Nintendo has been in the news a lot currently, first for discontinuing its popular NES Classic mini gaming console, and then for the amazing sales of the Switch. On Thursday, the Japanese company returned to the news when it unveiled its new handheld video gaming system, the 2DS XL.
2DS XL has all that you need
Nintendo’s new 2DS XL console will hit stores on July 28, so you will have to wait for a few months to get your hands on it. The gaming console is priced at just $149.99, which will likely attract many cost-conscious video game fans. In Australia and New Zealand, the console will launch on June 15.
In a statement, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said, “This new addition to Nintendo’s portable hardware line demonstrates our commitment to the hand-held market. New Nintendo 2DS XL sports a beautiful clamshell design and offers a great balance between price and performance.”
The latest gaming system features the same size screen, dual displays and clamshell design that can be found on the 3DS XL. Basically, the 2DS XL is just a 3DS XL without the 3D function. Previously, the 2DS was billed as an entry-level device for kids. It was released at $130, but the gaming giant reduced the price of the console to $100 and then down further to $80.
The new handheld hardware features the new C stick and ZL and ZR buttons the gaming company introduced on the new 3DS XL hardware. The 2DS XL is lighter and smaller, making it easily portable. The video game system has all the upgraded processing power of the new 3DS XL as well. This promises better performance for more demanding games. Further, the gaming company has enabled NFC support in the console for Amiibo support, notes TechCrunch.
Nintendo makes it backward compatible
Nintendo said the new console will play all Nintendo DS, 3DS, and new 3DS games, including stellar games like Pokémon Sun and Moon. However, the new handheld video game system will display visuals in 2D, just like the name “2DS” suggests. The 2DS XL will go on sale the same day the Japanese company plans to release two new games: Hey! PIMKIN and Miitopia.
The announcement of the new handheld video game system comes almost 10 days after the gaming giant announced that it is ending production of the NES Classic. The 2DS XL seems like a good option for gamers who do not own a 3DS console yet. TechCrunch notes that the features of the 3DS have “questionable value” for most users, and people will get significant savings if they buy the 2DS XL console instead of 3DS console (which costs about $200).
The gaming company also said earlier on Thursday that sales of its Switch console, which debuted in March, exceeded its own expectations. According to the company, it sold over 2.74 million units of the Switch in the first month, when it expected to sell only 2 million units.
