As a cheaper model of the Nintendo 3DS family that plays both Nintendo DS and 3DS games, the Nintendo 2DS was seen as a market strategy to broaden the overall Nintendo handheld gaming market. On September 28, 2012, the system launched in two other regions, Hong Kong and Taiwan, in Blue + Black and White color variations. Donkey Kong, Metroid Fusion, Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Wario Land 4, and WarioWare, Inc. David Hunter, a pediatric ophthalmologist affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology believes that it is largely speculative whether a child who has problems perceiving depth in real life would react to a 3DS in any way that parents would recognize as indicating any problems with depth perception.

When Nintendo announced the latest 3DS handheld, it delivered two big surprises: one, that it planned to release a new iteration of the market leading Nintendo 3DS handheld by the end of the year, and two, that it would release in Australia before Europe and North America. For those after a single-screen handheld that can truly play AAA games, head to our Nintendo Switch review. Aspects of the devices' designs were noted; IGN felt that the face plate options on the regular-sized models added a level of personalization to the console, but that "[while] face plates will take off with younger gamers in particular, these accessories could just as easily end up in the bargain bin faster than you can say Limited Edition Perfect Dark Zero Xbox 360 face plate. In March 2015, the FCC lifted its information embargo regarding regulation details performed in September 2014 on the standard New Nintendo 3DS model, suggesting Nintendo of America did indeed consider releasing the smaller standard model at one point.The regular-sized New Nintendo 3DS also has slightly larger screens than the prior model, and a suite of interchangeable faceplates. The improved technical specifications of the new systems were also noted, making the device's operating system more responsive and providing modest performance enhancements for existing games such as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. The Nintendo Network online service will be discontinued on April 8, 2024, marking an end for most of the online features of the 3DS, including SpotPass and online multiplayer. The new model certainly offers a number of improvements in power and graphics capabilities, making it a worthy consideration if you're a fan of handheld gaming. The second is surprising because traditionally, Australia is usually among the last major regions to receive hardware releases.

Through the Circle Pad Pro accessory the system has access to a second Circle Pad and trigger buttons (Z L, Z R). Using the same head-tracking technology as the New 3DS, the New 3DS XL follows the direction, distance and angle of your head to keep the 3D smooth and stable. In July 2017, production of the New Nintendo 3DS had ended in Europe and Japan leaving the New Nintendo 3DS XL and then-recently released New Nintendo 2DS XL as the only 3DS models still in production worldwide. Nintendo announced on October 21, 2011, that Hulu Plus would be released on the Nintendo 3DS by the end of the year. On the Nintendo 3DS XL, this method yields a viewing size for DS games similar to their native sizes (due to the larger screen size of the XL), unlike on the original 3DS models, where the games appear to be shrunk.Nintendo 3DS was sold in the Chinese market under the iQue name, a collaboration of Nintendo and Wei Yen, was known as the iQue 3DS XL. The upgraded 2013 Louvre guide was also announced in a special Nintendo Direct featuring Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto at the museum demonstrating the guide's features, including while visiting a number of the works that the museum is most known for such as the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Mona Lisa. The first game revealed was Kid Icarus: Uprising, and several other titles from third parties were also announced, including Square Enix with Kingdom Hearts 3D, Konami with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy, and Capcom with Resident Evil: Revelations and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Whether Nintendo's audience is prepared to pay for a system which seems to offer as much evolution as a smartphone generation is yet to be seen. Featuring 90% larger screens than the original Nintendo 3DS, the system was set to launch on all major regions during the middle of the year.

The Nintendo 3DS is also the fastest selling console in Australia, with 200,000 units sold through 37 weeks of availability. The 3DS has been one of the most popular handheld consoles ever released by Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, yet it's fair to say that it didn't come without its flaws.

On the other hand, Destructoid said the 3D effect on the XL was more subtle than on its predecessor. The first upgrade of note is the addition of the improved 3D screen, viewable without the need for 3D glasses. The Switch is a hybrid video game console that can be used both as a home console docked to a television or taken on-the-go to be used as a handheld system.