Although it’s technically classified as a home console, the Nintendo Switch sure does feel like a handheld, considering you can hold it in your hands and play it pretty much anywhere you want. Whatever the case, Nintendo of America President and CEO Reggie Fils-Aimé said back in January that the 3DS “has a long life in front of it” and that the “3DS and the Nintendo Switch are going to live side-by-side.”
It turns out that he wasn’t kidding, since Nintendo just announced a new handheld console in the 3DS line: The New Nintendo 2DS XL. Check out the reveal video:
The sleek-looking console is dark gray with vibrant blue accents in the buttons and outer shell, although we can totally envision more color options becoming available as we learn more about the console. The most noticeable aesthetic and functional change between the original 2DS and this new version, though, is that this one adopts the 3DS line’s folding clamshell design. The New 2DS XL also includes the gray C-stick nub, built in Amiibo support, and that’s about it.
The new handheld appears to be a fine new option for handheld Nintendo players who like the form factor of the 3DS, but want to save some money without resorting to the constant exposed screens of the standard 2DS model. The console is scheduled for release on July 28 at a price of $149.99, so gamers who have yet to explore the rich 3DS game library, or collectors who must have all of the consoles, don’t have to break the bank to get involved.
Are you interested in getting one for yourself, or are you all set? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Featured image: Nintendo/YouTube
