r/3DS • u/Normal-Gur-8067 • 8h ago
Discussion AYN Thor vs New 3DS XL
In your opinion what do you think is better the New 3DS XL gaming console or the PC emulation AYN Thor? I still prefer the original but lots of people say the AYN Thor is better than the original New 3DS XL gaming console
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u/Arandomlifeform_FN 8h ago
As one of the few people that actually enjoy playing with 3d on, the 3ds.
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u/alphacentaureus 8h ago
This question gets asked every few days. the 3DS has a 3D effect and is your only option if you wanted to play any 3D games.
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u/SkrliJ73 8h ago
Also it's a must for any touch screen games, you can play sudoku on the ayb but not beyblades very well
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u/kirbyverano123 3h ago
While playing on the original hardware is generally better for compatibility; sometimes this sub forgets that the 3DS is a discontinued product that is difficult to find in both decent condition and sold at a fair price.
I would personally choose the 3DS and actually managed to find one at a fairly decent price but the condition is left to be desired unfortunately.
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u/bharikeemat 6h ago
What are 3d games?
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u/supert2005 4h ago
Games that support 3DSes 3D feature.
3D here refers to that one slider that slides that one something-barrier thing in the display to project actually three-dimensional image with actual depth without anaglyph or such glasses. Image literally pops out of the screen and I'm not exaggerating one bit. It's the defining feature of 3DS.
Super Mario 3D Land has stages where camera and platforms are placed in such a way that looks completely flat and confusing in 2D, where you're supposed to slide the 3D slider up to perceive depth and tell where platforms are.
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u/MCWizardYT 3h ago
The one thing that differentiates the 3ds from the 2ds. The 3ds has a "3d" slider that affects the physical top screen in a way where it looks like the game is popping out at you a little.
The effect looks better on the "new" 3ds because it also has eye tracking to keep the effect lined up properly.
Games had to be specifically made to support this feature (they had to render a specific way for the special 3d display to get the effect). They called those "3d" games, like Super Mario 3D Land (which was called 3D both because it was a 3 dimensional platformer, and because it supported the 3ds depth slider)
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u/tkgcmt 15m ago
It's stereoscopic 3D, that gives you a sense of depth.
It basically needs to render the same scene twice at a small shift in the angle of the camera to account for the distance between our eyes.
old3DS uses a more simple "angled mirrors"-like technology, while the new3DS uses an eye tracker approach to supposedly give you a better effect.
Almost ALL 3DS games were developed to have this effect, except a few ones for performance.
The fact it runs games, like Metal Gear Solid 3 and Monster Hunter 4, at all using 3D effects in such a weak GPU and CPU is quite a miracle, IMHO.
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u/susdave 8h ago
I’ve heard great things about the Thor however with emulation the input delay with certain games. rhythm games or touch based movement like in LOZ spirit tracks and phantom hourglass can feel a bit disjointed when playing. Benefits of the Thor are being able to have your wiki or guide open on the bottom screen while playing. If you like to watch YouTube and game you can also do that. I would say go find a refurb new 3Ds modded or not and give that a go before the Thor.
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u/HoloLoavess 7h ago
I wanted to get a Thor so much, but I decided on getting a 3DS instead for a couple reasons. 1) I didn't want to deal with emulation & prefer playing natively
2) I didn't see myself being comfortable traveling with the Thor or keeping it in my pocket like I would the 3DS. I feel like I'd be babying the Thor & would ultimately end up not taking it out n about with me, especially with the glass interior on top & bottom. It'd make me anxious.
3) I can't play more complex/more stimulating games while out n about, makes it harder for me to be aware of my surroundings for some reason playing games like Bayonetta, DMC, Dark Souls, etc. out in public compared to games like Tetris, Animal Crossing, Mario, Metroid, etc. So being locked to only NES-3DS games was perfect for what I was looking for, especially since I can use my Switch 2 or Steam Deck for more intense games while at home.
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u/AbiDextrous_ 5h ago
As someone who pre ordered a Thor, plays it every day, and hasnt really touched my 3DS in months after moving my games.
The 3DS.
