General Category > General Discussion
3DS vs. 3DS XL
Spoonman:
The last handheld system I bought was a DS Lite about 6 years ago(ish). Thinking about picking up one of these new-fangled ones. From experience, what are people's thoughts on the comparison. Without trying either one out, I can see ups and downs to both. But I'm trying to decide which one to go for.
I can get a black 3DS used at my local indie game store, but a friend of mine says he likes the XL better BUT that one doesn't come in black.
Which one is more worth getting?
CrimsonEnigma:
Personally, I prefer the XL. The buttons and D-pad on the normal 3DS feel mushy and tend to squeak (and, quite frankly, it's a bit of a stretch to call the Start, Select, and Home buttons...). The XL is also better for backwards-compatibility - on both systems, the upscaling from the DS's resolution to the 3DS's resolution is rather poor and makes text blurry, but holding Start when selecting the DS game (or DSiWare) overrides that and puts the DS game in its original resolution, with black bars around the screen. On the normal 3DS, this is extremely small - smaller than the original DS's screen - while on the XL, the DS game is about the size of the DS Lite's screen. The XL also has slightly better battery life (3.5-6 hours vs. 3-5), and the 3D slider has a definite off position rather than just automatically switching off on the lowest setting.
Of course, the XL's screen does look slightly more pixelated because of the increased size, and it is rather bulky. It also costs $30 more, and doesn't have a charging cradle (though contrary to popular belief, it does come with a charging cable - at least, outside of Europe). I think the benefits outway the downsides, but really you're not going to know until you try them out.
Spoonman:
I think those are all important points. Here's a whole separate question: does anybody think Nintendo will update the DS again in the next 6 months?
shenske:
Get the XL. Its more comfortable to hold and the screen quality seems better to me. Its a very well built system.
pumanchero:
I don't have a XL but a regular one, and if the XL is heavier that the 3DS I'll pass... It's so uncomfortable to play for long periods on this great device... Looking forward for a lighter XL revision before taking any buck outta my pocket.