Nintendo announces 3DS successor '3DS Plus'
KYOTO - Nintendo announced today that they will launch a successor to their best-selling handheld dubbed the “3DS Plus”.
Originally launched in 2004 - nearly 22 years ago - the Nintendo DS redefined handheld gaming and became the company’s best-selling console of all time, only recently surpassed in 2025 by the console/portable hybrid Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa unveiled the new console on stage and highlighted a few of the console’s innovations. It will feature a 1600x960 top display as well as a 1280x960 bottom display. Representatives noted that this is an exact 5x integer scale of the resolution of the original DS and a 4x integer scale of the Nintendo 3DS, highlighting the company’s focus on both the original DS line as well as the less popular but still beloved successor, the 3DS. Like the previous handhelds, the 3DS Plus will feature a lower resistive touch screen with stylus control.
The console will run a slightly modified version of the 3DS’ system software, with minor changes such as support for the new higher resolution screens. Most notably, the console will not include a game card slot and will instead feature a relaunch of the Nintendo eShop where users will be able to purchase “99%” of both the DS and 3DS’ game libraries, including support for “DSiWare” titles. Analysts have commented that this is likely a decision made to streamline game ownership and curb piracy that was rampant in the original DS’ lifespan due to “flash carts”. More recent “jailbreaks” that allow users to download and install pirated 3DS games were also likely a factor in the decision.
Nintendo didn’t specify the new console’s CPU, but they did announce the system will have “up to 20 hours” of battery life operating on a 2000mAh battery. Other modernized features include support for Wi-Fi 7 including 5 and 6 GHz bands and Bluetooth 6. Like the 3DS, the 3DS Plus will support local multiplayer using an ad-hoc console-to-console network as well as online multiplayer. The popular “StreetPass” makes a comeback as well. The system will also feature the dual exterior cameras of the 3DS as well as the single internal camera. Nintendo did not specify the native resolution of the cameras, but from hands-on demos it appears they operate at least at the top screen’s native resolution.
It appears that Nintendo is also hoping to attract smaller indie developers as they also announced that any retail 3DS Plus will be able to be converted to a developer console after paying a nominal yearly fee, very similar to the approach that Apple has taken with their mobile App Store process. The yearly fee will enable developers to target the new console with modern game engines such as Unity, Unreal, and even Godot. Nintendo did not specify terms of the new eShop, but it’s expected they will take a flat percentage of digital sales.
The console features built in 64GB of system storage, with support for the same microSD Express cards supported by the Switch 2.
Perhaps the biggest question in the room was how the system will enable the unique three-dimensional display that gives the console its name. The 3DS features a stereoscopic display, and a later revision of the “new” 3DS used an infrared head tracking system to improve 3D performance. Still, many players found the display to be difficult to use. The new console instead uses an advanced gyroscopic system to enable “3D-like” images on both displays. In our hands-on preview, we found the effect to be quite compelling and much more stable and reliable than either of the previous consoles’ solution.
“I love the 3DS! It’s like a personal, portable, mini Nintendo Switch!” said 8-year-old Ruby who was present for the launch. “It’s so fun to be able to customize my 3DS with fun themes and play with my friends on the bus!”
The 3DS Plus will launch holiday season 2026 and is expected to target a retail price of $199.99 USD, positioning it nicely against the nearly $450 Switch 2 launched in June, 2025. Because of the personal, portable nature of the new handheld, it is expected that households will own multiple consoles, allowing each family member to play on their own. With the vast majority of the DS and 3DS library available at launch the console is bound to hit the ground running, rather than waiting for strong first and third party game titles to arrive.
This was written as the first post in a series for a “Blog Prompt Challenge” I’m participating in. The prompt was “What’s something cool I’m caring about or into recently?”
I’ve been a big fan of the Nintendo DS system since I bought a DS Lite back in 2005, around the time it launched. Later I bought a 3DS XL in blue, refurb’ed from Nintendo directly. I remember being really blown away by Super Mario 3D Land and had a great time playing through it. I owned a 3DS through it’s entire lifespan, eventually selling my XL and buying a white New 3DS (non XL). Later, Nintendo had a crazy black friday special where they sold a black New 3DS (non XL) for, if my memory is correct, $99. I somehow convinced both of my brothers and my wife (well, I just did it for her) to buy a console and a copy of Mario Kart 7. We had so much fun over that Thanksgiving holiday doing local multiplayer. My brother became extremely paranoid that the game was cheating against him. I don’t think any of them really ran very far, I know my little brother sold his console off pretty quickly.
Years later as my kids grew up, playing the 3DS became a fun family hobby. I understand that you can play Mario Kart on the Switch in split screen, but having your own personal console is such a fun experience. It feels more special, more private. My older brother actually gifted my daughter his 3DS for Christmas a few years ago so we have a total of three 3DS systems in my house (now I’m a little worried about being robbed for them). Family 3DS sessions are something that happens regularly in my home.
That quote from Ruby was real, she actually said that a week ago. She was watching some YouTube shorts on my phone and one about the 3DS showed up and she asked me to get her 3DS for her. I keep them up on the shelf because I know how irreplaceable they are now. She asked me to get her this random Tinkerbell game and Animal Crossing which I did. She reminded me to do it the next day before she left for school and first thing when she got home she excitedly asked if I’d done it. For about two weeks she actually spent a decent amount of time in the Tinkerbell game and Animal Crossing. I feel like it must be a little biased because I love the 3DS so much, but I honestly don’t sit my kids down and force them to listen to me and it’s not like they pay attention to the 100 other things I want them to do. I think the 3DS is actually that incredible.