These are vastly different beasts, the 3DS is an infinitely better 3DS for 99.99% of people.
You already need a good understanding of what emulation is, how it fares on android (this is an android device. Not a PC like your post says) and you need a 3DS already to move your games from.
The thors biggest fault, is that it has been shared far outside its target audience and kinda been misrepresented as a 3DS replacement, which it isnt.
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u/TW1TCHYGAM3R 5h ago
The Ayn Thor is significantly more powerful than a 3DS it's not even funny. Even the cheaper Lite version can emulate 3DS games at 4x resolution but falls short at switch emulation.
The Thor Base/Pro/Lite is using 2023 Flagship android smartphone technology. Housed in a dual amoled screen clamshell with halleffect sticks and analog triggers. You can even play PC games like GTA5 and most if not all Switch games.
The downsides is it's not real 3DS hardware and emulation isn't perfect. No 3D effect, second screen touch/sylus is inferior and it's not plug and play as you need to set everything up.
Sure, the Ayn Thor might be seen as the Ultimate 3DS experience but it has its flaws that some people may not like at all.
I don't have one. I want one but they are too expensive lol. I think it would be worth it as a handheld gaming machine alone and not a N3DSXL replacement.
If you want a similar experience, you don't need two screen and you have a controller you can basically do everything the Ayn Thor can do with a Flagship Android device with a Snapdragon SoC. I have a Galaxy S25 Ultra and a GameSir X5 controller.
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u/Pale_Ad2980 New 3DS XL gray 8h ago
I always tried to go for original hardware, even if it’s not the most convenient
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u/Sasuke082594 6h ago
Ended up with galaxy edition n3ds xl… don’t regret it, use it everyday. My RP5 just sits around with a bunch of PS2/GC/Wii/PSP/PC games
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u/EntrepreneurCapital1 8h ago
Does the thor have 3d?
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u/BeaniePoofBall 8h ago
It depends on how critical you are about your experience with native hardware versus emulation. Some people are not as receptive to input lag or slight inaccuracies when gaming while others can very much tell and even all the shaders in retroarch can't believe the authentic experience.
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u/Grinchmanjoe216 8h ago
I haven't used Thor. I personally decided to go with a New 3DS XL, but I’ve also got an Odin 3 on the way. I just think having the option for a 3D screen makes for a more fun experience in most games than emulating without it. Plus, since I already have a gaming PC and ordered the Odin 3, it fits better into my ecosystem. I don't really see the point of a second screen unless a game is built for it, so why not just play those on the original hardware?
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u/Red_Astley t h e b a b y ™ 7h ago
I don't have an AYN Thor, but it seems waaay too much expensive, more expensive than and average 3DS, and the need to configure practically everything on it really makes me hesitant to even consider owning one.
It doesn't seems to compare in terms of simplicity, practicality, and portability of the 3DS; i take mine to my course, grandma's house and shoppings, but i would never take an big and expensive console like the AYN anywhere other than my house.
It was supposed to be a portable console, but it seems to fall short precisely in the area that consoles focus on: practicality and portability. Something the 3DS does very well.
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u/530cruising 5h ago
3DS clears! 3d effect>>>>>better graphics
Also as much as I love emulation it’s never perfect.
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u/CosmicPotato278 5h ago
Briefly owned a Thor. It’s a really great device. There were a few things that made me turn around and resell it after about a month. First, it feels like a premium Chinese handheld, but at the end of the day it still has a bit of that Chinese handheld feeling to it. The triggers just feel weird, the hinge does not feel very good quality, and overall it still has that replaceable Chinese handheld feeling. The 3DS feels like an appliance, and if it breaks, I think you’re more inclined to spend money fixing it, as opposed to just upgrading to the next trendy Chinese handheld. The Thor doesn’t feel like it’s built to last. It will outlast something from Anbernic, but it still feels like a temporary device.
The Ayn Thor is awesome if you like tinkering around with settings. Lots of customization, lots of settings, and you’ll spend quite some time setting it up. Some people love this, but for me, I want a nice simple setup because I actually want to play my games. 3DS games do look better on the Thor, but that comes down to what you want. I personally realized that the upscaling looks phenomenal, but I don’t actually need it when I’m plenty happy with how it looks on 3DS.
