This is the best Nintendo 3DS console to play on in 2024
Throughout its lifespan, Nintendo released a lot of different 3DS models. You had the original 3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, the standard 2DS, and New 2DS XL – and that’s not even counting all the special editions of each individual console. With Nintendo’s next hardware on the horizon, we figure today is as good a day as any to go over all of the major 3DS revisions and determine which one is the best.
The Switch is certainly Nintendo’s most popular console, but the 3DS has seen something of a small resurgence lately. This is in spite of its online play shutting down earlier this year – indeed, a fair number of players are either discovering the 3DS’ library for the first time, or reliving their nostalgia from over ten years ago.
The original 3DS
The original model of the Nintendo 3DS was released in March 2011. It’s fairly small, as you might expect, and comes with all the standard features including its namesake 3D slider. Compared to future models, the original 3DS is sleek and shiny. Its stylus slot is also in the back of the system next to the card reader. Speaking of which, the original 3DS’ stylus is kind of odd. It’s got a metallic texture and you can pull it back to make it longer. In our experience, it felt a little bit cheap, but it’s somewhat expected that the very first model of the 3DS has some minor issues. The L and R buttons can feel a bit clicky, too, and the HOME button isn’t really a button – it’s kind of sunken into the console itself, and if you don’t press it hard enough it might not register.
The 3DS XL
The second major revision of the Nintendo 3DS was released in late 2012, around the time New Super Mario Bros. 2 came out. It’s much larger than the original 3DS, as you might expect, and a few of its buttons have been reshuffled. The HOME button is now a true button, alongside Start and Select. It does forgo the shininess and sleekness of the original 3DS in favor of a more plastic feel for its top screen. The inside of the console, however, still feels rather premium and is still pleasant to play. Despite the bigger screen size, 3DS games don’t look particularly blurry or stretched on the console. We think 3DS games look very, very slightly better on the original console, but it’s such a minuscule difference that we don’t think it really matters much. Standard DS games, however, do kind of suffer. They’re already a bit stretched on the normal 3DS since it has a bigger screen than a normal DS, but they’re extra-stretched out on the 3DS XL. You can technically hold a button when launching a DS game to start it at its normal resolution, but it winds up leaving lots of screen space blank. Still, the 3DS XL is a great option for those looking to play mainly 3DS games, and not so much the backwards compatibility aspect. Even then, the DS games do play just fine – as long as you’re okay with a bit of blurriness.
The 2DS
For its time, the Nintendo 2DS was an interesting idea. In essence, it was a budget 3DS with no 3D slider, a much lower price tag, and a completely flat design. To our knowledge, this is the only DS-type system that doesn’t close in any capacity! It’s sort of like a “gaming brick” in terms of its design, and it can be a bit uncomfortable to play without an add-on grip if you have big hands. This definitely isn’t the best 3DS model to play in 2024 – no 3D, less portability (since it can’t close, it takes up more space in your pocket) and no New 3DS features make this version of the console outclassed. It was a good option to have back in the day though, just like how the Switch Lite exists right now for those who want a lower price tag on their console.
The New 3DS
This console has a strange name. Kind of like the New Super Mario Bros. series, which is now old, the New Nintendo 3DS, which released in 2015, is also almost ten years old. That said, this is absolutely one of the best 3DS models to play on – to some, this one might be the very best. Its colorful face buttons add a nostalgic flavor to this console, and it’s got a plethora of new features. It has increased memory and processing power (but only slightly), meaning some games run better on New 3DS than others. Some games, including Xenoblade Chronicles 3D as an example, only run on New 3DS. There were only a handful of New 3DS exclusive games, though, so you were only really missing out if you were a fan of Xenoblade but didn’t have a Wii.
Face-tracking 3D makes the console’s 3D effect feel more stable. It’s also got a second stick just above its face buttons that’s used in select games to do things like control the camera. That said, this wasn’t everyone’s favorite addition; the second control stick itself is more of a little nub than anything, and it doesn’t move at all. It winds up feeling stiff and somewhat unnatural in games that use it, but it does at least add extra functionality to games like Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, Luigi’s Mansion, and Majora’s Mask 3D. Like the standard 2DS, this console might be a little uncomfortable if you have big hands. But it’s overall very well-designed, with a more natural stylus location on the bottom as well.
This isn’t even mentioning the console’s face plates, which were swappable and highly customizable. The Americas didn’t get many of these, unfortunately, so most of the ones you’ll find online are either super-expensive and from Japan, or poor-quality replicas that sometimes don’t smoothly slot into the system. Nintendo generally pushed the New 3DS XL in America for the most part.
The New 3DS XL
To many, this is the definitive version of the Nintendo 3DS. You’ve got all the features of the standard New 3DS, including the face-tracking 3D, increased processing power, and second control stick. Compared to the standard 3DS XL, the start and select buttons are now off to the side rather than below the bottom screen. This is also the New 3DS model that Nintendo focused on in the Americas. We did get the standard New 3DS, but not so much in terms of its face plates or accessories. The New 3DS XL’s increased screen size is definitely a plus! Overall, this is a great version of the console, and as you might expect, it’s probably the best 3DS console to get if you’re looking to experience some of the classic games available here. It doesn’t have the customization options that the New 3DS does, but those can get rather expensive anyhow.
The New 2DS XL
One of Nintendo’s more bizarre consoles for sure, and the last 3DS model we’ll be discussing today. It’s also the final revision of the 3DS, and it was released in 2017. It looks very different than the other consoles; its screens are more “hinged” and rounded than the others. It doesn’t have 3D functionality, but it does have all the other features of the New 3DS systems including the second stick and increased processing power. It does have its share of problems, though: though the console is a perfectly good way to play 3DS games, it does feel a little bit on the cheaper side in terms of its production values. Generally, it feels like it’s made of slightly cheap plastic, especially on the outside of the top screen. The stylus is also very small, which can sometimes create problems getting a good grip on it during games that utilize it.
Similar to the standard 2DS, though, this was intended to be a budget version of the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, so the slightly lower build quality is perhaps to be expected. This was released during the era of the Switch, perhaps as a last-minute failsafe just in case the Switch didn’t catch on. Fortunately, though, it did!
What’s your favorite 3DS model, and are there any you haven’t played that you want to try? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments down below. Our vote goes to either the New 3DS XL or the standard New 3DS (if customization is important to you), but there’s value to every one of Nintendo’s 3DS console revisions. You can check out the console’s official website here.
