Nintendo introduces upgraded 'New 3DS' models

Nintendo announced new models of the 3DS and 3DS XL in Japan this morning, with more buttons, another analog nub, and an upgraded CPU.

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During a Nintendo Direct in Japan this morning, Nintendo announced two new 3DS models today, simply called the "New 3DS' and "New 3DS LL" (or "XL" to us westerners).

Forbes reports that both new models feature a small analog nub above the buttons, two more shoulder buttons, and an upgraded CPU. It can also support custom covers. Alongside the announcement, Nintendo showed a Xenoblade Chronicles game for 3DS that requires the upgraded CPU in the new system. It also recolors the face buttons and promises better viewing angles for the 3D feature. As the report notes, this all would appear to run the rather serious risk of confusing consumers and fracturing the system's user base.

The system is due out in Japan in October, and a representative told Eurogamer it wouldn't hit that region until 2015. We have no word on a North American release yet.

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  • reply
    August 29, 2014 7:05 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Nintendo introduces upgraded 'New 3DS' models.

    Nintendo announced new models of the 3DS and 3DS XL in Japan this morning, with more buttons, another analog nub, and an upgraded CPU.

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      August 29, 2014 7:12 AM

      You're right, this is going to confuse the hell out of most people. I thought they would have learned from naming their newest console the Wii U.

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      August 29, 2014 9:33 AM

      The 3ds just had a very large influx of users last year with a strong release line and the introduction of the 2ds. It's like they rolled out the red carpet right into a brick wall. The market for people who buy the 2ds is definitely not the kind that will understand that some games for 3ds released in the near future will not work on their console they just bought last year. Neither should they accept it.

      Want to fragment and disenfranchise your userbase? This is how you do it.

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      August 29, 2014 9:44 AM

      Nice. They add a second analog stick, a second set of shoulder buttons, a faster cpu, and a better viewing angle for the 3d.

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      August 29, 2014 9:51 AM

      Oh what the hell. I'm guessing they want developers to have two versions in the meantime then ditch us early adopters

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      August 29, 2014 10:14 AM

      Presumably devs will just have to make some games with dual control options now. Ditto code for both CPUs (i.e. the new one has some pointless enhanced effects or whatever)

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        August 29, 2014 10:17 AM

        Oh, Xenoblade Chronicles will require the new CPU. Fucking great, fragmentation FTW.

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        August 29, 2014 10:22 AM

        Well, as far as the controls go, the new controls are basically the same as what you could already get with the circle pad pro.

        Curious to see if it's really the new CPU Xenoblade needs. A lot of this I think it still guesswork from a lot of people who don't speak japanese.

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      August 29, 2014 10:32 AM

      The upgraded CPU is definitely a bad idea. Their userbase is way too small to fracture it right now. They kind of did this with the Game Boy Color, it had games that wouldn't work with the older game boys, but that was 8 years after the first Game Boy, and the install base was huge.

      I just don't think a lot of people are going to be happy seeing games that require this new, slightly faster 3DS. Could build some ill-will.

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      August 29, 2014 10:44 AM

      I wonder what using that little nub would be like for long stretches. We wont know till more people get hands on but I can't imagine it is very comfortable. Is it supposed to be like a second stick?

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      August 29, 2014 12:08 PM

      I remember a couple years ago that Nintendo should make a 3DS that has the Circle Pad Pro embedded, and I disagreed with them because because it would cause fragmentation in the user base, and now that it actually happened, I still think it's a bad idea. Being the idiot Nintendo fan that I am, I'm probably going to buy it eventually, cause I like the changes. It still sucks though. Hope they don't make too many games that requires the new model.

      Also, that name is just dumb.

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      August 29, 2014 1:34 PM

      [deleted]

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      August 29, 2014 1:55 PM

      [deleted]

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      August 29, 2014 2:09 PM

      i think this might be the nail in the coffin for nintendo for me.

      this kind of fragmentation of the 3ds games market is not good. not good at all. it shows that the 3ds was badly designed from the outset. 3ds should have always had two sticks Nintendo lack of foresight is their downfall.
      i wont be replacing any of our 3d's or 2ds's with this new one.


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        August 29, 2014 2:36 PM

        Yeah, how dare they update the system 4 years after the release of the original 3ds.

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          August 29, 2014 2:53 PM

          i think its too soon for them to be doing this

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            August 29, 2014 2:58 PM

            Should have called it "Supre 3ds" and said it was backwards compatible.

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            August 29, 2014 4:23 PM

            dont you have an iphone CoRDS? 4 years is a long time and the new one is backwards compatible

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              August 29, 2014 6:41 PM

              I'm sure that's different somehow in his mind

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                August 29, 2014 7:26 PM

                yeah its got less buttons. and when i folded my iphone in half it broke n shit

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      August 29, 2014 2:12 PM

      OK, I'll buy one nowthen.

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      August 29, 2014 2:56 PM

      [deleted]

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      August 29, 2014 4:21 PM

      The 3DS has been released for years now so it is time they updated it.
      Better make it worth it Nintendo.

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        August 29, 2014 7:29 PM

        but thats the thing. its an incremental upgrade with some more buttons that fragments the market, if they're going to release a NEW ds make it worth it. make it MUCH faster with a proper 2nd stick not a nub. nubs are horrible for any type of games. ever try using the nub on a laptop in game.

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      August 29, 2014 6:12 PM

      I'm kind of pissed this isn't coming to NA for Christmas. Maybe they can get their app store up to snuff by then.

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      August 29, 2014 6:47 PM

      if I buy one in Japan, will I be able to play games on it here? Wife will be in japan when they are coming out

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        August 29, 2014 6:56 PM

        ^^ I want to know this too because I've been wanting a 3DS for some time and I've been waiting for the next version.

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          August 29, 2014 7:11 PM

          A quick search shows that 3ds' are region locked, but the first 5 links for "are 3ds region locked" appear to be about circumventing.

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      August 29, 2014 8:16 PM

      SNES Virtual Console Titles: Only Playable on the New 3DS. I'm calling it now.

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      August 29, 2014 8:30 PM

      Trying to copy Apple's horrible "new ipad" naming.

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      August 30, 2014 6:03 AM

      Just WOW !
      I wish this was ALL present in the 1st 3DS.
      I'll buy it for sure.

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