The Nintendo 3DS, which launched in North America in 2011, is the successor to the Nintendo DS family of handheld gaming systems. The Nintendo DSi simply upgrades some of the hardware features of the Nintendo DS Lite. The Nintendo 3DS plays a separate library of games and features a special screen that displays 3D graphics without the need for special glasses. We put both systems to the test to see how they compare.

The DSi and the original 3DS model are no longer in production. However, other variants of the 3DS are still produced, including the New 3DS and New 2DS XL. New games are also released for the 3DS, even though the original DS family has been officially discontinued by Nintendo.

The top screen of the 3DS displays game environments in 3D, which gives the player a greater sense of depth. The 3D effect immerses the player in the game world, but it also affects the gameplay. For example, in the game Steel Diver, the player sits behind a submarine's periscope and fires torpedoes at enemy submarines. With the help of 3D, it is easy to see which enemy submarines are closer (and pose more of a threat) and which are further away. You can turn the 3D effect off completely or turn it down.

In certain 3DS games, you control the on-screen action by tilting the 3DS unit up and down or turning it from side to side, using the built-in gyroscope and accelerometer. Not every game takes advantage of these features, and many that do allow the player to use a traditional control scheme as well. Star Fox 64 3D is an example of a 3DS game that takes advantage of the accelerometer.