14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware maker Nintendo announces that it is working on a new handheld called the 2DS, which is set to launch on October 12 in North America for a suggested price of 129.99 dollars (81 Euro).
The device has not yet been confirmed for the European market, but the company might deliver more news on it in the near future.
The Nintendo 2DS will be offered in Red and Blue versions and is specifically designed to give players interested in gaming on a handheld an easy to use entry point that’s also cheaper than its 3DS cousin.
The team working on the new device says, “Nintendo 2DS maintains many of the same hardware features as Nintendo 3DS: dual screens, game-play controls and touch-screen features.”
A library of more than 2,000 video games is available for the device on launch, because it is able to play all titles released for the 3DS as long as they do not need three-dimensional elements in order to progress.
Nintendo adds that the new device also includes “access to wireless connectivity features like multiplayer online game play, fun Nintendo Video content and great digitally delivered games in the Nintendo eShop.”
Ahead of the October 12 launch date the team working on the handheld will also release a promotional tour designed to give gamers a chance to see how the 2DS feels and plays.
The announcement of the new hardware comes as a surprise given that the 3DS has been performing very well in 2013, topping the NPD Group reported sales numbers for the United States and also doing well in Japan.
Many gamers complained about the three-dimensional capabilities of the device when it was launched, but lately developers have begun using them in interesting ways, and many players believe they add value to a lot of experiences.
