Nintendo 3DS

The 3DS is a handheld dual-screened system released by Nintendo in 2011. The system was a successor to the DS(i) which introduced 3D graphics without the need of eyewear. It was the third and final console to be released in the "DS" series of handhelds. It features a 400x240 display for the top screen which doubles when the 3D feature is enabled, a depth-slider to control the intensity of the 3D effect in games, a 320x240 resistive touch screen for use with the Stylus, a Circle Pad for better accuracy/precision in 3D games, a Home Button, an extra outer camera for 3D photo and video-taking (the latter was added at a later date), a mic, two stereo speakers, as well as a Pedometer and Gyroscope for use in compatible games and software. It includes the following communication features:

• Streetpass (New)
• Spotpass (New)
• Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz

The 3DS also came out of the box with the following:

• Nintendo 3DS AC Adapter/Charging Cradle
• SD Memory Card (2 GB)
• Augmented Reality (AR) Cards (6)
• Quick Start Guide
• Nintendo 3DS Operations Manual
• Parental Controls Leaflet

Models

There were many models shipped throughout the world.

Original 3DS

This is the first system released in 2011. It looks more like a DSi than the other models.

Original 2DS

2DSs were released in 2013 to coincide with the release of Pokemon X/Y. The layout is completely different to 3DSs. As the name suggests, it removes the 3D feature and was marketed as the more child-oriented device. This variant of the 3DS does not fold as it does not have the clam-shell design exhibited on all prior DS models. Instead, you flip a little switch on the bottom-right corner to put and wake the system up from Sleep Mode. It is not compatible with most 3DS peripherals (such as the Circle Pad Pro) due to its different form-factor. It has one speaker on the top-left and interestingly retains the two front-facing cameras for taking 3D photos/videos. As the 2DS does not fold, a cost-cutting measure was made to only have one screen display both the top and bottom portions. Otherwise, the 2DS is fully compatible with all DS and 3DS software.

New 3DS/2DS XL

The New 3DS was released October 11th, 2014 in Japan and February 13th, 2015 in North America. A New 3DS/2DS XL looks more like an original DS. It also adds ZL, ZR and a C Stick, but games rarely use them. The new Internet Browser's media player uses the latter to ramp up and down in speed.