There are three versions of the 3DS hardware, according to Nintendo: Japanese, American, and European/Australian.
The Japanese and European versions of the Nintendo 3DS are likewise region locked.
Region Free vs. Say you bought a Nintendo 3DS in North America.
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Region locked means it is locked to only communicate with games from a specific region.
Why Is the Nintendo 3DS Region Locked?
What About Other 3DS Devices?
Not all of Nintendo’s 3DS devices are region locked.
The 3DS’s older brothers, theNintendo DSandNintendo DS Lite, are region free.
However, thisexcludesthe Nintendo 3DS XL,Nintendo DSi, andNintendo DSi XL, which are region locked.