New Nintendo 3DS XL
Shares rank 11 of 18 handheld game consoles by recommenders
Recommended as the peak of handheld gaming, with easy custom firmware and better 3D than the original. Some critics say the 3D effect doesn't wow.
Recommended as the peak of handheld gaming, with easy custom firmware and better 3D than the original. Some critics say the 3D effect doesn't wow.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 89%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Easy custom firmware and hacking
“It's easy enough to jailbreak/install CFW on them and get it set up so you don't have to worry about it.”
Comment from 31 Oct 2026 in “My favourite PowerMac is a Nintendo Wii” “I have both a hacked New 3DS XL and a hacked Switch OLED and both are incredibly good.”
Comment from 31 Jan 2026 in “Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine” Best handheld gaming device
“It's about the peak for handheld gaming.”
Comment from 30 Oct 2026 in “My favourite PowerMac is a Nintendo Wii” “Honestly I'd say that's the New 3DS XL.”
Comment from 31 Jan 2026 in “Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine” Better 3D than original
“just like in the New Nintendo 3DS (the original 3DS used a simpler but worse system)”
Comment from 28 Jan 2026 in “Virtual Boy on TV with Intelligent Systems Video Boy” “The 3D experience on the New model was so much better than the old ones.”
Comment from 4 Feb 2026 in “Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
3D effect doesn't impress
“the actual 3d seemed neat but it didn't wow me”
Comment from 1 Feb 2026 in “Nintendo DS code editor and scriptable game engine”
Other handheld game consoles people recommend
The four most recommended other handheld game consoles, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | 143 | 103 | 58% | 12 | 8 yrs12 owners | — |
| Playdate handheld console | 43 | 15 | 74% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Sony PlayStation Portable | 24 | 4 | 86% | 5 | 21 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| Nintendo 3DS | 21 | 6 | 78% | 8 | — | Approved |
| New Nintendo 3DS XLThis page | 8 | 1 | 89% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“It's easy enough to jailbreak/install CFW on them and get it set up so you don't have to worry about it.”
“It's about the peak for handheld gaming.”
“The 3D experience on the New model was so much better than the old ones.”
“the actual 3d seemed neat but it didn't wow me”
“Combined with the social features and build quality of the device, and it's unbeatable.”
“I have both a hacked New 3DS XL and a hacked Switch OLED and both are incredibly good.”
“Honestly I'd say that's the New 3DS XL.”
“With the eye tracking, it's pretty good imo.”
“just like in the New Nintendo 3DS (the original 3DS used a simpler but worse system)”
“It was confusing as hell.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.