Today, Nintendo revealed three new special editions for the Nintendo 2DS XL handheld. The Nintendo 2DS launched in North America, Europe, and Australia in October 2013. The 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which features the company's signature 3D display. The new models are themed around Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and Mario Kart. Yes, you read that right. There's a Minecraft 2DS XL coming from Nintendo!
Microsoft and Nintendo have been working together closely for the past few months to make cross-play a reality between the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Titles like Fortnite and Minecraft support this functionality. It seems like the handheld is an extension of this partnership because everyone assumed only Microsoft would be making special edition Minecraft consoles and accessories from now on.
The Minecraft special edition handheld should launch on August 2, 2018 in Japan. It's unclear when the system will hit Western retailers as no information was provided. However, rumor has it that it'll launch a few days after its Japanese release. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more.
It's great to see Microsoft and Nintendo working with each other on this level. Hopefully we'll see even greater collaboration in the future. Bringing certain guest characters like Mario or Master Chief to games would be a great move. For example, many of us would love to play as the Master Chief in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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