On Sunday, it will have been only 511 days since Nintendo released its portable 3DS in North America. That might seem like a relatively short time to roll out a major redesign like the 3DS XL, which expands both the screen size and the external dimensions of Nintendo's glasses-free 3D handheld. But after spending a few weeks with the XL, we wish Nintendo hadn't waited so long to release the expanded system. It feels like the way 3DS games were meant to be played.
A pocket full of 3DS XL Internally, the 3DS XL is an exact replica of the original 3DS, so almost everything that makes it distinct has to do with the hardware design. Nintendo sent me the metallic blue version of the 3DS XL; it has a matte finish that just looks classier (and is less susceptible to thumbprints) than the shiny turquoise of my launch-era 3DS. The edges of both the top and bottom sections of the system come to a gently rounded edge, which makes it look a bit like a set of long, pursed lips when viewed from the front side.
Comparing the depth and width of portable systems. Top to bottom: 3DS, 3DS XL, VitaStill, the system cuts a much sleeker figure than the unsightly 3DS, which always looked a little misshapen thanks to the slight trapezoidal bulge of its upper section. The rounded corners also make the system significantly more comfortable to cradle in your palms than the blockier corners of the standard 3DS (though neither fits in your hands as well as the perfectly contoured edges of the PlayStation Vita). The hinge that runs almost the full width of the system feels quite sturdy, snapping into place at the standard 155-degree angle, as well as a laptop-style 120-degree angle that's perfect for watching videos.
Height and width comparison of portable systems. Front to back: 3DS, Vita, 3DS XLBy adding close to an inch to both the width and the height of the original 3DS, the XL is slightly less portable than its predecessor, but not unbearably so. The unit will still fit in a standard side pocket on a pair of pants, but without much room to spare. It's still a much better pocket fit than the Vita, which is a bit shorter but more than an inch wider, and the XL is even a hair thinner than the original 3DS (though quite a bit fatter compared to something like an iPod Touch).
The extra height also makes the system a better fit for adult-sized hands, and makes it less necessary to fold your fingers into a claw to support the system while playing. This is especially noticeable in games like Kid Icarus: Uprising, where you have to use one hand to support the system and manipulate the joystick and the other to tap on the touchscreen. Such games are much less of a strain on the wrist with the XL, especially when you're playing for an extended period (the extra 100 grams or so of weight the XL has over the standard-sized 3DS weren't especially noticeable, even in this one-handed mode).
The corners on the 3DS XL (left) are much more comfortably rounded than those on the 3DS (bottom right), but not as nice as those on the Vita (top right).Both the d-pad and the face buttons are ever-so-slightly larger than the original 3DS, but the most noticeable change in the inputs is in the shoulder buttons, which are transformed from tiny, blocky strips to large, rounded corners that are much easier and more comfortable to tap with the inside edge of a finger.
The 3DS shoulder buttons (left) can't hold a candle to the much bigger, rounder ones on the 3DS XL (right).The 3DS XL also moves the stylus back to its traditional position on the underside of the right-hand edge of the system, which makes it much easier to quickly slide in and out compared to the awkward, vertical, upper-left corner placement on the 3DS. The solid black stylus on the XL is a little shorter than the silvery telescoping stylus on the original 3DS, but it's thicker at the top and feels a little sturdier since it doesn't slide in two parts.
The big-screen, big-battery experience Aside from the improved ergonomics, the real value of the XL's extra size is apparent when you open up the system and see the 4.88" top screen absolutely filling the upper section. The screen seems a lot bigger than the outer form factor would suggest, thanks to a much smaller surrounding bezel than that seen on older DS systems. It's a design decision that allows for a 90 percent larger viewing area over the 3DS without a 90 percent larger form factor.
The top screen on the 3DS XL takes up a larger amount of the available real estate thanks to a smaller surrounding bezel.But the larger screen is a bit of a double-edged sword. Since the relatively weak 800x240 resolution remains unchanged from the original 3DS (and that resolution effectively gets chopped in half horizontally when the 3D slider is turned on), it's quite easy to pick out individual pixels and stair-step effects on the expanded top-screen. The effect is particularly jarring on the Netflix app, which feels like watching a blown-up animated GIF.
