Nintendo 3DS vs Playdate Comparison

Compare Nintendo 3DS vs Playdate side by side. Below you'll find a detailed comparison of specifications, features, and prices for these gaming handhelds.

Basic Info

Release Date
2011 / 03
2022 / 04
Price Range
-

System

Soc
Cpu
ARM11, ARM9
Cortex-M7
Cpu Cores
Dual Core (ARM11) Single Core (ARM9)
1 Core
Cpu Threads
-
-
Cpu Clock Speed
268 MHz (ARM11) 134 MHz (ARM9)
180 MHz
Architecture
ARM
ARM
Gpu
Digital Media Professionals PICA200
❌
Gpu Clock Speed
268 MHz
❌
Ram
128 MB FCRAM
16 MB

Display

Screen Size
Top: 3.53 inch Bottom: 3.02 inch
2.7 inch
Screen Type
Top: TN LCD Bottom: TN LCD Touchscreen
Adafruit SHARP Monochrome Memory Display
Resolution
Top: 800 x 240 Bottom: 320 x 240
400 x 240
Ppi
-
-
Aspect Ratio
Top: 5:3 Bottom: 4:3
5:3
Screen Lens
Plastic
Tempered Glass

Controls

D Pad
Cross Lower placement
Cross Lower placement
Analogs
Single slider Upper placement
❌
Face Buttons
4 Buttons
2 Buttons
Shoulder Buttons
L, R (ZL, ZR with add-on)
❌
Extra Buttons
Home, Power, 3D depth slider, Volume slider, Wireless switch
Menu, Power/Sleep, Crank, 3 Axis Accelerometer
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyro sensor, Front & dual rear cameras, microphone
Microphone, Hall sensor

Hardware

Battery
1300 mAh
650 mAh
Storage
Internal 1 GB & External SD/SDHC
Internal 4 GB eMMC
Charge Port
Proprietary Port
USB-C Bottom facing
Dimensions
134 mm x 74 mm x 22 mm
76 mm x 74 mm x 9 mm
Weight
235 grams
86 grams
Shell Material
Plastic
Tempered Glass

Connectivity

Connectivity
802.11b/g WiFi, IR transceiver, NFC reader
WiFi, Bluetooth
Video Output
❌
❌
Audio Output
3.5mm Headphone
3.5mm Headphone Bottom facing
Speaker
Dual Stereo Front facing
Single Mono Front facing

Features

Rumble
❌
❌
Volume Control
Slider
Menu
Brightness Control
Menu
Menu
Power Control
Button
Button

Gaming

Emulation Limit
-
-

Compare Gaming Handhelds ¬