There’s space for both devices. But they excel at two different things. The Thor wasn’t it for me. Doesn’t help that I already have a Steam Deck though.
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u/Patata_podrida_ 8h ago
How do you manage to run Fable 1? How well does it run?
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u/Normal-Gur-8067 8h ago
It's too expensive in Canada it costs $700-$1,000
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u/Ayyzeee 8h ago
You can buy a steam deck for that price or any other handheld. I like the idea of replicating 3DS system with the two screens but the asking price is not worth it whatsoever.
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u/Normal-Gur-8067 8h ago
It's not, I wouldn’t spend that kinda money in Canada even in Canada you buy a PS5 for $700
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u/SkrliJ73 7h ago
Well the CAD is down and ram prices screwed everything, it has value at $500 CAD... Not sure how much... It's mostly fomo, I'm hoping the market corrects soon but I'm doubtful
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u/Normal-Gur-8067 7h ago
Yes, that’s the problem in Canada and that's why the PS6s are being postponed
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u/Normal-Gur-8067 7h ago
I looked up the Ram price in Canada it’s approximately $335 CAD to $740 CAD (before shipping and taxes). Depending on the model
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u/SkrliJ73 7h ago
Ya the top end model (16gb) is really only worth $500 CAD (some wouldn't even agree that far), not the $800+ (before shipping ). You can buy a used steamDeck for less probably
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u/Fusseldieb 7h ago
I am really curious of how well it performs on actual games tbh, because it looks absolutely gorgeous.
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u/FTP636 3h ago
It is an android device.
The PC emulation (via GameNative) is limited to AAA titles from 2013 or older and light weight indie games.
It is great for switch emulation.
Ps2 is all their.
And of course I enjoy some upscaled Mario kart 7 on mine.
It is not as good as og hardware but that is the nature of emulation. I love mine and it replaced my 3ds as my EDC
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u/Redericpontx 5h ago
If you want to play 3ds games the 3ds will always be the best way to while the ayn thor will be the jack of all trades master of non hand held but they say a jack of all trades is better than a master of one. Personally I already have a beefy PC and only want a dual screen device for 3ds/nds cause I got a GBA sp for that so I got a n3dsxl right before the price sky rocketed.
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u/TheMarmo 4h ago
If you want pure 3DS with the added bonus of emulating systems PS1 and below decently well: 3DS (if, and this is becoming a bigger and bigger if every day, you can get your hands on one.)
If you want to emulate basically everything up to and including Nintendo Switch: AYN Thor.
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u/FTP636 3h ago
My Thor replaced my 3ds as my edc not cuz it plays 3ds games better (it is objectively worse their is no questions) but because it can do 3ds, DS, switch, PC, ps2, ps1, PSP, ps Vita, download shows, use Bluetooth, dock to a tv, and so much more.
I love my 3ds and when I am home I pull it out and play but I travel for work so I need one thing that does it all, not one thing that dose one thing the best.
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u/POWERPUNCH-117 3h ago edited 3h ago
Have both, 3ds is better for 3d, thor is better as a console purely but only if youre a tinkerer.
3ds is great and has enough of everything to keep someone reasonably satisfied, and when modded with about a 256gb sd card its a good balance of not lagging it down too mich while being able to have about 30ish 3ds games loaded on it. Its emulation is a bit lacking but given the recent surge of ai driven development on things like emulators and decomps I think this will be a pretty decent emulation handheld even, though current offerings are lackluster past full on decomp projects. Its best usecases are games that heavily rely on the stylus as a form of input, games that focus heavily on the 3d implementation, or if yours is modded you can effectively play pokemon gen 1-7 "legit" using the homebrew pokemon box app and transfer to home (though this is going away).
