Nintendo Direct: New 3DS models in 2015

Nintendo have announced two new models of 3DS in today’s Japanese Nintendo Direct. Speaking to Eurogamer, they have confirmed that these models will not reach Europe until 2015. That rather takes the wind out of the sails of anyone hoping to finally buy a 3DS XL this Christmas.

The two new models are helpfully called the New 3DS and New 3DS LL at the moment, LL being the Japanese name for the XL. Hopefully they’ll be given better names prior to their Western release. “Check out my new New 3DS XL!”. Ugh.

Both are slightly larger than their current counterparts and will have the following additional features:

• A “C-stick” control that acts as a second stick for games like Monster Hunter. Looks a little those nub mouse controllers you sometimes get on laptops.
• New ZR and ZL buttons, now matching the Wii U GamePad
• Improved processing power.
• Head-tracking through the front-facing camera should give you a wider viewing angle when using the 3D view
• Amiibo support through NFC, ready for Smash Bros
• Automatic brightness adjustment based on the ambient lighting around you
• Some kind of better network capability for new speed?

Xenoblade Chronicles will be coming to the New 3DS and XL in Japan. It’s only available for the new model due to limitations of processing power on current 3DS systems.

The New 3DS (but not the New 3DS XL) will feature removable cover plates. Nintendo will be selling plenty of designs in Japan to customise your New Nintendo 3DS. Skip to 1:04:00 in the video below to see the range. No word on what will be coming to Europe next year.

Here’s the Japanese Nintendo Direct in full.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x17E0PCsrns

And some screengrabs of the various features.

[Additional sources, because I don’t speak Japanese: Siliconera, MCV]