New 3DS Model Releasing Next Year, Has Faster CPU, Dual Sticks, and More!

What a morning, huh? A surprise Japanese Nintendo Direct decided to drop a ton of bombshells this morning. While not all of them are 100% relevant to us, certainly the fact they are releasing a brand new 3DS model is. Specifically because this model has a faster CPU—so fast it can actually run Xenoblade Chronicles. This is the first time I think Nintendo hasn’t completely replaced a line of handhelds yet has released a more powerful version, which is will obviously get games the other 3DS units cannot play. Of course, the increased CPU power isn’t the only new addition.

The console features an addition slider above the buttons on the right side, ZL and ZR buttons, an Amiibo port (the entire bottom screen can read them), and 3D viewing now has a wider plane, hence a bigger sweet spot. Other things have been moved around on the console. The game slot, stylus, and headphone jack are now located on the bottom of the console instead of the top, while the start and select buttons have moved to the right bottom of the console. There are two models of this, current;y priced around $160 and $188 USD. The system will be launching in the United States at some point next year.

The system is literally titled “New 3DS”, which of course is a rather odd convention. Either way, given it has extra power it could now effectively see console ports of most of the current Zelda games, including Twilight Princess or even The Wind Waker. If there was ever a doubt what the 3DS could and couldn’t do, the increased power is going to make console like games even easier to do. Would be interesting if we got Majora’s Mask 3D exclusive for this hardware, since the original game required a memory expansion pack for the N64 that Ocarina of Time didn’t.

Source: Gamnesia 1,2