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For as long as Nintendo has made handhelds, Nintendo has revised handhelds: with the exception of the Game Boy Color, every Nintendo handheld has had at least a couple of different iterations. Despite the gaming giant's firm stance for so long that there was no need to revise the Nintendo 3DS, a follow-up was at some point going to happen, and perhaps a 3DS XL was the obvious next step given Nintendo's cries of "we can't make it any smaller". While you might question the need for a larger system, it's an excellent alternative to the original Nintendo 3DS and one well worth considering for a number of reasons.
Anyone will tell you that, if you're not sure whether the XL is right for you, the best thing to do is try it out first: demo units are available all over the place, so check with local stores to see if they have any you can try out. One of two things will happen when you first hold the XL: either you'll notice the size difference straight away, or you won't. If you don't, we expect you're more likely to favour the XL since the larger handheld is obviously better suited to you, but either way you'll be able to make the best decision by spending some time with it. Even if you don't realise how big it is, put it next to the Nintendo 3DS and the original will, most likely, seem freakishly small.
The main pull of the XL is the larger screens, and it really is surprising just how much larger they are: despite Nintendo saying the top screen is 90% larger than the screen on the 3DS, it doesn't sink in how much of a difference that makes until you see the two side by side. It's even more surprising when you consider that the XL isn't that much bigger than the 3DS, being the same height and only two centimetres longer and wider. The XL is also a lot more comfortable to hold because of its larger size: your thumbs will quite comfortably sit on the Circle Pad and the ABXY buttons, while the system's weight (it's little more than 100g heavier than the 3DS) also helps matters.
The XL brings with it a few design changes: the stylus and SD card are now stored in the right-hand side of the system, and a comfortable plastic stylus replaces the original telescoping stylus; Start, Select and Home have been changed to actual buttons, making them far easier to use; the volume slider and wireless switch are larger; the Power button has moved further "inside" the system, making it a lot less difficult to accidentally hit; the 3D depth slider now clicks into place when switching to 2D and clicks out again when changing back to 3D; L and R are now larger and wrap further around the system, making them easier to use; the Circle Pad is a little smoother than before and the bevel around it has also been improved.
Let's talk about the top screen, then: it's 4.88 inches corner to corner, making it the biggest screen ever on a Nintendo handheld (the DSi XL's top screen was 4.2 inches). It still has the same number of pixels as the top screen on the 3DS - the resolution remains 400x240 - and the touch screen also remains at 320x240, but despite the larger screen site, there's little to no pixellation on either screen. In fact, you're only likely to notice any different in the image quality by putting a 3DS and a 3DS XL next to each other, and while it's to be expected that any image would look sharper on a smaller screen, the graphics are just as good on the XL as on the original 3DS. If anything, the display is slightly improved: the larger screen size makes the 3D effect a little bit deeper. It might take a bit of getting used to, but the 3D effect is certainly no worse, and at times it actually seems easier to determine what's where because of it.
One of the big positives of the larger screens is something Nintendo is calling the true 1:1 pixel mode. Any game that isn't a Nintendo 3DS game - so DS, DSiWare or 3DS Virtual Console - can be shrunk down to 1:1 pixel mode by pressing the Start or Select button while booting up. This was available on the 3DS, but made these games very small: when done on the 3DS XL, the shrunken-down screens look absolutely sublime. They're about the same size as the screens on the DSi - we measured them at roughly 3.5 inches - and they display absolutely perfectly. For anyone who plays a lot of DS and DSiWare games on the Nintendo 3DS, this is potentially the new system's biggest pull, especially with major titles like Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 on the horizon.
There's been a little negative reaction to some of the choices Nintendo has made with the XL, in particular the decision not to include an AC adapter in the packaging. Let's be clear on one point: if you own a DSi, DSi XL or 3DS, and you don't plan on trading in to buy a 3DS XL, you don't need to buy a separate adapter as all four of these systems use the same adapter. If you do need an adapter, you can either buy one separately for around £6 or, from late August, you can buy one with a charging cradle, but this will cost a little more. There was also the decision not to integrate the Circle Pad Pro with the XL, but there are good reasons why this isn't necessary: it would make the system considerably larger, and less than ten 3DS games - even fewer outside Japan - actually use the accessory.
In our opinion, the Nintendo 3DS XL is a worthy upgrade, and anyone who doesn't yet have a Nintendo 3DS should seriously consider the XL when purchasing. It's worth noting we weren't altogether sure about the XL until we actually tried it for ourselves, so we certainly think anyone in two minds about the new system has to try it out first. It's so much more comfortable to hold, the screens are a massive improvement on the 3DS - every hardware change has been a positive one. It might be a little more expensive than the 3DS when all's said and done, but for the better experience you'll have with it, it's almost certainly going to be worth it.
Many thanks to Nintendo UK for providing a Nintendo 3DS XL unit for review.