The handheld's most prominent feature is its ability to display stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or additional accessories, and offers new features such as the StreetPass and SpotPass tag modes, powered by Nintendo Network augmented reality using its 3D cameras and Virtual Console, which allows owners to download and play games originally released on older video game systems.

As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita. The system features backward compatibility with older Nintendo DS video games. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo.