3DS XL prices appear... but what's this? The trade price? Now we're never going to settle for 180

Pre-order prices for the newly-revealed 3DS XL have started appearing around the internet. We're guessing the RRP is £179.99 because that's what HMV's listing it for (wahey!) but prices are going as low as £167.97 from GameStop.

However, trade publication MCV is claiming to know the trade price - that is the cost shops will expect to pay when buying in the console ready to sell on their shelves. And that's quoted as £167.50 (that's after VAT). So GameStop would be making a MASSIVE profit of 47p per sale. Hardly seems worth the effort, does it?

Above: Looks the same apart from the Home buttons? It's actually the size of a cinema screen. It even comes with curtains and a guy who keeps getting up to go to the bathroom

You may remember that GamesRadar was the first to break the news that the original 3DS' trade price was £173, back before Nintendo realised the £230 RRP was too steep. That said (sheepishly), having the trade price come out into the public domain is never a good thing because people will expect to pay that price and nothing more. But that's not how business works and will put yet more of a squeeze on the already-troubled high street retailers.

The machine hits UK and Japanese shops on July 28, with the US launch following on August 19. US shops have a suggested retail price of $199.99 according to CVG.

Will you get one? Still waiting to see if the resolution and 3D actually look good on that huge display? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: MCV, CVG

Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.