2DS Receiving A Price Drop This August 30 In US To $ 99

Are you still holding out on getting a console in the 3DS family? If you live in the US, you don’t have a reason to anymore.

The 2DS is getting a steep price drop, down to $ 99. Adjusted for inflation, this may be the lowest price Nintendo has ever offered for any of their portable consoles. (Update: this price change is only effective for the United States. No similar price cut announcements for the 2DS have been confirmed for Canada, or North America as a whole)

Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing Scott Moffitt shared this statement about the price cut:

At a suggested retail price of $99.99, Nintendo 2DS is an even more attractive introductory option for first-time gamers. The new lower-priced hardware combined with the strong lineup of new games launching this year and arguably the best library of games in this generation makes it a great time to be a Nintendo fan.

The price cut will be effective this coming August 30. While the portable already has a formidable library, this is good timing to help sell their upcoming titles, including Little Battlers eXperience, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes andYO-KAI WATCH. All of these titles are compatible with the 2DS, and subsequently, all the models in the 3DS family.

Price cuts this steep, however, are usually indicative of something else. Contrary to fan expectations for the Wii U, it’s possible that Nintendo is positioning itself to retire the 3DS very, very soon.

While fans and analysts may be looking at it in the sense of the 3DS continuing to be profitable and the Wii U not being as profitable, Nintendo may simply follow through their plans in releasing portable and home consoles. Portables and home consoles get released one after another, and Nintendo does not usually start a new console until the generation has played out.

What do you think is behind this sudden price cut? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.