The Nintendo 3DS is a portable game console produced by Nintendo and released in 2011. It can display stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses. The 3DS is backward-compatible with the DS and DSi. Its main competitor is the PlayStation Vita from Sony.
Sales of the 3DS were lackluster in the beginning, partly due to its high launch price, which caused Nintendo to drop the price by a third only a few months after launch. Today thanks to a solid games library the 3DS is the most popular portable game console.
A few variants of the 3DS exist. There is an "XL" version which (as the name suggests) is larger than the original. The 2DS lacks the ability to view games in 3D and doesn't have hinges. In 2014 Nintendo released the "New" 3DS with an upgraded processor and extra controls. Finally, in 2017 Nintendo launched the "New" 2DS XL, which is much like a "New" 3DS XL but without 3D.
The Nintendo Switch launched in spring 2017, which is also usable as a portable gaming device. Despite this, Nintendo has announced continued support for the 3DS. And this makes sense as the 3DS continues to sell well.
3DS emulation is still in the early stages. Not all games will play, and those that do may exhibit glitches.
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