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. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The handheld's most prominent feature is its ability to display stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or additional accessories, and it offers new features such as the StreetPass and SpotPass tag modes, powered by Nintendo Network; augmented reality using its 3D cameras; and Virtual Console, which allows owners to download and play games originally released on older video game systems.
The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26, 2011, and worldwide beginning in March 2011. 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. 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. 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, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.94 million units, and games for the systems have sold 388.89 million units.
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. 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. 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.
3DS family hardware was officially discontinued on September 16, 2020. While Nintendo Network services remain active in most regions, the Nintendo eShop officially shut down on March 27, 2023. Most Internet functionality will be discontinued in April 2024, with the exception of Pokémon Bank and the ability to redownload previously purchased software.
