The newly announced Nintendo 2DS XL is far from what you’d call a whole new product category. Instead, the 2DS XL can well be seen as a variant that spawned out of the company’s successful 3DS line. That said, like the Nintendo 2DS, it lacks the handheld’s 3D feature that Nintendo has quietly been phasing out over the years.
Nintendo 2DS XL is lighter, thinner than the 3DS XL, but packs the same hardware
Overall, the 2DS XL incorporates the same clamshell design as the 3DS XL but comes with NFC capabilities. It also has the same processor that powers 3DS XL besides also offering access to the same games library as well. However, and maybe fortunately so, the new 2DS XL lacks the 3D feature of the 3DS XL.
In fact, the new Nintendo 2DS XL is being seen as a device that bridges the budget 2DS on the one hand and the more advanced 3DS XL on the other. Towards that, the console is also priced competitively at just $149. This should ring in well with its smaller sibling, the entry-level 2DS that priced at $80. The 3DS XL, on the other hand, costs $199.
The new console is also being launched at a time when the company has its hands full with the new Switch it launched recently, in March, to be specific. The Nintendo Switch is already off to a flying start, having sold 2.74 million units in just the first 29 days itself. Nintendo also stated they are looking to sell no less than 10 million units of the Switch within the next one year.
Many therefore have been surprised as to what made the Japanese firm to launch another console, and that too a derivate of an existing model so soon. The answer lies in the fact that the company is keen to see its product range diversify over a larger price range.
So starting with the base 2DS that serves at the entry-level model aimed at kids, there is the 2DS XL in the intermediate range before the 3DS range chips in. The company meanwhile also stated their hugely successful and profitable 3DS range will be staying for the long term and will co-exist with the new Switch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lxNHhgMuTg
The company meanwhile also stated their hugely successful and profitable 3DS range will be staying for the long term and will co-exist with the new Switch. As for its launch date, the Nintendo 2DS XL is all set to reach store shelves by June 28.
