Nintendo 2DS XL Supports Thousands Of Games

Nintendo 2DS XL Supports Thousands Of Games

- Will Greenwald

The New 2DS XL is the best iteration of the Nintendo 3DS hardware so far—and that puts it in a very strange position. Nintendo released the Switch in March, and since then, the console has proven to be a very compelling handheld game system in its own right. Even the newest, nicest 3DS systems pale in comparison with the Switch. If money and availability aren’t factors for you, we’d easily recommend the Switch. Still, while the New Nintendo 2DS XL isn’t nearly as advanced as the Switch, it’s only half the price at $149.99, and it lets you play countless excellent games from a massive library spanning 13 years; the Switch does not support backward compatibility in any form.

THE MEANING OF “NEW”

Nintendo’s use of the word “new” can get a bit confusing, and with so many different 3DS and DS systems released in the past, the New 2DS XL’s purpose and capabilities might seem unclear. The easiest way to look at it is simply as a less expensive New 3DS XL that doesn’t support 3D.

The New 2DS XL can run all of the same games as the New 3DS and the New 3DS XL (all 3DS game cards, most 2DS game cards, and any downloadable games available on the 3DS eShop), with both the higher processing power and analog control nub those two handhelds feature—features lacking on the the original 2DS, 3DS, and 3DS XL. It even has a pair of rear-facing cameras for taking 3D pictures (though you can’t see them in 3D on the system) in addition to a front-facing camera on the inner hinge. There’s also a built-in Amiibo reader on the touch screen for games with Amiibo support. The only thing you’re missing, compared with the New 3DS XL, is the glasses-free 3D, and eschewing that feature chops a quarter off the price.