No, I don't think so. Sales are really slowing down and it has a long way to go to catch the PSP.

Impossible. Unless Nintendo expands greatly to other markets they aren't investing heavily on at this time, which they should definitely do imo.

Like I said, just because it isn't doing as well DS or other previous handhelds doesn't make it dead, we know that smartphones/tablets have affected the handheld market but again that doesn't make 3DS dead. If it's dead this year than it means it was dead last year as well since USA 2014 & 2015 sales will be very similar.

I already acknowledged that software sales are down but u seem to ignore that lack of big releases is a major reason for that decline, small niche titles and mid size spinoffs are clearly not going to perform nearly as well as Smash or Pokemon.

Did I ever say 2016 was going to be bigger? Nope, it will be 3DS 6th year on the market and a successor will potentially be released. My only point was that dead was an exaggeration, declining or under performing describe it well but dead is a bit over the top, especially since it will be a small decline from last year.

Nope i think nintendos next hanheld will this year or early 2017

Well compared to the rest of the gaming hardware/software market the 3DS and Vita are both dead at this point. It's not an overexagerration at all. There is a reason why Sony have annnounced they aren't considering a PSP3 and so far Nintendo haven't announced anything about a handheld successor but are quick to talk about their mobile endeavours. 

Nintendo should release another dedicated handheld, or they might not, but if they do I'd expect it to be less successful than this one. 

I used to believe it stood a chance, but considering the sales curve now I really don't think it'll do it unless there's some miracle piece of software that boosts system sales. Like Pokemon for the original Game Boy or something.

3DS & Vita aren't comparable in anyway, 3DS has sold more in each of the 3 major regions than Vita has worldwide. 3DS sold more in one year than Vita has in 4. Sony not making a successor has literally zero relevance to Nintendo.

It certainly is an exaggeration, dead devices don't sell 2-2.5 million units in each major region in a single year. Here's a fun fact, 3DS has sold more in the US in 2015 than it did in Japan, so how is it dead everywhere but Japan?

I didn't know PSP sold so many. I'm impressed.

I belieevvvvveeeee

It is possible, though it hugely depends on A LOT of factors, before anything we should begin from what the 3DS stood at the end of Q2 and how the year has been for it in software, along the prediction made for the FY.

By the end of Q2 3DS stood at 54 million, to round things, it should need atleast 27 million to beat the PSP. Iwata's prediction for the FY, doesn't paint a good picture for the little handheld, just expecting 7 million for the FY. Though that prediction does show a small number, I wouldn't credit it to the natural decline of the 3DS, actually I would attribute it to the bad software it would receive in the year. Because lets be honest, outside of Japan, the 3DS hasn't exactly receive any system sellers in this FY... so that number? It just reflects that the 3DS sells without any big system sellers, so parting for that, I do expect the next FY to be higher than this one. Before ending this part, I would say the 3DS will probably end the FY with around 60 million, leaving 21 million in the air, and that should be splitted in lets say 2 FY, so it would need to sell atleast 10.5 million in this two upcoming FYs to reach the goal.

Now we should begin pointing the factors that should decide all of this:

- Q3 and Q4 of this FY: And obvious one, that how it ends this year should be important for the next FY. At the moment, it may end up in a good number, Japan had some good holiday numbers, and the West should be doing good with those cheap 3DS + SM3DL bundles. Though Q4 will be a bigger factor which will give a good or bad kickstart to the calendar year. The 3DS family will have a good start in February in all markets, with the West seeing the release of Fire Emblem: Fates, while Japan receives the 2DS in special bundles for Pokemon's 20th Anniversary. While various smaller games are spread around as treats:

- Paper Jam (NA- January)
- Final Fantasy Explorers (NA & Europe - January)
- Yo-kai Watch (EU - 2016)
- Bravely Second (NA & Europe - 2016, February)
- Return to PopoloCrois (NA - February 16)
- Project X Zone 2 (NA & Europe - February 16)
- Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon (Europe - February 19)

Which i already a plentiful Q4, which effects will hopefully continue in Q1 of the following FY.

- 2DS appeal in Japan: The 2DS will play a vital role on how things end for now, as it can give the 3DS a very needed help. The console would launch in Japan bundled with the original Pokemon games and certain other stuff. Even with them being the original, it can give a good rapid boost for the 3DS family, and should help it sell better through out the year, specially with it being a cheap option in a country that isn't a good economic situation at the moment, so it should be fastly adopted if all goes well. The whole Pokemon bundle thing can lead it to close to 300k in its opening week, since even if old Pokemon is Pokemon. The 2DS also opens the potential for new specially designed bundles for future big releases, leading to even more sales thanks to collectors, and those that may get a new console for the design.

- Yo-kai Watch in the West: From what we got in NPD, Yo-kai Watch seems to be going at around the same rate in the USA as it did in Japan, which is a good sign, since as it grows it can aso lead to 3DS growth thanks to the 2DS bundle. Though the main place where this will play a big role is in Europe. The main markets of the region have shown to weirdly like werid Japanese games that barely leave Japan, as seen by the success of Tomodachi Life in the region, specially in teh French market, if such a success can be replicated with Yo-kai Watch, the 3DS can atleast maintain flat in Europe for the following FY, and maybe go up with the other releases. How it behaves in NA after Xmas will also play a big role, now that the toys and manga wil release, it may lead to a expansion of the fanbase, Youtube should also play a big role, as some videos of the series' episodes ae almost up to half a million views, with the theme song being less than 200k views from a million.

- Japan as a whole: Japan will obviously be a big factor, since some big numbers can come from the region next year, as it sees big releases as:

- Dragon Quest XI
- 2DS arrival with original Pokemon game bundles
- Monster Hunter Stories
- Yo-kai Watch 3
- Yo-kai Watch x The Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3

Those aloen can bring the 3DS family to do a good 2-4 million in Japan alone for the FY. Though that is without factoring the next factor...

- Pokemon's 20th anniversary: We all know that a new game of the series will release next year to celebrate teh 20th anniversary, be it announced or not, and with it, a boost to 3DS sales worldwide, be it a third versyon of XY or Gen VII, it should give the 3DS a powerful holiday, since this without a doubt will be the 3DS big Holiday game for 2016.

- What the NX is: Of course this will play a part, though it will all depends on hat it is, release year, and more importantly how it gets perceive by consumers.

There are various factors in play here, but if they work out, the 3DS can pass the PSP LTD, but Nintendo has to be quite tactical on how it all goes, though if the Xmas bundles and the way the 2DS will be introduced to Japan is anything to go by, then it can happen. The 3DS may soon be close to replacement, but that doesn't mean it can't surprise anymore, the upcoming FY for example could be a example with instead of being another decline sales, the console actually being up YoY, but again it all depends on how the factors above play out, but the 3DS still has the chance of passing PSP, before Nintendo discontinues it.