Hands-on with the Nintendo 2DS XL – perfect for kids?

More toylike than other Nintendo handhelds, light and sturdy, the 2DS XL looks like it's meant for young gamers

The full name of Nintendo's latest handheld-only console is the New Nintendo 2DS XL, a title that almost requires breaking down into parts to fully understand. It's a 2DS because it's like a 3DS without the stereoscopic 3D. It's XL because its screen is the same size as that of the 3DS XL, roughly 80% bigger than that of the original 2DS. And it's New because it's part of the same generation as the New 3DS XL: consoles with slightly more power than their predecessors, a small additional analog stick called the C-Stick, and a handful of exclusive titles (most notably Xenoblade Chronicles and Binding of Isaac: Rebirth).

And yet, though the New Nintendo 2DS XL is an improvement on the Nintendo 2DS, it's not meant to be a replacement. Of course, it's rarely wise for a company to admit that a product they still have for sale is about to become obsolete. But Nintendo insists the New 2DS XL is just a new member of the family, not meant to push out any other, fitting somewhere between the 2DS (with slightly more power, a C-Stick, and a clamshell design) and the New 3DS XL (without 3D). Got that? OK, good.