New Nintendo DS Coming Out? No – Line Discontinued (2014)
No new Nintendo DS is coming. The DS line (DS, DS Lite, DSi, DSi XL) was discontinued worldwide in 2014.
Current Nintendo Handheld
Nintendo Switch (2017): Hybrid (TV + Handheld). Models: Switch, Switch OLED, Switch Lite (handheld-only).
Backward Compatibility: Switch plays Switch games only. No DS/3DS cart slot. No Virtual Console for DS.
Playing DS Games Today
Original Hardware: Used DS Lite / DSi / 3DS (plays DS carts natively). Best experience.
3DS Family: 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS XL, New 2DS XL. All play DS carts. eShop closed 2023.
Emulation:melonDS (PC/Android/Linux/macOS – high accuracy, local wireless), DraStic (Android – fast, paid), DeSmuME (PC – older). Requires BIOS + Firmware dump from own console for best accuracy.
Flashcarts (Real HW):R4i Gold 3DS Plus, Ace3DS X, DSTWO+ on 3DS/DSi – play ROMs on real hardware.
If you want dual screens + touch + Nintendo games: Buy a New 2DS XL or 3DS XL used. Huge library, cheap, native.
