Nintendo's new 3DS XL: a new, bigger 3DS

Julio Franco

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The screen is 90 percent bigger, with larger bottom and top screens. It's called the Nintendo 3DS LL in Japan and the Nintendo 3DS XL in the West. The top screen measures at 4.88 inches and is 90 percent bigger, while the bottom screen is 4.18 inches and is also 90 percent bigger.

For the 3DS LL, the battery will last 3.5 to 6.5 hours while playing 3DS games (as compared to 3 to 5 hours with the 3DS). The battery will last 6 to 10 hours for DS games (as compared to 5 to 8 hours for the 3DS).

nintendo 3ds nintendo 3ds handheld console

To cut costs, Nintendo is selling the AC adapter as a stand alone in Japan, but the 3DS XL will work with current 3DS plugs. (Note: in North America, Nintendo is releasing the 3DS XL with the AC adapter.)

Nintendo is packaging the 3DS XL with a 4GB SD card. The 3DS XL will come in three colors (White, Red x Black, Silver x Black) and be out in Japan on July 28 for ¥18,900. The 3DS XL will be out in Europe on July 28. In North America, it will be released on August 19 for US$199.99 in Black, Black x Blue, and Black x Red.

Republished with permission. Brian Ashcraft is a contributing editor at Kotaku.

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They should've launched the 3ds with the xl version. Not that this gives me a sudden desire to buy or anything. 3D has lost its luster for me and I'd rather have console level quality if I want portable gaming. Vita is just a better fit for me.
 
If it was half the price I might consider it, but for $200 its still steep. I guess I just don't see the value in something like this. Vita for $50 more and its does so much more, just no 3D which is actually a bonus for me. That "3D" just never worked with my eyes, maybe thats part of the problem. Also the fact thats its a new product and looks like something out of the 90s.

PS. Haha, thats my main problem with Nintendo, they're just stuck in the 90s. Thats the last time any of their products interested me.
 
I guess I'm not a good consumer but I still think of 3D as a gimmick, and not a feature. What I've been looking from a Nintendo DS is a larger screen, higher resolution, backwards compatibility, and better performance. Those few things would have made me jump. Guess I'll still wait for that to happen. Sorry Nintendo, you're close but close is not good enough for a few hundred.
 
I actually agree as well, I just love the size of the screens and the joystick. 3D is just a waste to add to this product IMO, it drives up prices for something alot of people dont even want.
 
So are the screens going to be upscaled like on the DSi XL? Or are we going to see a higher native resolution on those larger screens?
I swear, you can see the gaps between the pixels on the DSi XL.
 
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