Do you use screen protectors on your 3DS?

[Snatch1414]

Can I go without these or am I just being cheap? Also, do they apply nicely?

[emwearz]

I have a DSLite, 3DS and 3DSXL and don't have screen protectors on any of them, none of them have a scratch on either screen.

They are clam shell, if you are not holding it in your hand, playing the console, have it closed.

[Hazerd]

No protectors, i feel it ruins the integrity of the product.

I only ever use my handheld systems at home anyways, so im not on the go with them.

All are in mint condition.

[irixith]

No screen protectors on any of my 3DS/DS units, or Vita, or phone, or anything else with a touch screen. All of them are just fine, no scratches. I see a lot of secondhand units scratched so badly they're basically unusable, and I have to wonder what the hell those people are doing!

[BoneSnapDeez]

I never drank the screen protector kool-aid. Don't treat your handhelds like crap, don't let irresponsible kids (or cats) use them and they should be fine.

[flojocabron]

If you have any kids, you definitely need screen protectors!

it even says on the manual for the DS to use gentle strokes.

But kids are anything but gentle. They get excited in the moment and they attack the screen.

How many DS systems have you seen at gamestop or at a fleamarket with pristine screens? Very few.

My DSXL has been saved countless of times from nasty scratches by my cousins. $10 bucks is worth it to prevent those nasty scratches.

The only thing lately in the 3DSXL is that there's not that many top screen protectors. The screen is too huge. The gamestop ones dont sell you top screen protectors.

Another slight annoyance is getting out the bubbles and making sure you do it in a lint free enviroment. But for some reason lint and small fibers still get under that screen. If you are ocd or get fixated on things, then you cant help but see them. But as they say, DEAL WITH IT!

after a while the plastics get foggy and worn out, then its time to replace them. You just have to be careful when removing the old plastic from the LCD screen. Once you have a little corner lifted, its easy to pull off.

I'd say get them anyways. You dont know when accidents could happen. Kids break stuff and you may not be able to hide all your games and consoles from them!

[Snatch1414]

Thanks, but given everyone's advice and that I am a bachelor I think I'll go without haha. I'm also in the "integrity of the product" boat, and it sounds like unless I go insano on the screen I should be in good shape.

[Jagosaurus]

No protectors. I throw a microfiber cloth between screens when it's closed to avoid the bottom border scratching the top screen.

[Frag Mortuus]

How would this possibly compromise the integrity of the product? The screen protectors have such a mild adhesive that they leave zero residue on the console and can be peeled off with hardly any effort. I have never changed a screen protector and had even the faintest of markings or residual signs that the protector was ever there. I use them on all of my products. My phone has a big nick on the screen protector that would have been on the screen had I not had the protector on there, 3DS and DS both get wear marks on the screens where the two halves are pushing on each other if they are in your pocket a lot. The Vita and PSP both have screens that are open to scratches since they have no built in protection. For the super low cost of screen protectors I think you're crazy not to put one on each device. I bought 7 PSP screen protectors for $2 on amazon.

Just my $.02

EDIT: BTW, I'm super cautious about how I treat all of my gaming devices. I don't think I need the screen protector, but considering how cheap they are, I don't want to risk it.

[Anapan]

I'm always very careful with all my devices, but having seen the damage done with, and without screen protectors on the kids' and friends' DS, DSi, and 3DS systems, I always put one on every device I can - I buy them in packs of 5 just so I can put them on every one's systems. Somehow they all seem to gather oil first, then grit, then the grit is scraped all over the plastic. If it's not the screen protector, it's the screen surface.
Myself, I will always wipe the screen before and after I use my fingers or a stylus, but most do not. The gameplay is evident via the permanent scratches. I can usually tell which games were played... I change my friend's and relative's protectors every year or so. by then they've gathered a bit of dust under the corners, or been blasted off somehow despite being the better quality brands. Sadly, the DS's haven't been used much since everyone got Android phones and tablets.