I like to be friendly to the youth at my church and in my neighborhood and I noticed recently they all want 3DS’s. What’s up with that? The thing that’s a decade old, older than most of them? I mean I love the 3DS so I talk to them about it and they’re excited an adult is interested in the same thing they are. I know of a kid who asked for Pilotwings Resort for Christmas this year and actually got it. Coincidentally, that’s one of my favorite 3DS games too!
The prices for used 3DS systems are absolutely outrageous right now! And they’re only going up and up! I’ve held the position that the Switch is the worst of two worlds. It’s a subpar console and a subpar handheld. It has a touch screen but can you think of a single game that actually makes use of it? No, because they have to support docked mode and the touch screen doesn’t exist there. It doesn’t feel very personal. Nintendo recently made some strides with their “virtual game cards” and the ability to loan them to people, but it feels like too little too late. I think most households own a single Switch console and the premise of owning multiple is very uncommon. The DS had download play, you could actually do multiplayer with just a single cartridge between consoles. The Switch has no such ability. The 3DS had StreetPass, encouraging you to take it out with you in public to interact with other owners. The Switch has no social features like that.
Recent Chinese handhelds have emerged such as the Ambernic RG-DS but it’s bad. Nintendo really knows how to make great portables and I just really want them to start doing it again. I firmly believe if they were to relaunch the 3DS even without any of the upgraded features I laid out, they’d sell like hot cakes.
I do have an incredible soft spot for the original DS. The one issue with the 3DS is that it’s actually not that great for playing original DS titles. The screen just doesn’t upscale well enough, it uses some non-integer scale factor that just looks bad. For that reason, I own a DS Lite that I prefer to play my original DS games on, and recently I’ve been playing a lot of DS games.
In the mid-late 2010’s I would scour my local classifieds and pick up any and all DS systems I could. $30 for the console and 8 of the absolute worst shovelware titles of all time was my jam. I ended up with a few that were in really bad shape, but one DS Lite that was in “ok” shape. I played on it a lot but eventually I decided I really wanted to try out a DSi since I’d never actually used one.
About a month ago I loaded my 5 year old up in the car and we went hunting for a DSi. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I just wanted something in mostly “like new” condition. We hit up about 4 local pawn shops with absolutely no luck. Then, just one more in town. They had an absolutely mint red Mario 25th Anniversary DSi XL with a bunch of accessories and shovelware for $200. I’m talking it has the original stylus level mint. I tried to haggle because I didn’t want any of the accessories but they wouldn’t budge. I walked away.
We went to Target to look at the Switch 2 since my son has really wanted to play the new Donkey Kong game and keeps talking about it. I was close, but they had a console to play demos on and he just wasn’t that into it. Plus the price tag just feels so high - $450 for just the console with no games or $500 if you can find a Mario Kart World bundle (a savings of $20 since most first party titles now run $70 individually). I just couldn’t swallow it considering there are only two games that really feel like it’s worth owning the system for right now - Mario Kart and Donkey Kong. Not to mention I have all the same gripes with it I have with the Switch - it’s a bad handheld and an even worse console. Do one thing well! I would love to see the data because my gut says the vast majority of Switch consoles spend nearly all their time either docked or in handheld. I doubt most users do both frequently. Kids probably play in handheld mode, adults probably play docked. That’s my guess at least.
I mean for heaven’s sake the hottest news recently is the ability to play a GameBoy Advance Pokèmon game on it? Seriously? I think it’s great that Nintendo is letting us play their old games without piracy, but that’s something checks notes the 3DS could have done 10 years ago! They’re not exactly giving me a reason to run out and buy a Switch 2.
After we had fun looking at the Switch 2, I decided that DSi XL was exactly what I had set out to find, and I wouldn’t likely see another one locally for a decent price any time soon. We went back and I bought it, shovelware and all. I listed all the loose games on eBay but only three have sold - two copies of Nintendogs and a copy of Mario Kart DS. I think that roughly brought my out of pocket down to the $170 range which still felt like more than I wanted to spend, but I’m happy. I doubt the rest of the shovelware will sell so I’ll keep them around. Who knows, maybe there’s a Tinkerbell in there that my kids will want to play some day.
I have absolutely loved my DSi XL. Compared to the DS Lite, the buttons are clicky like the 3DS. I honestly think my DS Lite was worn enough that I was having a hard time with some button presses such as holding B to run in New Super Mario Bros.. I’ve already played through 4 games on it, so my investment feels very much worth it. If you’re interested to know what I’ve been playing, well, you’ll have to wait till next year when I publish my annual “games I beat” post. Until then, you can catch up on what I played last year, or the year before.
Nintendo, please make the 3DS again. Just start selling them. A digital storefront with the entire back catalog will allow you to maximize profit and minimize expense. You don’t need to deal with physical game publishing. You could be generous and offer a way to let me port my physical games in to the digital store, but I think there are enough new players out there you’d still sell a zillion consoles even without that ability. Hardcore gamers already hate you, I don’t think this will move the needle on that either way. The 3DS is a great first device for kids especially. It has social communication features that currently parents have to lean to a phone for, but phones are not good for kids. Pictochat has way less possibility of causing major harm than Snapchat. Just do it. Please. We want to play a small, portable, perfectly executed console. People still want their Switch 2 to play Breath of the Wild at a respectable framerate, but just as many kids out there want to experience Phantom Hourglas and A Link Between Worlds for the first time.
My friends and I decided to do a weekly blog challenge for the month of April, 2026! Each week, one of us chooses a prompt and we all write posts.
For week 1, Sam chose the prompt:
"What's something cool I'm caring about or into recently?"
My friends' posts this week: