Nintendo has been facing a lot of pressure in the mobile gaming market with the rise in smartphone and tablet sales. Their 3DS portable gaming system has done well when compared to the Wii U but it has the problem of being just as expensive as many 7-inch tablets. Add to this the cost of the games for the system being around $40 compared to many games being free to play on Android and iOS or being under $10 and the system looks downright expensive. To combat this problem, Nintendo has released the new Nintendo 2DS which is priced at just $130. Many people may scoff at the product release but I actually think that this was a very shrewd business decision especially to capture more of the younger demographic.

The look of the Nintendo 2DS is vastly different from the 3DS models because it is a single piece that holds both screens rather than a folding device. This has the disadvantage over the original 3DS in terms of being able to fit in a pocket easily but many people were opting for the larger screen 3DSXL which while still a folding design was still a bit large to fit in a pocket. One of the key advantages for Nintendo in this design is reduced costs from having less parts and materials.

The non-folding design has two other benefits to users of the system. First, it is much easier to hold as there is more space to grip the device on the sides compared to the folding design. Second, the controls are shifted to a higher position than they would be on the other designs that require them to be on the lower half of the device. The result is that you have a better grip and better access to the buttons for playing the games.

The 3D feature on the 3DS is a pretty novel feature. It gives the perception of depth in the games without the need for specialized glasses. The downside is that many of the games are not extremely well designed around the feature. Then there is the fact that a certain segment of the population (which I am a part of) that can’t perceive this 3D effect. Finally, Nintendo even states in their that the 3D feature should not be used with any children under the age of 7 because of their developing eyes.

The main reason for the 2DS name is that the parallax filter used to produce the 3D effect on the 3DS has been removed. This means that there is no slider to adjust the 3D depth because there is no 3D depth effect. The system still remains fully compatible with all of the 3DS games on the market and it avoids the hazards of the 3D effect on young eyes. Of course, this was also another factor in allowing the system to be less expensive.

So, Nintendo has put together a more ergonomic device that is well suited for young children that is more affordable. This may well result in a major holiday gift for those with younger children that want something more controlled and durable than your standard tablet. Let’s just hope this doesn’t suck my back into playing Animal Crossing …