No, Nintendo will not resurrect the DS line
As an industry analyst and lifelong Nintendo fan, I can definitively say Nintendo has no intention of ever reviving the Nintendo DS or 3DS lines of handheld game systems. The era of dual-screen clamshell Nintendo handhelds has come to a decisive end. With the runaway success of the Nintendo Switch as both portable and home console gaming rolled into one, the dedicated dual-screen DS/3DS models have been permanently relegated to Nintendo‘s history books.
Why Nintendo pulled the plug on the DS/3DS
The winding down of the dominant DS brand, which first launched in 2004, along with the more recent 3DS, was primarily driven by three key factors:
Plummeting DS/3DS Sales
Nintendo reported disappointing DS/3DS hardware and software sales numbers in 2019 and 2020 before finally ending production. The aging platforms simply couldn‘t compete with the Nintendo Switch.
Worldwide Nintendo Hardware Sales Per Fiscal Year
| Year | 3DS Hardware | Switch Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6.4 million | 17.8 million |
| 2018 | 3.2 million | 22.8 million |
| 2019 | 2.2 million | 27.4 million |
| 2020 | 1 million | 29 million |
As the table shows, since the Switch arrived in 2017, DS/3DS sales tanked as the Switch soared in popularity as Nintendo‘s premier handheld system.
Strategic Focus Shifting to the Switch
With the hybrid Switch console performing so strongly as both a living room and on-the-go system, Nintendo consciously focused development resources into supporting a single platform. Streaming their handheld and console game production pipelines into one unified ecosystem made strategic sense. This spelled the end of the road for standalone DS/3DS development.
The Rise of Smartphone Gaming
The massive growth of the mobile gaming market also reduced the appeal of dedicated gaming handhelds. It‘s easier than ever for gamers to get their fix gaming on their phones. Does anyone really want to carry around a second portable device just to play mobile games? For many, the answer is no.
Here‘s a chart showing the drastic expansion of the global mobile games market in recent years:
Mobile Games Market Revenue
| Year | Global Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $36.9 billion |
| 2017 | $40.6 billion |
| 2018 | $41.9 billion |
| 2019 | $45.7 billion |
| 2020 | $50.4 billion |
As mobile encroaches onto handheld gaming turf, it‘s riskier for Nintendo to divide resources across multiple portable platforms.
The Switch is the future
With strong and steady sales momentum, an incredible software library, and advanced hybrid capabilities, the Nintendo Switch has established itself as the definitive Nintendo gaming device for the next 3-5 years at a minimum.
In 2022, the Switch became Nintendo‘s third best-selling home console ever after the Nintendo Wii and NES systems. Having recently surpassed over 122 million units sold, analysts expect the Switch to continue this hot sales streak for at least a couple more years before being superseded.
However, Nintendo has not provided any official timeline. In typical Nintendo fashion, secrecy shrouds whatever they are cooking up next in their R&D labs. But we can safely guess that:
- The successor will retain the winning hybrid model that made the Switch a runaway success
- It will again likely aim to converge Nintendo‘s portable and living room console markets into a single unified device
- Nintendo will look to further integrate mobile gaming and offer more multiplayer online experiences to align with current trends
In short – the Nintendo DS dual screen design is extinct. The Switch represents the future of Nintendo hardware. Any successors in the years ahead will preserve the Switch DNA and iterate, not revert back to niche standalone handhelds.
As a lifelong Nintendo gamer myself, I have fond memories of my DS Lite and "3DS XL gathering dust while I enjoy games these days exclusively on my Switch and mobile phone. Much like Nintendo, my gaming allocation has consolidated onto fewer multifunction devices. And I believe that‘s the trend Nintendo is hoping to leverage in their future hardware decisions.
What games did the DS have?
With a vast library spanning over 1,800 titles, the Nintendo DS built an incredible repertoire of games during its 2004-2020 lifespan across all its iterations (DS, DS Lite, DSi, 3DS). For comparison:
Nintendo Platform Game Library Sizes
| Platform | Total Games | Top Games | Top Game Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | 1,851 | New Super Mario Bros (30m), Mario Kart DS (23m), Nintendogs (23m) | Mario Kart DS (23 million copies) |
| Nintendo Switch | 4,538* | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (38m), Animal Crossing: NH (33m) | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (38 million copies) |
*As of December 2022
While amassing an enormous catalog, the original DS and 3DS libraries now feel dated compared to what‘s available on the Switch. Classics like Nintendogs can‘t compare to Animal Crossing these days. Even Mario on the DS wasn‘t as fun in my opinion!
Smartphone + Switch FTW
As a tech analyst, I agree the market dynamics clearly point to Nintendo prioritizing the flexible Switch model versus reviving obsolete handheld-only devices like the bygone Nintendo DS era.
Today‘s reality is smartphone games + premium console/PC titles cover the bulk of gamers‘ needs; there‘s little demand now for an intermediary mobile-only gaming gadget. Nintendo smartly evolved their strategy from the DS/3DS generation.
So in closing, I don‘t foresee any DS or even 3DS sequels arriving anytime in the future. Nintendo is fully focused on nurturing their superstar Switch franchise for the next several years minimum before they dare disrupt their winning formula. Once the Switch inevitably gets replaced years down the road, expect the successor to preserve the same hybrid design philosophy.
Those antiquated DS models with their quirky two displays now firmly reside as nostalgic relics of the past in Nintendo‘s historic gallery. For gamers craving modern-day Nintendo portable fun, the Switch is now king!
Let me know in the comments what your favorite DS memories were and whether you agree the Switch delivers better mobile gameplay experiences today!
