The 3DS, Fixed
The original 3DS had one big problem: its 3D only worked if you held perfectly still. Lean a little and the image doubled and blurred. The New Nintendo 3DS solved it by watching your face. Released in Japan in October 2014 and in Europe and North America in February 2015, it's the version of the 3DS that delivers on the promise.
The name is confusing, but the upgrades are real. There's a faster processor, an extra analog nub called the C-Stick, two extra shoulder buttons, ZL and ZR, and a built-in reader for amiibo figures. It came in two sizes: a standard model and a larger XL. North America only got the XL at first, with the smaller model following later in 2015.
Super-Stable 3D
A front camera tracks where your eyes are and adjusts the 3D effect as you move, so the picture stays sharp even when you shift in your seat or tilt the console. Nintendo called it super-stable 3D, and it transforms the experience. Games that felt like a gimmick on the original become genuinely immersive, and many people who switched the 3D off on their first 3DS left it on here.
The faster processor matters, too. Games load quicker, menus feel snappier, and a handful of titles were built to use the extra power. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, a huge role-playing game first made for the Wii, runs only on the New 3DS, and so does the Super Nintendo Virtual Console. Some older 3DS games also run more smoothly.
Faceplates and Small Details
The standard-size New 3DS has swappable cover plates on the front and back, which turned the console into something to customise, with dozens of designs featuring Mario, Zelda, Pokémon and more. It's one reason the smaller model is the one collectors seek out. The XL doesn't have them, but its bigger screens make the 3D even more impressive.
One quirk to know: the microSD card sits under the back cover, held in by small screws, so you'll need a tiny screwdriver to swap it.
The Library at Its Best
Everything that makes the 3DS library brilliant looks and plays best here: A Link Between Worlds, Fire Emblem Awakening, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Super Mario 3D Land, Pokémon Sun and Moon and the Monster Hunter games, which use the C-Stick for camera control. It also plays almost the whole Nintendo DS library. For the story of the console it upgraded, see the Nintendo 3DS.
Like every 3DS, it's region-locked, so match your console to your games. Region Locked: A Collector's Guide to Importing Nintendo explains what works across regions.
Buying One Today
Prices have risen as people discover how good it is. Check both screens for scratches, test the 3D face tracking, the C-Stick and the extra shoulder buttons, and check the battery holds a charge. With the standard model, see whether the original cover plates are included.
If you want one console to play the whole 3DS library, this is it. Turn the 3D slider all the way up and see what Nintendo meant all along.