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New Nintendo 3DS

RED-001 · JAN-001 · 2014–2020 · handheld console

Specifications

Cpu: ARM11 MPCore quad-core at up to 804 MHz (New 3DS-specific SoC, faster than the original 3DS's dual-core 268 MHz part) + ARM9 coprocessor for DS backward compatibility
Ram: max: 256 MB FCRAM (fixed, double the original 3DS) · base: 256 MB FCRAM
Media: Nintendo 3DS Game Card; backward compatible with Nintendo DS Game Cards
Output: Built-in 802.11 Wi-Fi, StreetPass/SpotPass, amiibo NFC reader/writer built into the bottom screen, second analog "C-Stick", ZL/ZR shoulder buttons, two outer cameras plus an inner camera, stereo speakers, headphone jack, microphone
Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion, approx. 3.5-6 hours with 3D on, 6-10 hours with 3D off
Display: Top: 3.88-inch autostereoscopic (glasses-free 3D) TFT LCD, 800x240, with face-tracking ("Super-Stable 3D") to hold the 3D effect off-angle; bottom: 3.02-inch resistive touchscreen, 320x240
Storage: base: 4 GB internal flash storage (Japan/US) or 1 GB (New 3DS XL varies by region) · options: microSD card slot (New 3DS uses microSD, unlike the original 3DS's full-size SD)
Release Price: $199.99 (New Nintendo 3DS XL); the smaller New Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan only at ¥16,000, later reaching the US in a limited run

Variants

Models

New Nintendo 3DS XLRED-001Larger-screen model (top 4.88-inch, bottom 4.18-inch) and the version Nintendo sold widely in the US and Europe; the small-format New 3DS stayed Japan-only outside a brief US release.

New Nintendo 2DS XL2017 clamshell model with the New 3DS's faster CPU, extra RAM, C-Stick and amiibo reader, but flat (non-3D) screens like the original 2DS.

Upgrade paths

storage

microSD, practically up to 2 TB depending on card and firmware support · Swap is tool-free under a small back cover; unlike the original 3DS's full-size SD slot, capacity is really only limited by what the firmware/homebrew loader recognizes.

~$10-30 for a microSD card

EASY

other

Custom firmware (Luma3DS) via software-only entry points, enabling homebrew, emulators and ROM backups · One of the best-documented handheld modding scenes; no soldering, no case opening required on most units.

free

EASY

battery

Same-capacity OEM or third-party replacement cell · Requires opening the case with a small screwdriver; no higher-capacity drop-in options are commonly sold.

~$10-15

MODERATE