Nintendo's 3DS line might only have a year or two of vitality left with the advent of the hybrid Switch console, but that hasn't stopped the company loosing yet another iteration of the hardware: the slick-looking and budget friendly New Nintendo 2DS XL.
There are literally hundreds of great games playable on these machines, and they're only falling in price, so it's a great time to jump in. But since this is the sixth member of the 3DS family released in as many years, it can be tough to gauge where they all fit.
The original 2011 3DS was followed by the larger 3DS XL. Then the New 3DS and New 3DS XL updated the machines with new features and better hardware. There was also the 2DS, a kid-focused budget device that stripped back some features — including the eponymous stereoscopic 3D screen — but still played all the games.
This newest device packs all the hardware improvements of the New systems, the big 4.88-inch LCD screen of the XLs (with a secondary 4.18-inch touch screen) and a lower price, and wraps it all up in a brand new dual-tone look, reinstating the folding clamshell design the first 2DS lacked. And, confusing marketing aside, this might just be the nicest 3DS yet.
Coming in black with neon blue accents or white with neon orange, the textured plastic device is classy enough to sit beside your Switch or Xbox while still being playful (and sturdy) enough for kids. Subtle improvements to the button placement and the shape of the triggers makes for a very natural hold, and the screens are big, bright and crisp, even if the low resolution of the 3DS games betrays the fact this platform is getting long in the tooth.
The removal of the 3D feature has allowed for a very thin top screen, and consequently a light and balanced system. It might seem like a 3DS with no 3D is a weird idea, but honestly it's been years since the feature was any more than a gimmick. Seeing glasses-free 3D on the New 3DS XL is impressive, but the games are every bit as fun in two dimensions.
This all means you get the big-screen experience of the larger 3DS systems without their main drawback: the hand-cramping weight. At 260 grams, the New 2DS XL is way more manageable than its predecessor, even if it takes up the same amount of physical space.
You also get a much more comfortable control layout than the smaller 3DS systems have, and all the premium benefits of the "New" system: a faster processor for better loading and performance, a secondary stick for camera control and an NFC reader beneath the screen for scanning amiibo figures.
The design even incorporates dual outward-facing cameras for taking stereoscopic images. This is a bit odd since you won't be able to see the images in 3D using the 2DS, but it ensures that every bit of software made for the 3DS line of systems will work just fine with no issues.
Unfortunately I'd have to stop short of saying this is the the definitive version of the big-screened 3DS. All the components have been moved to the lower portion of the New 2DS XL, which makes the top screen light and gives it a pleasant smartphone-like appearance, but it also introduces some niggles not found on the New 3DS XL.
The stylus for example is simply too small to use comfortably, and the speakers are now on the lower corner of the device where your hands are likely to cover them. If portability isn't that important to you, you might also prefer the solid, stable feel of the 3DS XL compared to lighter 2DS, whose light top screen tends to wobble a bit more.
Of course if you're buying your first 3DS, you might also consider the smaller New Nintendo 3DS. Games tend to look sharper on the little screen, and you can get some very handsome interchangeable cover plates to spruce it up, which is not the case on the New 2DS XL or New 3DS XL.
Some small issues aside, this is the best version of the 3DS you can buy if you want bigger screens and aren't fussed about the 3D parlour trick, and it comes in at an agreeable $199.95. Considering there's six years worth of Pokemon, Mario, Zelda, Kirby games out there for this thing — just to name a few — you could get an awful lot of high quality portable gaming out of this thing for not very much money.
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