The Famicom 3D System, an accessory consisting of liquid crystal shutter glasses, was Nintendo's first product that enabled stereoscopic 3D effects.

It was a portable table-top system consisting of separate handheld controller and goggles that used two tiny, rapidly oscillating mirrors to achieve stereoscopic monochrome 3D.

[25][27] Shigeru Miyamoto, known for his work on popular game franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda, commented in a 2011 interview that he felt conflicted about Yokoi's decision to use wire-frame models for 3D and suggested that the product may not have been marketed correctly.

The GameCube, released in 2001, was also capable of displaying true stereoscopic 3D with an LCD attachment, though only the launch title Luigi's Mansion was ever designed to utilize it.

[29] Nintendo later experimented with a 3D LCD during the development of the Game Boy Advance SP, but the idea was shelved after it failed to achieve satisfactory results.

[33] Later that month, speaking about the future for Nintendo's portable consoles, company president Satoru Iwata mentioned that while mobile broadband connectivity via subscription "doesn't fit Nintendo customers", he was interested in exploring options like Amazon's Whispernet found on the Amazon Kindle which provides free wireless connectivity to its customers for the sole purpose of browsing and purchasing content from the Kindle Store.

[8] According to industry analysts, the timing of the announcement, which had drawn attention away from the launch of the company's still-new Nintendo DSi XL handheld, was likely intended to preempt impending news leaks about the product by the Japanese press.

[38] In April 2010, a picture of a possible development build of the internal components of the 3DS was released as part of a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing by Mitsumi.

[42][43] The first game revealed was Kid Icarus: Uprising, and several other titles from third parties were also announced, including Square Enix with Kingdom Hearts 3D, Konami with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy, and Capcom with Resident Evil: Revelations and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition.

[63] On April 28, 2012, the Nintendo 3DS launched in South Korea, in Cosmos Black, Misty Pink, and Cobalt Blue color variations.

[65][66] Rumors of a larger model of the Nintendo 3DS being in production appeared during June 2012, when Japanese publication Nikkei wrote an article stating that the system was initially scheduled to be unveiled at E3 2012.

Fils-Aimé assured that the 3DS "has a long life in front of it", and that Nintendo intends for it to co-exist with the Switch,[76] while Kimishima considered the 3DS as an entry-level product for younger players.

[109][110] The first titles confirmed to compatible with the add-on were Monster Hunter 3G, Resident Evil: Revelations, Ace Combat 3D Cross Rumble (Japanese version only), Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and Shin Sangoku Musou VS.[111] The Nintendo 3DS XL version of the device, called the Circle Pad Pro XL, was released in Japan on November 15, 2012, Europe on March 22, 2013, and North America on April 17, 2013.

A near-field communication (NFC) reader and writer was released on September 25, 2015, in North America at US$19.99 and on October 2 in Europe, alongside Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

This console, while still capable of playing Nintendo DS and 3DS games, removes the 3D functionality and changes the form factor to a fixed, "slate" design.

[16] The New Nintendo 3DS, which also has an XL variant, adds additional controls and improved functionality, and is able to play certain games not compatible with the previous models.

The new models feature a more powerful processor, face tracking for improved 3D viewing angles, additional ZL/ZR shoulder buttons and a new "C-Stick" pointing stick that are comparable to and backward compatible with games that support the Circle Pad Pro, colored face buttons inspired by those of Super NES controllers, automatic brightness adjustment, microSD storage, larger batteries, and integrated near-field communications support for use with Amiibo products.

Some software titles, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D and Super NES games released for Virtual Console, are specifically optimized for the device and its upgraded processor and are incompatible with the earlier 3DS and 2DS models.

Only the XL version was made available in North America at launch,[136][137] though the smaller model was later released in a series of limited edition bundles.

On the upper screen, a special 3D animated logo is displayed for each individual app, as well as system information such as wireless signal strength, date and time, and battery life.

[164] An update was released on October 30, 2014, to enable players to download custom themes for the Home Menu, based on various Nintendo titles.

[21] Miiverse was an integrated social networking service, which allowed players to interact and share their gaming experiences through their personal Mii characters.

[176] It was also possible to post screenshots from certain games to social networking websites such as Twitter, Tumblr and/or Facebook via the Nintendo 3DS Image Share service.

Types of content included programming teaching the user how to do magic tricks, Japanese idol sumo wrestling, sports, and 3D dating, among others.

On October 31, 2013, Nintendo abruptly suspended the Swapnote/Nintendo Letter Box SpotPass functionality after discovering minors were sharing Friend Codes with strangers who had exploited the messaging service to allegedly exchange pornographic imagery.

Some AR cards are also compatible with other Nintendo 3DS games including Nintendogs + Cats, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pokédex 3D Pro, Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!, and Tetris: Axis.

[233] Sam Byford of The Verge noted that the larger top screen makes more obvious problems with aliasing and low-resolution textures.

[277] The system launched in Japan on February 26, 2011, and sold its entire allotment of 400,000 Nintendo 3DS units during its release, amid reports of major queues outside retailers and pre-order sellouts.

It was also announced that the 3DS possesses a market share of 50 percent of all video game systems sold, and that Nintendo 3DS software sales rose from 850,000 to 1,700,000 year-over-year in the region.

Nintendo suggests that younger players use the device's 2D mode instead,[295] although the American Optometric Association has assured parents that 3D gaming in moderation would not be harmful for children.