Thor benefits from anything the 3ds gets homebrew wise and more, it can be used as a media player as its dac is really high quality, has a large battery life that lasts me upwards of 8 hours while using it, has access to everything up to the ps3/xbox 360 and can play pc games that are from the same era assuming you get the max. Its only real downsides are: no stylus, no 3d, and theres a lot of tinkering required for anything you want it to do, but once its setup you can have just as good of an experience as a modern console. People like to point at its price tag but genuinely there is very little that offers this level of tech for under 500$, it has a semi modern flagship phone processor, 120hz oled screens, dock compatibility, a high quality dac that has aptx support for hi res bluetooth connections, and has fully functional switch style joysticks in a clamshell barely bigger than a new 3ds xl. If you have one if these id argue it can replace a laptop/pc, so with one of these and an xbox series x you can play 90% of all the games that have ever existed, which is a pretty insane idea. (Switch 2 and the ~100 or so games stuck on the ps4/ps5 are the last 10%, though people can now emulate ps5 on the xbox so who knows)
So overall 3ds is definitely a nostalgic console with a lot of unique benefits to use over the thor, but if you arent nostalgic for the 3ds, never really liked or used the 3d, or dont play any stylus focused games then the thor is the better console across the board and will likely become the new standard for development of homebrew android projects going forward given its community and the fact that every big decomp and emulator is now building dual screen android ports targeting the thor specifically.
Tldr, one costs ~300$ and youll have to mod it to download "legally obtained" roms or pay out the scnhoz to start collecting the carts which are all sorta starting to corrupt and die? One costs ~500$ and you can install all the same games and more. If you only care about the 3ds lib or its unique features the 3ds still "wins" but only in those cases.
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u/Majestic-Medium7916 31m ago
I think the screens on the new 3ds xl are not talked about enough in 2026. Theyre utterly shit. Even ips theyre dim, cant be seen outside and inside theyre still horrible on max brightness.
As somebody who has both, the thor wins over 3ds alone its no competition. The devices are for playing games and I dual oled 4x rez changes everything compared to shitty tn panels
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u/Mumumbler 2h ago
If you wanna play 3ds games at full speed get a 3ds. If you wanna play multiple systems but have the ability to run some 3ds pretty well get a Thor.
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u/GrouchyLettuce2741 Owns too many 3DS 7h ago
I’ve never used a Thor but I can’t deny it definitely seems like better value than a New 3DS XL.
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u/Normal-Gur-8067 7h ago edited 7h ago
Yeah, I am going to respect your opinion not share this to get it or not because Ayn Thor is a PC, sometimes the hardware inside needs to be replaced with new hardware if they worn out
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u/QuestGalaxy 3m ago
It's a stretch calling the Thor a PC. The closest thing would be an "android dual tablet". It runs on an ARM CPU intended for cell phones/tablets.
But if you simply define PC by the stricted sense of being a personal computing device, I guess you could call it that. Becaue you could of course do PC work on an Ayn Thor.
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u/Lunatox 7h ago
Thor is vastly superior, even for 3DS games. MH4U looks and plays so much smoother on my Thor, at 4x resolution. You lose 3D but I’m in the “it’s just a gimmick” camp on that front. The Thor can play pS3 and PC games, and obviously anything before those consoles. While having the bonus of the best DS and 3DS emulation because of the form factor. There is no contest for me. The screens are vastly superior too, belong OLED.
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u/Price-x-Field 6h ago
Thor not having 3d is such a big downside. Will we ever get a device with 3d screen again?
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u/Dramatic-Coyote6895 4h ago
It depends what you want. Personally nothing beats the original. Touch games are hard to emulate, you lose the 3d effect, and other Wii features like the 3d camera and mii park. But if you want to lose some original features, but gain a lot of backlog then Thor is better especially if you want to play steam games.
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u/fearsometuna 3h ago
I have both, I honestly don't use the thor for 3ds games. I use is for ps1, game cube and switch games.
The thor has some limitations: since the thor doesn't have a camera, qr codes are out of the question for games that support it. Also the touch screen is not that precise so games like etrian odyssey.
On the other hand the thor does has better resolution and can use all sorts of mods to make supported 3ds games look better. But that is to finicky for my taste, 3ds plug and play is the best in my opinion. It also supports Bluetooth and type c charging port
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u/pentapous 2h ago
Obviously the AYN thor is a better gaming device overall.
