New Nintendo 3DS to Skip NA, New 3DS XL Comes Without Charger
In the past few days there have been a serious amount of updates on games relating to the New Nintendo 3DS that comes out next month and now we have an update on the system itself.
Polygon reports that although the New Nintendo 3DS is finally coming to North America, there are a few disappointing factors that will be coming along with it. The first thing to know is that North America will, for the time being, only be getting and producing one of the new Nintendo handhelds -- the New Nintendo 3DS XL. The smaller version of the handheld will not make its way over to North America because, "Different territories make their own business decisions regarding individual products and timing." Nintendo of America went on to explain, "We think New Nintendo 3DS XL makes the most sense for our market. Nintendo makes different systems at different price points for a whole range of consumers, and New Nintendo 3DS XL simply expands those choices even further." The logic behind the decision isn't unfounded, either. The New Nintendo 3DS XL outsold the Nintendo 3DS by a significant amount in Japan when it first arrived. It started out selling three 3DS XLs for every 3DS sold and now it's standing at two 3DS XLs for every 3DS sold. That's a pretty serious difference in number.
The second thing to note is that if you were expecting your new handheld to come with its own charger in the package, you would be wrong. Even though almost every electronic device that consumers buy these days comes with its own charger -- from phones to laptops to consoles -- Nintendo has decided to exclude the charger to "cut costs." The reasoning behind it is that the new 3DS XL is compatible with the old 3DS XL's charger and that by excluding the charger from the package, Nintendo can keep the prices of the old and new handhelds the same at $199.99 each. If you really need the charger it will be sold separately for $9.95.
The new Nintendo 3DS XL will hit stores on Feb. 13, 2015 but you should probably make sure you have a charger for it before you leave the store.