Hardware Future of the 3DS

[insomniac45177]

So Nintendo says that they will support the 3DS into 2018 and beyond......

So what does that mean on a hardware level?
Any ideas or opinions? Do you really think the 3DS hardware can survive into 2019?
Maybe a NEW new Nintendo 3DS?
Or maybe a NEW Nintendo 3DS XXL?
Maybe abandon 3D all together?

Was just curious of the opinions of the community here.

 

[evandixon]

I think that the 3DS is dead, and Nintendo's only continuing its support in case the Switch doesn't succeed for some reason.

 

[SpencerlyEverly]

IDK, I bet they will just release stuff as they go.

Also, with firmware updates, they fix hacks, which is bad for this community, so yeah...

 

[V0ltr0n]

Nintendo has the handheld market on lock. As long as they keep a relatively steady flow of content and 3rd party support, I think it'll be quite a while before support ends for the system. They wouldn't be releasing the new2ds if they were giving up on it. Only thing that might push them to make an entirely new handheld would be something like a Vita 2 that supports current home console games. I highly doubt that will happen, so no need for nintendo to push for a new handheld any time soon.

 

[Kubas_inko]

I think that the 3DS is dead, and Nintendo's only continuing its support in case the Switch doesn't succeed for some reason.

that's why are there still new games right?

 

[MashedPotatos]

They said a very similar when the DS came out with the GBA. It's a kind of failsafe if the newer console fails they can fall back on their older console.

 

[Bullseye]

I guess they will keep supporting it if the software side of the console keeps bringing them benefit. Maybe they have already decided on a level of income at which they have decided to stop supporting it. Then after that happens they might start to develop a new portable console (as they have already released the Switch which is the latest hardware), and releasing a new piece of hardware that is not switch might be like throwing rocks to your own roof.

 

[Kubas_inko]

As long as no emulators on switch will be able to run 3ds/ds games, it will survive.

 

[Harsky]

Like the Gameboy Advance being the "third pillar" when the DS was being launched, Nintendo will keep supporting the 3DS until the Switch finally hits its stride and all new games comes out on the Switch. After the decision to pull the Wii's support in the hope that everyone will move onto the Wii U, I think the 3DS will still be positioned to be the handheld of choice for the people who still can't afford/find a Switch.

 

[ov3rkill]

There are still upcoming games and devs are still developing games for it. As long as there are games being announced for the console, I think it's doing fine. PSV on the other hand, not so much, except in Japan.

 

[Lacius]

When the Switch was being discussed (codenamed NX at the time), Nintendo said the NX wouldn't replace the Wii U because it was something entirely different and that the Wii U would continue to be supported after the NX. That was a lie so people wouldn't stop buying the Wii U. The same thing is happening with the 3DS. They're not going to come out and say, "Yeah, after Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the 3DS will no longer be supported, so you shouldn't go out and buy one."

 

[SLiV3R]

Like everyone says: the 3DS is dead AF

 

[Player-1]

So Nintendo says that they will support the 3DS into 2018 and beyond......

So what does that mean on a hardware level?
Any ideas or opinions? Do you really think the 3DS hardware can survive into 2019?
Maybe a NEW new Nintendo 3DS?
Or maybe a NEW Nintendo 3DS XXL?
Maybe abandon 3D all together?

Was just curious of the opinions of the community here.

as long as 3ds/2ds continues to sell well and doesn't cut into switch profits, i think they will continue selling it for as long as they can.

unlike the wii u, the 3ds has a big userbase, and they want that userbase to slowly transition to the switch (or possible 3ds successor) overtime. if nintendo were to just kill off the 3ds now that the switch has been released, there's no guarantee that 3ds users will just move on to switch (kinda like how not all wii owners upgraded to wii u).