New Nintendo 2DS XL makes a great system even better

In five years, the Nintendo 3DS has been redesigned six times.

Unlike the Nintendo DS, or the Game Boy Advance before it, the original 3DS didn’t beg for a do-over. But if Nintendo saw enough imperfections in that initial form factor to bring us to this point, I can live with that — because the handheld’s latest iteration is its best one yet.

The New Nintendo 2DS XL, a console with an unwieldy name, seemed redundant when Nintendo revealed it last week. It’s got the same screens and power under the hood as the New Nintendo 3DS XL; like the Nintendo 2DS, it lacks the handheld’s 3D feature that Nintendo has quietly de-prioritized over the years.

But when I went hands-on with the system during a press event this week, I was taken aback by just how much better the New 2DS XL feels to use than any version to come out before it.

These differences are subtle. The New 2DS XL borrows the 3DS XL’s dimensions — both have the same size screens — but not its added heft. The New 2DS XL is 26 percent lighter than the 3DS XL, and it’s about a quarter-inch thinner.

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The system also bucks the glossy exterior of New Nintendo 3DS systems prior in favor of a mature, matte-style finish. The black-and-turquoise color scheme has a sophisticated look to it, with the blue used just for accents. This is the most adult the 3DS has ever looked, even if this system serves functionally as a stopgap between the kid-friendly 2DS and the Nintendo allegiant’s 3DS of choice.

By “stopgap,” I mean that this is an accessible entry point into the 3DS family that does away with the system’s most obvious selling point. There’s no 3D, so anyone craving a full-featured handheld will be left wanting — even if that functionality is an afterthought for most developers and games these days. At this point, I’m perfectly happy to live without the 3D feature, which I haven’t turned on in years. Although it’s not inconvenient to have, it’s the handheld’s obvious useless appendage. I wouldn’t be so quick to take the 2DS XL’s lack of the feature as a death knell for the 3DS’ namesake gimmick, but it may be a sign that Nintendo isn’t shy anymore about how 3D failed to take off.

Other than that, though, the 2DS XL has the clamshell design, baked-in amiibo functionality and speedy

processor that any potential Nintendo handheld owner would likely want or need.

Perhaps the most appreciated revision is the SD card’s new location. Both iterations of New Nintendo 3DS requires that you use a screwdriver to swap out SD cards, which is a pain. On the New 2DS XL, the SD card slot now lives right next to the game card slot, on the lower-left corner of the system. There’s no need to unscrew anything to access your saves and eShop games.

Ryan Simmons/Vox Studios

It’s a quality-of-life improvement that seems small, but Nintendo has redesigned this system five other times before, and this is an important fix. I’m less excited about the diminutive stylus that the New 2DS XL ships with ... but that’s a tiny pain I can live with.

Nintendo’s desire to once again put out a Nintendo 3DS form factor surprised us when there are already so many to choose from. The Nintendo Switch also seems set to usurp the system as the Nintendo handheld (and home console) of choice. Why wouldn’t Nintendo just stick all of its eggs into that basket?

The reason is simple: The Nintendo 3DS line continues to sell well. Games like November’s Pokémon Sun and Moon proved that people are still picking up units, and even with a deluge of styles to choose from, the system performs on the sales chart.

The New 2DS XL proves Nintendo still has a few tricks up its sleeve for making me want to buy this system for a sixth time, even if I don’t absolutely need it. But those upgrades are enticing enough to make the $149.99 New 2DS XL a good sell when it’s out on July 28 — because at this point, after test driving all of the other members of the 3DS family, I’m ready for a system that feels great right out of the box.

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