I'm sure that charger cost them all of 10 cents to manufacture.

Oh, I see, nintendo is actually doing us all a favor by not including an essential component with the system.

This is complete bullcrap. My friend bought a 3DS XL a while ago and he had the same problem. The lack of charger is baffling since there are so many new customers who buy the newer version, not just people upgrading. In fact I think mostly new customers will be the ones buying and even if someone owning an old 3DS is upgrading, it is likely they'll trade in or sell their old console to fund the new one, in which case they wouldn't have the charger.

This was a terrible decision. It costs them maybe $1 dollar to make the charger. What they really want to do is sell you the overpriced charger for $10 at the store. Make more cash that way.

I'm sure this has been said many times already, but this is a very minor issue to complain about, given that you can find even a new charger for the system for about $5. This decision is an issue, but a very minor one. Most people who buy the new 3DS XL will probably already have a charger, and if you don't, it's not expensive at all. Second-hand charger for the 3DS can go down as low as $2 I believe.

Disgusting move by Nintendo. Forcing people to buy entire 3DS/DSi systems along with the new XL model just to get a charger can be seen as nothing more than an attempt to make us double dip their hardware.


No doubt this is in the same vein as their decision to not design memorable spine art for their video game boxes. Needless to say, their once renowned Nintendo magic is clearly starting to run out.

Are you implying that Nintendo does not sell their chargers stand-alone?  Because they do, and if you look it up online, they are not any more than $10.  You can find a 3rd party charger for $5, and a second-hand charger for around $2 on ebay (free shipping).

Bullshit reason for a bullshit decision. At least be honest about it and tell your customers right in the face that you want to squeeze out every last cent of margin to maximize profits.

I think the reason is semi-honest.  If they did what you said, that would be bad for business.  

Is it even legal to include a device without a charger? Aren't there any consumer protection laws in the US? They sell you a device that you will be unable to use unless you buy extra equipment.

I've never heard of a smartphone maker saying "We don't include a charger, people already have some USB cables lying around their house." This is the most consumer-unfriendly move, and it is beyond my comprehension that someone can even attempt to defend Nintendo.