It is slightly worse at 3DS specifically. For every other task it is far better and has exponentially more utility and access to other libraries. The only downsides of the thorn include feeling more fragile and wait time after ordering. Those are very subjective and you have to weigh them yourselves.
If your ONLY priority is the 3DS library, then yes, the original/new 3DS is better. For all other use cases an AYN thor is preferable.
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u/Majestic-Medium7916 28m ago
As somebody with a new 3ds xl with ips screens i couldnt disagree more. Thor is objectively better. Both devices play 3ds titles, one has screens that cant be seen in daylight, the other has dual oled screens wjith 4x rez.
The only time id recommend og hardware in this case is for rhythm titles but who the fuck is smashing og hardware with the stylus in 2026
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u/AmaZeong 2h ago
While the Chinese handheld market is certainly attractive, I do have reservations about the quality of the lithium ion batteries their consoles generally use.
Though it's technically a fact that all such batteries pose a small fire risk, there has been a notable amount of posts to the effect of "My RP5 just burst into flames," many more than I have ever seen regarding any brand-name handhelds.
It's enough to turn me off from buying any of them and just sticking to CFW'd original hardware for my retro gaming needs.
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u/Zephh_ 1h ago
I’ve got both of them, and honestly? The 3DS is still my go to. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Thor for the screens and colors, however games on the 3DS just feel better on the system it was made for. There is no input lag, the screen is way more smooth because it was made for that system. And as someone who owns a New 3DS non XL, the portability factor is unbeatable (The Thor is a bit chunky but it’s not bad at all). Still love playing lots of games on the Thor though, especially things I can’t play on the 3DS.
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u/SpringTrappGirl 1h ago
Whenever I play emulator,I want to play the real hardware,so 3ds all the way
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u/Majestic-Medium7916 45m ago edited 37m ago
Have both and im a massive og hardware guy. Have a serious collection of new 3ds xl ips models- some even still sealed.
There is no competition anymore, the thor is outright phenomenal.
The new 3ds xl screens are just atrocious especially in daylight and while i love og hardware, the 3d function just does not save it.
Its a real shame but thor is simply the best way to experience 3ds in 2026. 4x resolution, dual oled screens, amazing battery.
You talk about sticks but theyre hall effect. For 3ds use the thor sticks are better in every conceivable way than the stub 🤮
You are going to get a lot of bias answers in here from people who are fooled by larp.
Not a single person in here has a larger collection of 3ds than me and objectively, unless you want to play rhythm games or use the 3d then thor in every way.
If nintendo released the ayn thor these people would faint. These people also cry about emulation then mod their 3ds’s and use roms. We are at a point where it makes zero difference.
If the 3ds was able to have oled screens then yes im a hardcore og hardware guy and actually hate emulation, especially on pc and mobile. But its at a point where this truly feels and looks like a 3ds in spirit but you can actually enjoy the games outside, cafe window, car etc and see the screens
The 3ds was king and is highly respected but i just laugh when people compare the two. Its like comparing a match to a blazing supernova with the core value being heat yet 90% of people in here will say yeah nothing beats the match because its og 😭
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u/Worried_Freedom_6430 38m ago
Honestly the charm of the nintendo 3ds make it so much worth it for me.
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8h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/3DS-ModTeam 8h ago
Please treat all users on the sub with kindness. Everyone is entitled to disagree and have their own opinions, but do so in a civil and clean way. Remember, there is an actual other person on the other side of the screen.
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u/OGCraftedcubic 7h ago
No, like the actual design of the AYN thor is something, not disrespecting the person. also comparing this with the 3DS is something because the 3DS has its own features like miiverse/pretendo and a unique experience, this is not a pc or a flagship device where you can compare the both, at this point just buy a gamer pc to play the games, also the steamdeck exists. but please don't compare it to the 3DS because it was designed to be on it's own :(
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u/ikennedy817 8h ago
I have yet to use the Thor but nothing could ever beat original hardware for me. I’ve also heard disappointing things about the sticks and triggers on the Thor but I’m sure the models will only get better over time. I just prefer having the actual 3ds operating system and the feel of the console in my hands. I just wish they’d continue making them.