Still using my release edition 3DS here (modded to hell lol).

I think a big part of the popularity is the portability. The whole folding family of devices from Nintendo naturally needs no case (the screen is protected), and it fits easily in pockets where the switch 1/2 doesn’t. Also it has a huge library of games that you can get for “”free””).

As for the more recent popularity, I think with how much Nintendo is jacking up the price of the switch2 and games, of course some people will look to older hardware, especially if they never experienced it when it was new. I’ve been a diehard Nintendo guy since the GBC and N64, but I’m skipping the switch 2.