Nintendo unveils the new New Nintendo 3DS

It’s the new New Nintendo 3DS. What is it? Is it a new console? Nope, it’s a refresh of an old one. Did we mention it was also new?

Hot of the presses from a recent stream of questionable business decisions comes the New Nintendo 3DS. It hovers somewhere in the space of an entirely new platform, while at the same time being a refresh of an existing one. Much like the Gameboy Color.

Under the hood, processing power has been increased. Though details remain scant on just what that entails Nintendo has also doubled up on the memory, increasing it to 256MB for the system and 10MB for the GPU respectively. The New Nintendo 3DS also increases the button count to eight, adding two new triggers to the back. A second, all be it small, analogue nub has been added as well. Furthermore, viewing angles have been improved in 3D mode.

Photo by Nintendo

The good news is that all these upgrades will make the system more responsive and easier to play. It will also be getting a port of the hit Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles.

Now here’s the bad news. New Nintendo 3DS games will not be backwards compatible with the vanilla 3DS and 2DS. Yes, the handheld you know and love has officially been made obsolete just three years after launch.

Boourns indeed.

Nintendo has been trying to recapture the hardcore gaming audience. That I get, and to do that, they need better equipment. I also understand that the 3DS was already underpowered when it launched. The faster processing speeds will make it easier for developers to make more complex games. However, the New Nintendo 3DS threatens to fragment the only market that is actually making the company money right now. It’s certainly going to rub fans the wrong way when it comes out. Especially if it doesn’t turn out to be a substantial improvement.

Photo by Nintendo

The name New Nintendo 3DS also brings us back full circle to the same problem the Wii U is having. It’s confusing as hell. I’m just going to copy and paste this little ditty I saw on the Anandtech forums that sums up the problem perfectly.

Customer: I bought Xenoblade Chronicles, but it doesn’t work on my 3DS.
Cashier: You need a New 3DS to play it.
Customer: But it is a new 3DS. I just bought it last week.
Cashier: Did you buy a 3DS, or a New 3DS?
Customer: I bought a new 3DS.
Cashier: Then it should work.
Customer: But I’m telling you, it does NOT work!
Cashier: Then you must have done something wrong.
Customer: Argh.

Right now there’s no word on when the New Nintendo 3DS will launch in North America. It will roll out in Japan this October, and we’re hearing sometime in 2015 for the European market. Prices should remain the same. What do you guys think?

Sources: Destructoid, Wikipedia, ArsTechnica