Nintendo 3DS Discontinued After Almost a Decade

Nintendo has discontinued its 3DS handheld after about 76 million sales over a nine-and-a-half year period. The BBC reports: A notice on the Japanese firm's site says "manufacturing of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems has ended." The device had the ability to trick the human eye into seeing 3D images like those in some cinema screenings -- but without special glasses. However, its launch received a lukewarm reception and it only gained popularity later. The console's demise has long been expected. Last year, the company said it no longer planned to make any new first-party games for the system. It means the original Nintendo DS retains the title of being the bestselling mobile console. And the Nintendo Switch -- a hybrid handheld-and-home machine -- is the current focus of Nintendo's efforts.

3D popularity fades with time

[carcomp]

3D was huge in 2010. Avatar had just come out. I remember only going to movies "in 3D". I would look for theaters with specific technology. I bought the 3DS and it was awesome. Then I found myself playing more and more with 3D mode turned off. I also stopped caring if movies were 3D... Theater technology had started to age / fail making it a crapshoot at quality. Maybe one day it will be amazing again. It was fun in 2010.

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[Cmdln Daco]

I just bought a 2DS XL a few weeks ago. It has everything that a large 'XL' 3DS has except there is no 3D function to have to turn off. And it was only $99.

I'm now glad I bought it, because there probably won't be many more shipments of them to stores.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[DrXym]

It did not help that most "3D" movies were just bastardized 2D movies post processed with depth maps and masks and looking like crappy cardboard dioramas. About the only true 3D movies were CGI animations but there weren't enough of them to justfiy the format.

Oh and all the consumer grade 3D displays sucked too. The novelty soon wore off.

Re: 3D popularity fades with time

[carcomp]

The first How to Train Your Dragon was pretty incredible in 3D. The flight scenes over the island and through the stone columns were very well done. Also helps that the musical score was incredible.

It's a great handheld system

[93 Escort Wagon]

But now that the Switch exists, there's not nearly as much separation between "portable" and "console".

Especially when you've got the Switch Lite...

Re:It's a great handheld system

[omnichad]

I'm still dreaming that they might release a console-only version of the Switch. I really don't like the idea of paying for a screen and battery I will never use - no matter how cheap screens are getting.

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[thegarbz]

Yeah I thought I'd never use the screen and battery either. Boy I was wrong.

Re:It's a great handheld system

[drinkypoo]

In ten years they will announce the "switch lite" (or similar) which will be implemented poorly as a single chip and which won't run cycle-correct. It will come with one game you want and nine games you don't for way too much money, and the full stock will be bought up immediately by speculators.

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[tlhIngan]

I'm still dreaming that they might release a console-only version of the Switch. I really don't like the idea of paying for a screen and battery I will never use - no matter how cheap screens are getting.

Not likely. Console sales outside of Sony and Microsoft these days are weak and most gaming capable devices aren't used for such.

There have been many gaming focused consoles over the years, and they all died out. I'm sure Nintendo knows if they tried, it wouldn't be much of a success. Heck who here plays ga

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[OrangeTide]

there interface of the DS/3DS is substantially different than the Switch and the kinds of games made for that platform often have no equivalent on the Switch. Maybe it's the end of dual-screen touch & pen gaming.

R.I.P. Etrian Odyssey, Professor Layton, The World Ends with You, etc.

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[AmiMoJo]

Even the Switch Lite is expensive compared to the DS though, and so are the games.

I guess they were feeling competition from mobile games in that space. Someone needs to make a phone with a d-pad.

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[NateFromMich]

Someone needs to make a phone with a d-pad.

They are too busy trying to get rid of buttons and bezels. No way would they put a d-pad right on the phone itself.
Just use a controller if you must.

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[AmiMoJo]

Some gaming phones have trigger buttons.

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[93 Escort Wagon]

So do some people!

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[tepples]

What phone controllers are any good? Do any of these act like a case, so that the whole thing can fold up and fit in a pocket like a GBA SP, DS, or 3DS?

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[OrangeTide]

Someone needs to make a phone with a d-pad.

Let's start an online petition to resurrect the Nokia N-Gage [wikipedia.org]

Not surprising

[Malays2 bowman]

3ds is basically 1996 technology based around N64 hardware.

10 years sounds about right given that the original Gameboy and it's color upgrade
was sold new through Nintendo for about
the same length of time.

You will likely see it sold new in a bundle
pack for at least few more years to come,
like the GBC, Neo Geo handheld, etc as the
unsold stock is sold off to 3rd party
distribution companies.

A Retrogaming Powerhouse

[Vandil X]

Between the massive 3DS library and the NDS library, you literally have thousands of games to choose from.

Then consider there are virtual console games from the NES, Gameboy/GBC, SNES, Game Gear, and for "ambassadors" GBA, which add many retrogames from those consoles.

Then consider that you can buy a simply Flash card for the card slot and load emulators an games for a while assortment of retrosystems, including the Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, TG-16 and more.... all without modifying the 3DS firmware.

The system may be discontinued, but if you ever wanted a portable retrogaming powerhouse, it's a solid system to own.