New Nintendo 2DS XL Review (2024)

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 itself to be a very compelling handheld game system in its own right. Even the newest, nicest 3DS systems pale in comparison with the Switch, and if money and availability aren't factors we 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 (while 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 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 handheld 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 (even if you can't see them in 3D on the system itself) 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 out on compared with the New 3DS XL is the glasses-free 3D, and eschewing that feature chops a quarter off the price.

Nintendo plans to support the 3DS platform through 2018, and new games are being made for the system. However, it seems like the biggest, newest games among Nintendo's major franchises will be primarily going to the Switch. The biggest upcoming 3DS games include Metroid: Samus Returns (a remake of the original Metroid 2: The Return of Samus on the Game Boy) and Pokemon Ultra Moon and Ultra Sun (half-generation sequels to Pokemon Sun and Moon).

Design

While the New 2DS XL's name and price indicate its place as a successor to the inexpensive Nintendo 2DS, it's leaps and bounds ahead of the single-body wedge shape of the 2DS, instead looking much more like the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It's a clamshell gaming device measuring 3.3 by 6.2 by 0.8 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.9 ounces. The system is mostly black matte plastic, with cyan accents on a border around the back of the top half, the power button, the face buttons, and the direction pad. The hinge on the device extends past the body, forming a bar-shaped protrusion when closed and disappearing under the top half when open.

Open, the New 2DS XL resembles the New 3DS XL in design, with a 4.8-inch screen on the top half and a 4.2-inch touch screen on the bottom half. The screen designs have been streamlined a bit from the New 3DS iterations. The top screen has no physically distinct border, and is completely flush with the glossy black plastic panel that runs to the edges of the top panel. The bottom screen has a gentle, tapered bezel that flows into the matte black plastic of the bottom panel without forming the notable bumpy frame found on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL. It makes the handheld look and feel a bit slicker and more stylish than its predecessors.

The main controls are largely in the same place as the New 3DS XL. A round analog control pad and cross-shaped direction pad sit to the left of the touch screen on the lower half, just above a Home button. An analog direction nub sits above A/B/X/Y face buttons, which in turn rest above small Start and Select buttons. L, R, ZL, and ZR shoulder buttons sit on the top edge of the bottom half of the device, while the power button and three indicator LEDs sit on the right side of the bottom edge of the system. A small slider on the left side of the bottom half of the device lets you adjust volume.

The game card slot sits on the left side of the bottom edge of the New 2DS XL, covered by a plastic door which also hides the micro SD card slot (a 4GB card is included). The door is a nice touch, since previous 3DS systems have had uncovered game card slots which can let the games pop out when being jostled in a bag or pocket, forcing a restart. The 3.5mm headphone jack is to the right of the door, next to a compartment that holds the included stylus when not in use. The power connector rests just under the right side of the hinge on the bottom half of the system, and a power adapter is included (the connector is the same one used by the 2DS, New 3DS, and New 3DS XL).

Performance

I played Dragon Quest 8 and Monster Hunter Generations on the New 2DS XL, and they both worked just as well as it does on a New 3DS. Dragon Quest 8 plays very smoothly, and the analog control nub adjusts the camera easily. Like on the New 3DS and New 3DS XL, the nub feels very stiff, and isn't precise enough for aiming in an action game, but it's useful for camera controls and other activities that don't need a delicate touch.

Monster Hunter Generations runs well on the New 3DS, but infamously is nearly unplayable on the original 3DS and 3DS XL because of choppy graphics from the systems' lower processing power. I was pleased to see that it works perfectly on the New 2DS XL, with consistently smooth animations when fighting large monsters, and responsive controls for dodging, blocking, and attacking.

With the screen at maximum brightness, the New 2DS lasted a bit over five hours before the power LED turned red indicating a low battery level. This is in line with the New 3DS and New 3DS XL systems batteries, and beats out the Switch in time between charges by about an hour (though the Switch's battery life can vary significantly more depending on the type of game it's running).

An Aging Screen

Both games' action take place primarily on the top screen, which looks excellent for a 3DS family device. It's fairly bright and vivid, and compares favorably with the New 3DS XL's top screen with the glasses-free 3D disabled. The 3D is seldom missed in most games, and I simply disabled it the vast majority of the time I played games on my New 3DS anyway.

However, the New 2DS XL can't hold a candle to the Nintendo Switch. The top screen has the same 400-by-240 resolution as every other 3DS device. The Switch's screen, meanwhile, is 720p (1,280 by 720), which means it has nearly ten times the number of pixels as any 3DS device's screen. While it's much larger at 6.2 inches, it still has a much higher pixel density at 236ppi compared with the New 2DS XL's 97ppi. The Switch is far brighter, crisper, and more vivid than the New 2DS XL, by far.

A Very Solid Game System, but Second to the Switch

When considered on its own, or when compared with other 3DS devices, the New 2DS XL is fantastic. It packs all of the New 3DS features into a well-designed package with a very attractive price tag. And, since it's a New 3DS system, it can play games from the full lifespans of the DS and 3DS, and there is a lot of pure gold in that decade-plus of handheld gaming. When held next to the Switch, however, it isn't nearly as appealing. The Switch costs twice as much as the New 2DS XL, but the superior screen, much higher processing power, and revolutionary handheld/home console gameplay options it provides easily justifies that price tag. The New 2DS XL is great, but the Switch is simply better more than twice over. We can still wholeheartedly recommend the 2DS XL to anyone who doesn't have (or is looking to replace) a 3DS, and wants to play a startling number of excellent, classic games. Of course, if you already have a New 3DS or New 3DS XL, there's no reason to get a New 2DS XL, since it doesn't bring anything new to the table.