# Nintendo 3DS

21 Hacker News commenters recommended Nintendo 3DS and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Fans praise its pocketable retro charm, cheap used availability, and homebrew community. Critics mainly point to the low resolution and small screen.

## Why people recommend it

- Owners rate it highly (3 comments): "My house has 5 3DSs in it, which I maintain to this day is the best console ever made." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45944245)) "the 3DS started out good but got better" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47792454)) "the 3DS is a gem of a console" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50237731))
- Pocketable form factor (2 comments): "I love the form factor, would be fun to have one as a home automation remote." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46840850)) "The 3DS is a fun pocketable form factor which a lot of people already own" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50237877))
- Active homebrew community (2 comments): "the device has a good homebrew community around it, and is more interesting than something like the switch" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50242455)) "Overall, I think it is easier for people to get started with 3DS homebrew development" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47710138))
- Easy to find used (2 comments): "It is also approachably easy to find a good one in working order, and still has the vibe of a retro console." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50239997)) "Bought a brand new 3DS with 4 games this weekend 5 kms away from me for ~50€." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49273615))

## What people warn about

- Low resolution and small screen (3 comments): "the screen is too small. As objects come closer, they need to get bigger" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46847595)) "the generally low resolution was an issue" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46797359)) "It was a gimmick, cut the resolution in half, and doubled processing requirements." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46799335))
- 3D effect seen as gimmick (3 comments): "I almost always play with the 3D slider off; it's easy for me to see why Nintendo gave up on it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46798517)) "It was a gimmick, cut the resolution in half, and doubled processing requirements." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46799335)) "they required all games to work without 3D, so it could never be a core mechanic" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46800784))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Nintendo Switch](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nintendo-switch.md): 143 recommend
- [Playdate handheld console](https://hackerapproved.com/p/playdate-handheld-console.md): 43 recommend
- [Sony PlayStation Portable](https://hackerapproved.com/p/playstation-portable.md): 24 recommend
- [Nintendo DS](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nintendo-ds.md): 18 recommend
- [Game Boy Advance](https://hackerapproved.com/p/game-boy-advance.md): 17 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Nintendo+3DS+handheld+console&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/region/d/3ds-eshop)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Nintendo 3DS", https://hackerapproved.com/p/nintendo-3ds/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).