New Nintendo 3DS

The New Nintendo 3DS is the fourth model of the Nintendo 3DS family, produced by Nintendo. One of the console's primary features is an NFC sensor is built-in under the bottom screen, allowing compatibility with the amiibo line of products without needing the stand peripheral. It was released in Japan on October 11, 2014, Australia and New Zealand on November 21, 2014, Europe on February 13, 2015, and the United States on September 25, 2015. On January 6, 2015, selected European Club Nintendo owners were invited to buy New Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition, a special pre-release bundle of New Nintendo 3DS, for €199.99, with orders shipped as early as January 7, 2015. The graphical capabilities are likened to that of the Wii U.

Features
The New Nintendo 3DS was announced on August 28, 2014. In addition to having a more powerful CPU, the New Nintendo 3DS features an improved 3D effect, using the system's gyroscope and cameras to track the location of the player's eyes to sustain the 3D effect. An NFC sensor is built-in under the bottom screen, allowing compatibility with the amiibo line of products without needing the stand peripheral. Two additional shoulder buttons (ZL and ZR) have been added, alongside the C Stick, a second smaller Circle Pad positioned above the, which shares a similar function with the Circle Pad Pro when added to the original Nintendo 3DS or 3DS XL. The and  buttons have been moved under the  buttons, similar to the Nintendo DS Lite and DSi. In addition, the cartridge and stylus slots have been moved to the bottom of the handheld, and the SD card slot has been replaced by a microSD slot on the back of the system which can be accessed by removing the bottom cover where the battery is located.

Similar to the Game Boy Micro, the New Nintendo 3DS features removable back covers on the backs of the top and bottom screens, which can be replaced with custom covers purchased separately. These covers are only usable on the standard model. The New Nintendo 3DS models also feature some changes to the Internet application in that it can now play HTML5 videos. Exclusive to Japanese New Nintendo 3DS models is a pre-activated web filter, which can only be removed by paying 30 yen. Certain titles, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, are exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS systems, and are incompatible with any of the older models. As of March 2016, SNES games including Super Mario World have also been released on the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console service.

SD Card
New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL units both come with a 4 GB Micro SDHC Card. However, any SD or SDHC card can be used and with appropriate adapters, if necessary and compatible.

Battery life
The package includes a charging cradle along with the standard charging cable (which is the same as that of the DSi, and consequently is compatible with the DSi as well). The battery lasts three to five hours (calculated with minimum settings) while playing standard 3DS or New 3DS games; battery life is affected by brightness, 3D level, and wireless connectivity. To fully charge the battery, it takes approximately three and a half hours, so there is an energy saving mode that can be activated to slightly increase the battery life. When playing DS or DSi games, the battery lasts about 5-8 hours because some hardware is disabled while playing it, such as the pedometer and HOME Menu.

Multitasking
The New Nintendo 3DS features limited multitasking. Software in use can be suspended with the button any time the software is open (except occasionally during online play) in order to change the screen brightness, switch to another software, check the Friend List if friends are online, browse the Internet, post to Miiverse, organize the HOME menu and check notifications from StreetPass and SpotPass.

StreetPass and SpotPass
StreetPass allows the console to send and receive title data with other consoles within a certain range when it is in sleep mode. Up to twelve titles can have StreetPass activated at once. A notification light on the New 3DS turns green to indicate when StreetPass data has been exchanged. The StreetPass Relay update allows for StreetPass data to be exchanged near official Nintendo Zone hotspots. One New 3DS can StreetPass the same spot or same other New 3DS once every eight hours. SpotPass also allows data exchange but differs from StreetPass in that it requires an Internet connection to be used. A notification light on the New 3DS turns blue to indicate when such data has been downloaded.

Backward compatibility
Like the 3DS systems, the system is backwards compatible with both DS and DSi games. When in DS mode, the New 3DS simulates a DSi rather than an original DS so any DSi enhanced games will be given additional features for them to utilize. As with the DSi and 3DS, Nintendo DS games that used the original DS's Game Boy Advance slot cannot make use of extensions, which the New 3DS lacks.

Language support
The New 3DS also features enhanced language accessibility. All these languages are included on the European and Australian version of the New 3DS, and the Portuguese language is also included on the American version. Mario games also began including Dutch, Portuguese and Russian settings. However, these languages are available only in European and Australian versions of the games.

Step Counter
The Step Counter works by using the New 3DS's motion sensor to count the player's steps when the New 3DS is closed. Every 100 steps gives the player one Play Coin, which can be used in the AR Games, StreetPass Mii Plaza, and compatible games. Players can receive a maximum of ten Play Coins per day and can hold a maximum of 300 on the New 3DS system. Additionally, every step is logged in the Activity Log.

New Nintendo 3DS XL
The New Nintendo 3DS XL (New Nintendo 3DS LL in Japan) is a version of the New Nintendo 3DS handheld. Similar to the Nintendo DSi XL and Nintendo 3DS XL, the New 3DS XL has larger screens: the upper measuring 124 mm (4.88 inches) (making it tied to the 3DS XL as the biggest screen on a Nintendo handheld so far) and the lower measuring 106 mm (4.18 inches), both being 90% larger than the standard New Nintendo 3DS screens. The resolution, however, is the same. Additionally, it is packaged with a 4 GB Micro SDHC card, and the battery has been optimized to last longer. The handheld was released in Japan on October 11, 2014, in Australia on November 21, 2014, and in Europe and the Americas on February 13, 2015.

New Nintendo 2DS XL
The New Nintendo 2DS XL (New Nintendo 2DS LL in Japan), announced on April 27, 2017, is the fifth revision of the Nintendo 3DS family released in Oceania on June 15, 2017, in Japan and South Korea on July 13, 2017, and in Europe and North America on July 28, 2017. As the name implies, it shares the same clamshell design, size, and enhanced CPU capabilities as the New Nintendo 3DS XL. As with the Nintendo 2DS, it cannot display images in 3D. The New Nintendo 2DS XL also includes the C-stick, ZL, and ZR shoulder buttons in the same button layout, but unlike the New Nintendo 3DS XL, the front-facing camera and microphone are now positioned on the hinge of the New Nintendo 2DS XL, like the Nintendo DSi. The New Nintendo 2DS XL was released in a Black + Turquoise color scheme in North America, and in two color schemes in Japan, Europe, and Oceania: Black + Turquoise, and White + Orange. The White + Orange color scheme was later released in North America on October 6, 2017. It ended production on September 17, 2020.

Stylus
The stylus more resembles the original Nintendo DS stylus, being a single, solid color and removing the extension feature on the normal model. The stylus for these versions is stored on the side of the handheld, similar to the Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi units.

amiibo


amiibo are a series of toys-to-life accessories by Nintendo that can be scanned into games using near-field communication technology to add content into games. Originally released for Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS systems eventually received amiibo compatibility. New Nintendo 3DS systems feature a built-in near field communicator, activated by placing an amiibo on the Touch Screen.