On the other hand, the larger screen makes it easier to pick out details that were too small to see on the original 3DS's cramped screens. The glasses-free 3D effect is even more intense with the extra surface area; I seemed a little less prone to cross my eyes. The expanded, 4.18 inch touchscreen area on the bottom screen also changes the way many games are played by giving a larger target area for precision taps (I found this particularly noticeable in games like Art Style: Pictobits).
These two shots show the same real-world area of a 3DS screen (top) and a 3DS XL screen (bottom). Note how much more pronounced the individual pixels
are in the XL shot.While the expanded, less pixel-dense screens are a mixed blessing, the expanded battery life is an unvarnished improvement over the original 3DS. The precise play time from a single charge depends largely on what kind of games are being played (downloadable black-and-white Game Boy classics last much longer than full-color recent titles with WiFi and the 3D slider on), but we easily got six or seven hours of use on a single charge. That's a very welcome and noticeable improvement from the three to five hours that were a major sticking point for the original 3DS.
Upgrading from a 3DS/DSi Nintendo has learned from the public relations debacle of the DSi XL and provided a method to transfer digital content bought on a previous 3DS onto the 4GB SD card that comes packaged with the 3DS XL. The process isn't as simple as just copying the files from one card to another, though. Instead, you have to connect both systems to the same WiFi network and contact Nintendo's servers to start a complete system transfer.
As each file is copied to the new 3DS XL over your local network, it's simultaneously deleted from the source system as a piracy prevention measure. The old system is effectively reset to its factory settings after the transfer, and can't be reset to your existing eShop account, so if you want to access your downloaded games across both versions of the system, you're out of luck. Nintendo places a limit of five total transfers back and forth between systems, which seems a bit paranoid, but shouldn't be a practical concern for most users.
It took about 30 minutes to transfer about 1GB of content between the systems in my home testing, but once it was finished I didn't have to worry about re-downloading any games, managing any save data, or connecting to the Internet to confirm my identity before playing. The new 3DS XL acted like an exact copy of the 3DS I had before, which was a nice feeling. Still, it's a shame Nintendo eShop users can't share their purchases across multiple systems at one time, as users on Apple's App Store or Google Play can.
The definitive 3DS As far as we're concerned, the 3DS XL should now be considered the definitive version of the system. It vastly improves on the aesthetics and ergonomics of the original while providing a much larger viewing and touchscreen area without sacrificing too much portability. For new 3DS customers, shelling out the extra $30 should be a no-brainer. For those looking to upgrade from an original 3DS, though, the $199 asking price might be a bit much to ask for a system that runs exactly the same games and has exactly the same software features as your current 3DS. Check out a store demo unit or hold a friend's system in your hands before deciding if it's worth the money.
Odds & Ends • The headphone jack has been moved from the center of the bottom edge on the 3DS to the bottom left corner on the XL. This can get in the way on the XL, especially in games where you're trying to support the whole system with your left hand while using the stylus with your right.
• The 3D slider on the XL offers the slightest bit of resistance between the fully "off" position and the lowest possible 3D setting. There were numerous points where I ended up playing with the reduced brightness and framerate of "minimal 3D" when I had meant to turn the feature off completely.
• I accidentally bumped the volume slider on the left edge of the system with my palm a few times while playing, turning the sound up when I didn't mean to. Luckily, no one was sleeping nearby at the time.
• The select, start, and home buttons positioned right under the bottom touchscreen are actual, clickable buttons on the XL, which are much more appealing and comfortable than the squishy nubs on the original system.
The Good • Greatly improved overall aesthetics.
• Much more comfortable for adult-sized hands.
• Larger screens make it easier to pick out details and tap touchscreen targets.
• Still decently pocketable despite expanded size.
• Battery life is significantly improved over the original 3DS.
• Relatively painless transfer system for games on your current 3DS.
The Bad • Larger screens + same low resolution = pixelation.
• Transfer process doesn't let you share downloads over multiple systems.
The Ugly • Any pictures that come from the low-res 3D camera.
Verdict: Buy it if you don't already own a 3DS. Try it if you do.
source:arstechnica
