Last Updated on May 10, 2021 by Danielle
Nintendo surprises gamers with announcement of New Nintendo 2DS XL.
Nintendo recently announced the latest iteration of its portable video gaming system – the New Nintendo 2DS XL. This is the official successor to the Nintendo 2DS.
Nintendo surprised almost everyone in the gaming industry with this announcement, given the immensely successful launch of its fastest-selling console in Nintendo history – the Nintendo Switch and the fantastic sales of the New Nintendo 3DS XL. The Nintendo 3DS family of systems are the best-selling console of any type, portable or home console, for this generation, selling over 64 million units compared to the Sony PlayStation 4 with 55.9 M units sold to date.
However, given that the Nintendo DS is one of the best-selling videogame systems ever – selling over 154 M units worldwide – it’s actually not surprising that Nintendo is releasing a two-dimensional version of the 3DS.
The New Nintendo 2DS XL will arrive on store shelves July 28th and will retail for $150 in the United States. Nintendo’s strategy is to fill the pricing gap between the Nintendo 2DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL, thereby offering portable systems at multiple price points to satisfy different gamer needs. So now Nintendo’s portfolio will feature the Nintendo 2DS, Nintendo 2DS XL, New Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo Switch for high-end portable and home console gaming. Now gamers will have even more options to meet their budget and performance needs.
Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO of Nintendo of America, stated that this newest addition to the Nintendo family exemplifies their unrelenting commitment to the portable gaming segment. Reggie has stated time and again that just because the Switch has been released to phenomenal fanfare and sales results – they will not simply abandon portable gaming altogether. They will continue to focus on satisfying the consumer and providing them will the best gaming options. Evidently, a market and demand still exist given the wide library of games available and incredible lifetime unit sales data for virtually all of Nintendo’s portable systems dating back to the original Gameboy.
So what’s new with the Nintendo 2DS XL? The Nintendo 2DS XL will features a brand-new clamshell design, similar to the 3DS XL, and it strikes a good balance of price and performance. It will feature a larger screen much like the one featured on the New Nintendo 3DS XL. The graphics will be displayed in 2D – not 3D like the 3DS XL. Also, the portable will be available at launch in at least two fun color schemes – black + turquoise and white + orange. According to Nintendo, the new portable system will be lighter yet still boasts similar power to the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
Interestingly, the New Nintendo 2DS XL will be released earlier in Australia and New Zealand. It will launch on June 15 for $200 AUD. As for other countries, availability and pricing information for the New Nintendo 2DS XL is presently unavailable. The New Nintendo 2DS XL is likely to be in high demand for the holidays and will likely make its way to Toy Buzz’s elusive Top Toys for Christmas 2021 list.
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