020. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  8. ^ "Launch of New Portable Game Machine" (PDF) (Press release). Minami-ku, Kyoto: Nintendo. March 23, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 11, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  9. ^ "Nintendo 3DS vs. PS Vita: Handheld Wars, The Next Generation". IndustryGamers. September 16, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "Nintendo's 3DS Hits the U.S. On March 27 for $249.99". Kotaku.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  11. ^ "Nintendo's 3DS Hits Europe On March 25". Kotaku.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  12. ^ Schroeder, Stan (July 28, 2011). "Nintendo 3DS Price Cut to $169 Amid Disappointing Sales". Mashable.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  13. ^ "What Do You Think About Nintendo's Big 3DS Announcement?". IGN DS. IGN. July 28, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  14. ^ "Dedicated Video Game Sales Units". Nintendo. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  15. ^ McEntegart, Jane (June 23, 2012). "Nintendo 3DS XL Arriving in UK On July 28". Tom's Hardware. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  16. ^ Yin, Wesley (August 28, 2013). "Nintendo announces Nintendo 2DS handheld console • News •". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  17. ^ "New Nintendo 3DS And New Nintendo 3DS XL Announced, Are More Powerful". Siliconera. August 29, 2014. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
  18. ^ "Nintendo's new 3DS console hits shelves in Japan". Japan Times. October 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  19. ^ Byford, Sam (September 17, 2020). "Nintendo has discontinued the 3DS". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Nintendo 3DS discontinued after almost a decade". BBC News. September 17, 2020. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference eShopDiscontinuation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Faulkner, Cameron (July 19, 2022). "Nintendo will close the Wii U and 3DS eShops on March 27th, 2023". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  23. ^ "Nintendo Support: Announcement of Discontinuation of Online Services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Retrieved January 29, 2024.


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