The Nintendo Switch costs more than twice the price of the New 2DS XL, but it’s significantly more powerful, and is intended to be a replacement for the Wii U rather than your beaten-up old Nintendo DS. New Nintendo 2DS XL review: Design & display

However, Nintendo has made a couple of rather perplexing changes. The 2DS XL’s stylus is shorter and fatter, a change presumably made to make it more comfortable for children to use, but any adults buying the New 2DS XL will find themselves battling hand cramp after a while. I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years). Brilliant image quality. Still don't like the overall look of the system. I can clearly see where the designer went a bit half-*ssed in certain areas. It's no DS Lite. I've never seen a more confusing product lineup in my life. The average consumer won't have a clue what to buy.Nintendo Announces a New Member to the Nintendo 3DS Family". Nintendo Australia. August 29, 2013. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018 . Retrieved August 29, 2013. Nintendo 3DS 'power save mode' illuminated". Joystiq. AOL. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013 . Retrieved August 29, 2013. As far as battery life goes, expect it to be in the same six- or seven-hour ballpark as the New 3DS XL. You’re unlikely to be playing your New 2DS XL for that long in a single sitting, though, so it should easily last you a weekend of occasional play. New Nintendo 2DS XL review: Game compatibility

Finding a case that will protect your Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite from harm isn’t always easy. Thankfully, we’ve already done the research for you. Byford, Sam (September 17, 2020). "Nintendo has discontinued the 3DS". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020 . Retrieved September 21, 2021. The new design not only makes the console more durable by removing the need for hinges, but its button placement also makes it easier to focus on the top screen while following the action.Overall, the New 2DS XL is a beautiful device, with a nice ridged texture on its top side that makes it feel quite premium. Admittedly, the top screen doesn't feel as sturdy as it has on previous models, with a slight wobbliness to it when you shake the unit around. The chief difference here is that it’s not a distance-viewed Pikmin game as found on the GameCube and Wii U, instead it’s a side-scrolling adventure made for the smaller screen. Despite this shift in perspective, it’s as enjoyable as the series has ever been. At first glance, the two handhelds look almost identical, but a myriad of small differences between the two make them feel different to not just hold but also to play. a b Robertson, Andy (October 4, 2013). "Nintendo 2DS review". London: The Telegraph . Retrieved November 9, 2013. The New Nintendo 2DS XL isn’t just a reworked, larger-screened 2DS, it’s also an entirely new piece of hardware. Utilising the new, and more powerful, chipset found in the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, the 2DS XL is the only way to get a 2DS capable of playing New 3DS-exclusive games.

The console retains the 2 cameras capable of taking 3D photos and videos, a built-in microphone and battery, this time with an increased play time, being able to last up to 9 hours on a charge, depending on the games you are playing. Also, you have the same 2 generous screens, the bottom one being a resistive touchscreen and while the system includes 2 GB of flash memory, it can be expanded by another 2 GB through an SD card. With the Switch, users have access to a beautiful Nintendo handheld console that has detachable controllers built-in and a stunning HD display. Gamers are also able to play honest-to-goodness Nintendo games on their iOS and Android devices, which means we'd forgive you for thinking there's no space for the 2DS and 3DS anymore. Which 3DS model do you own? Are you thinking of buying one? Tell us which is your favorite and share your thoughts in the comments below! Earnings Release: Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019" (PDF). Nintendo. April 25, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 3, 2019 . Retrieved August 22, 2023. What put me off the original 2DS was solely the inability to fold it... the fact that they haven't just fixed that issue, but they've also given it various other upgrades is just great.

Please choose your system

Other than price, the 2DS has durability going for it. But while the 2DS' wedge design is great for durability, it's not quite as good when it comes to portability (or looking great). Still, aesthetics is somewhat of a personal preference sort of thing, so its durability goes in the ‘win' column. With the screen at maximum brightness, the New 2DS lasted a bit over five hours before the power LED turned red indicating a low battery level. This is in line with the New 3DS and New 3DS XL systems batteries, and beats out the Switch in time between charges by about an hour (though the Switch's battery life can vary significantly more depending on the type of game it's running). An Aging Screen Nintendo Isn't Releasing One Model of Its New 3DS in the U.S." Wired. January 14, 2015 . Retrieved January 14, 2015. Gaston, Martin. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds changed slightly because of 2DS". GameSpot. CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 24, 2013.

This is on the list for me. My New 3DS has seen some hard use and mishaps, so a replacement would be great. Join Yoshi in a dyed-in-the-wool platformer that's bursting with crafty colours and textures in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World for Nintendo 3DS!

The original 2DS had something of a divisive design, with its flat, wedge-like shape that had both of the system's screens placed on a single, non-foldable plane. Getting your own hands on it was really the only way to see if you liked what Nintendo was attempting to do, with many finding it to be quite a comfortable piece of kit. This comment comes off as quite angry but it isn't supposed to be. It's a somewhat reasonable comment to have been made, but I do kind of question the logic. The only possible issues with the New 2DS XL is that the speakers are downward-facing on the bottom of the unit. This makes it easy to accidentally muffle them, but using headphones avoids this problem. a b DeFreitas, Casey (July 13, 2017). "New Nintendo 2DS XL Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019 . Retrieved February 26, 2019.