Nintendo is an expert in selling handheld consoles that actually work, and the latest proof of that? An attempt at yet another handheld console in the form of the Nintendo 2DS XL. There will be a $150 sticker price tag attached to the new 2DS XL which is set to launch this July 28. The announcement of the Nintendo 2DS XL is certainly a surprise -- although pleasant or otherwise, I leave it for you to decide. It is certainly a shocker, not too long after we received word that Nintendo would no longer have the NES Classic Edition in production.

The 2DS XL is actually a revised Nintendo 3DS XL, sans the 3D, of course -- as one can tell by the name of the console itself. This means that the 2DS XL will arrive with a smaller physical footprint, enabling it to be more portable. However, the generous dual displays that are found on the 3DS XL will remain, which means you would not lose an iota of visual goodness save for the 3D depth capability. If you already own a Nintendo 3DS XL or the older Nintendo 3DS, there is no particular good reason to pick up the 2DS XL other than to complete your Nintendo handheld console collection. However, for those who have been mulling over for the longest time as whether to pick up the 3DS XL or not, perhaps this might be the right time to do so.

The Nintendo 2DS XL will be the natural successor to the Nintendo 2DS, which was released four years ago. However, the Nintendo 2DS came with two screens on a single surface, and this stacked design resulted in it being more of a tablet than the now-classic clamshell design which many have come to know and love. With the 2DS XL offering a departure from its predecessor’s form factor, the folding top paves the way for a far larger display. Not only that, Nintendo has also bumped up the internal specifications of the 2DS XL, bringing with it the upgraded processing power of the new 3DS XL which was released in 2015.

It remains to be seen how the Nintendo 2DS XL will fare when it is finally released at the end of this July, and whether it will be a hot product that will see plenty of demand when the holiday season kicks off at the end of the year. We like the idea of the Nintendo 2DS XL coming with the new C Stick and ZL and ZR buttons which first debuted on the all new 3DS XL handheld console, where the smaller form factor and lighter weight will be major talking points when you carry it with you on your travels.

In order to sweeten the deal, Nintendo has even thrown in NFC support into the 2DS XL so that it will be able to play nice with Amiibo. The entire back library will be supported, all the way to the Nintendo DS generation (with exceptions for titles that make use of the DS’ GBA Game Pak slot, of course).