Global InformationNintendo 3DS information
 | |
 The original Nintendo 3DS in aqua blue | |
| Also known as | 3DS (shortened name) iQue 3DS (China) |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo Research & Engineering |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo, Foxconn |
| Product family | Nintendo 3DS family |
| Type | Handheld game console |
| Generation | Eighth |
| Release date | Nintendo 3DS:
|
| Lifespan | 2011–2020 |
| Introductory price |
|
| Discontinued |
|
| Units shipped | All models combined: 75.94 million (as of September 30, 2022[update])[6] |
| Media |
|
| Operating system | Nintendo 3DS system software |
| CPU |
|
| Memory | 128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM (Fujitsu MB82M8080-07L FC-RAM) |
| Storage | 2 GB Toshiba eMMC |
| Removable storage |
|
| Display | 2 TN LCD screens
|
| Graphics | DMP PICA200 @ 268 MHz |
| Sound | Stereo speakers (pseudo-surround, via Dolby Surround 2.0), microphone |
| Input | A/B/X/Y buttons, Circle Pad, L/R bumpers, D-pad, 3D depth slider, volume slider, wireless switch, power button |
| Camera | Rear: 2 x 0.3 MP, f/2.85 Front: 0.3 MP, f/2.85 |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, infrared |
| Power |
|
| Current firmware | 11.17.0-50, as of May 22, 2023 |
| Online services | Nintendo Network (discontinued)
|
| Dimensions | Body
|
| Mass |
|
| Best-selling game | Mario Kart 7, 18.94 million units (as of March 31, 2021[update])[7] |
| Backward compatibility | Nintendo DS Nintendo DSi |
| Predecessor | Nintendo DS |
| Successor | Nintendo Switch |
| Related | Nintendo 2DS New Nintendo 3DS |
The Nintendo 3DS[a] is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. The console was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS 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 are 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 in March 2011.[10][11] Less than six months later on July 28, 2011, 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 September 30, 2022[update], the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.94 million units, and games for the systems have sold 388.89 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 first released in Japan and Europe in July 2012.[15] In August 2012, it launched in the US for $199.99. An "entry-level" version of the console, the Nintendo 2DS, with a fixed "slate" form factor and lacking autostereoscopic (3D) functionality, was released in Western markets in October 2013.[16] The New Nintendo 3DS features a more powerful CPU, a second analog stick called the C-Stick, additional buttons, an improved camera, and other changes, and was first released in Japan in October 2014.[17][18]
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] 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]
- ^ "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.
- ^ Harris, Craig (September 28, 2010). "Nintendo Conference 2010 Details". IGN. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The Real Cost of Gaming: Inflation, Time, and Purchasing Power". October 15, 2013. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ "Dedicated Video Game Sales Units". Nintendo. March 31, 2020. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top Selling Software Sales Units". Nintendo. March 31, 2020. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Dedicated Video Game Sales Units". Nintendo. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Byford, Sam (September 17, 2020). "Nintendo has discontinued the 3DS". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ "Nintendo 3DS discontinued after almost a decade". BBC News. September 17, 2020. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ 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.
- ^ "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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