Nintendo 3DS vs Nintendo New 3DS

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

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3DS compared with New 3DS

	Nintendo3DS	NintendoNew 3DS
Overview
Released
Released	February 2011	October 2014
Performance
Type
Type	Handheld	Handheld
CPU
CPU	ARM11 MPCore, 2 cores, 268 MHz	–
GPU
GPU	DMP PICA200, 268 MHz	–
Memory
Memory	134 MB	–
Disc drive
Disc drive	No	No
CPU
CPU	Dual-core ARM11 MPCore at 268 MHz plus an ARM946 processor (original 3DS security research)	–
GPU
GPU	DMP PICA200 at 268 MHz (DMP and Copetti)	–
Memory detail
Memory detail	128 MB FCRAM plus 6 MB VRAM (original 3DS security research)	–
Storage detail
Storage detail	Games on Nintendo 3DS game cards; 2 GB SD card included	A removable microSDHC card is included; the Japanese standard bundle includes 4 GB, while the UK manual says to check the box for its capacity. Nintendo's public specification does not state the internal capacity
Storage expansion
Storage expansion	SD and SDHC cards	microSD card slot beneath the rear cover plate
Display and video
Built-in screen
Built-in screen	3.53″ LCD, 800 × 240	3.88″ LCD, 800 × 240
Built-in screen
Built-in screen	Upper 3.53-inch 3D LCD, 800 × 240 (400 pixels per eye in 3D), 16.7 million colours; lower 3.02-inch LCD touch screen, 320 × 240	Upper 3.88-inch glasses-free 3D LCD, 800 × 240 (400 pixels per eye in 3D), with face-tracking Super-Stable 3D; lower 3.33-inch touch LCD, 320 × 240. Both display approximately 16.7 million colours; automatic brightness adjustment
Audio
Audio	Stereo speakers (pseudo-surround); headphone jack	Stereo speakers with pseudo-surround support, built-in microphone and stereo headphone output
Design and power
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 5 hours	Up to 10.5 hours
Weight
Weight	235 g (better)	253 g
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	5 Wh lithium-ion battery (CTR-003); about 3–5 hours with 3DS software and 5–8 hours with DS software; charges in about 3 hours 30 minutes	Replaceable KTR-003 lithium-ion battery, 5.2 Wh. Nintendo rates approximately 3.5–6 hours with 3DS software and 6.5–10.5 hours with DS software; runtime depends on brightness, wireless activity, software and temperature. Full charge approximately 3.5 hours
Power use
Power use	About 4.1 W maximum while charging (Nintendo UK manual)	Approximately 4.1 W maximum while charging (Nintendo UK manual)
Size
Size	–	142 × 80.6 × 21.6 mm when folded (width × depth × thickness); approximately 253 g includes battery, stylus and microSD card
Colours
Colours	–	Black and white at the Japanese and European launches; interchangeable cover plates sold separately
In the box
In the box	Console, charging cradle, AC adapter, stylus, 2 GB SD card, 6 AR Games cards	New 3DS, stylus, microSDHC card, six AR cards, front and back cover plates, quick start guide and operations manual (UK); Nintendo 3DS AC adapter sold separately
Connections
Ports
Ports	Game card slot, SD card slot, AC adapter connector, audio jack (stereo out); charging cradle contacts	Game card slot, microSD card slot, charging-cradle connectors, AC adapter connector and headphone connector; infrared transceiver with recommended distance within 20 cm
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g (2.4 GHz); infrared (Nintendo UK manual)	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz; NFC at 13.56 MHz; recommended wireless communication distance within 30 m (Nintendo UK manual)
Controller
Controller	Built-in Circle Pad, D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R buttons; motion sensor and gyro sensor; stylus	Circle Pad, C Stick, D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R, ZL/ZR, Start/Select, HOME and touch screen; motion and gyro sensors. One inner and two outer fixed-focus CMOS cameras, 640 × 480 (0.3 megapixels) each; KTR-004 stylus approximately 76.5 mm long
Backward compatibility
Backward compatibility	Nintendo DS and DSi games	Nintendo 3DS, DS and DSi game cards, including New Nintendo 3DS-exclusive games; built-in NFC supports amiibo. eShop purchases and new free downloads ended on 27 March 2023; most internet services ended on 8 April 2024, while redownloads and updates remain available (Nintendo)