Today alongside the announcement of a price cut for the Wii U, Nintendo announced a new piece of handheld software called the Nintendo 2DS. This new device will launch on October 12th alongside Pokemon X and Y for $130. The current Nintendo 3DS sells for $170, while it’s larger cousin, the Nintendo 3DS XL retails for $199.
The Nintendo 2DS can play all Nintendo 3DS games and is backwards compatible with DS games, just like the standard Nintendo 3DS. One major difference here is that the Nintendo 2DS does not feature a clamshell design, despite featuring two screens, so the screens will be exposed constantly instead of protected like the 3DS.
According to Nintendo, this new 2D SKU does not mean they are shying away from 3D, but rather trying to offer an affordable option to people who may not want 3D. Here’s what marketing executive Scott Moffitt had to say about the device:
“It doesn’t mean that we are not committed at all to 3D and that we don’t think that’s a really valuable, unique eye-popping feature for a lot of gamers. We just wanted to continue growing the installed base and needed to find a way to get to a price point that was more accessible for a broad swath of consumers.”
A carrying sleeve for the Nintendo 2DS will also be made available.
