Nintendo has announced a new handheld console, the 2DS. Yup, it does sound like a step back from the 3DS but in reality, who really uses 3D without getting a headache anyway?
The plan was to create a simpler, more affordable handheld console for younger gamers. The Nintendo 2DS will do away with the clamshell design of the 3DS in favour or a slate shape. But it still features all the buttons and analogue joystick we know and love. Now it can be put to sleep using a slider button rather than closing the shell.
And the 2DS will, of course, be backwards compatible with all DS and 3DS games – it just won't play them in 3D. Plus it features two cameras to include full AR game functionality and 3D photography – you'll just need a 3DS to view snaps.
Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America president, describes it by saying: "Imagine a standard 3DS laid all the way flat, and with the depth slider all the way down. Everything else is there in the system."
When the 2DS launches (on the same day as Pokemon X and Y) it will be available in red and blue models, both with 4GB SD cards and the same charger as the 3DS. There's a mono speaker, in a throwback Game Boy type way, but unlike the Game Boy this will deliver full stereo when using headphones.
Expect to pay $130 for a Nintendo 2DS when its released on 12 October. We don't have the final UK price yet, but expect it to be around £100.
