Both types are currently available
Handhelds are prone to a certain amount of wear and tear over time: and I should talk, as someone who owns a collection of them! Some of mine are completely beaten up from constant use (and dropping them as a kid), and others are in pristine condition: compliments of my collector habits throughout my lifetime. But whatever the case might be, if you need a 3DS (or 2DS, or New 3DS, and so on) battery pack, Nintendo has official ones in stock now: no need to worry about a secondhand clunker.
All the links for 3DS battery pack restocks
- Here’s the full replacement landing page for the 2DS/3DS. Note that some things might say “out of stock,” but as of the time of publication, clicking on those items will actually produce an “add to cart” in-stock notice.
- Here’s the link to the New Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 3DS XL battery packs – $14.99
- Here’s the link to the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 2DS battery packs – $14.99
If you’re the type of person who constantly plays 3DS and is enjoying all of those now-dead games, you might want to grab an extra or two for your model of choice. These things are relatively cheap by Nintendo standards and aren’t always in stock. Remember that Nintendo changed their policy to allow free shipping for orders over $50.
Nintendo does have a helpful tip for those of you who are having 3DS issues though:
“If your system is not charging or holding a charge properly, we recommend checking our troubleshooting before deciding on a replacement. You’ll need a small phillips tip screwdriver (not included) to open the battery compartment before you can replace the battery.”
That troubleshooting page can be found here.