While many gamers likely unwrapped a shiny new 3DS console over the holiday season, we’d bet that a few held off on picking up Nintendo’s handheld. Those gamers knew that another 3DS model was just around the corner called the New 3DS XL – or at least they hoped it would be.
Well, according to a new promotional poster, it appears Nintendo’s New 3DS XL is slated to release on February 13th, right before Valentine’s Day. The poster also claims that the New 3DS XL will launch alongside The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D remake and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, but nothing has been officially confirmed by Nintendo just yet.
Given that Nintendo has started to change from Sunday to Friday release dates, it seems like that the 13th would be a perfect time for them to launch the New 3DS XL. The handheld is already out in Japan, where it launched in October of last year, so it’s not as if Nintendo is waiting to finish manufacturing or finalize specs.
Curiously, the poster makes no mention of the New 3DS model that was announced alongside the new XL (or LL in Japan). Chances are, though, that this promotional material was only meant to focus on the XL, and does not mean the base model is skipping a North American release.
Either way, if the New 3DS models are slated to arrive in February then it won’t be long before Nintendo makes it official. In fact, the company has a Nintendo Direct scheduled for tomorrow, the 14th, that will surely provide further details on the handheld models’ prices and release dates.
Granted, some may be asking why the new 3DS models are necessary so here’s a quick recap. In addition to larger top and bottom screens, the new 3DS units also include a second joystick, called the C-button, that will replace the Circle Pad Pro attachment, as well as a face tracking camera for better 3D presentation. More than that, though, these new 3DS units will have more power under the hood, which Nintendo will leverage for upcoming handheld releases. In other words, this new 3DS will have its own set of exclusives that the older models can't run.
Ultimately, tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct will likely help gamers decide whether or not they need to upgrade sooner rather than later. If the price point is right and the games are attractive enough, then we wouldn’t be surprised to see lots of Nintendo fans make the transition later this year.
Do you think the new 3DS handhelds will launch in February? Will you buy one of the new models?
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Source: NeoGAF