3DS for 3DS XL? Pass.

     The trend in the entertainment industry has usually been that of diminishing size: from the Gameboy to the iPods. Nintendo has gone against this industry norm twice now, first with the DSi XL and now the 3DS XL. When I first heard about it I was excited; the screens were larger and the battery was improved. I was now going to be able to see my games in greater detail for much longer and for only $20 more than the original model ($200 vs. $180). After wondering how much the “upgrade” would cost me if I traded in my 3DS to Gamestop at purchase, I began to think how impractical the 3DS XL would be for me.                               

1. It’s Big

     Is bigger really better? To me, the words “big” and “handheld” are like oil and water: they don’t mix well. Handhelds have always been made to fit in your pocket and take with you. I am a gamer on the go. When I have to leave my precious consoles at home to take the metro, bus, train or plane, I pull out my handheld from my pocket to pass the time. The 3DS is about as big as the DS Lite, so it fits perfectly in my roomy pockets, even if it bulges a little. The 3DS XL’s screens are 90% larger and it weighs 46% more. Walking around with it would feel like I have a small paperback novel that weighs like a small rock. The larger screen size would be a hindrance anywhere outside the comfort of home.

2. The Display and Battery Are Not Worth The Upgrade

     Portability issues aside, the larger screen size and better battery sound great. Everyone enjoys watching movies and playing games on larger, sharper screens to feel more immersed and a better battery insures we can game on.
     Member “Oni no Tenshi” brought up a great point in her article “Bigger is Better” about clarity on smaller screens. Oni mostly talked about being able to read text but this logic can be applied to screen clarity in general. A little more than a year ago I bought a Gameboy Micro on eBay for $20 (I never purchased a GBA SP) to be able to play GBA games on the go when I wasn’t able to carry my 3DS with me (I can’t wear baggy shorts every day). The screen was brighter and clearer than any Gameboy model I have ever tried, despite the much smaller size. I can play Final Fantasy Tactics and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and can make out the detail on backgrounds and read the text without straining my eyes. The size of the screen should not matter as long as players can clearly see what they are playing.
     If a better battery is what you’re after, there are other options available for the 3DS. I myself bought the Nyko High Capacity Battery Kit. For $30 I got charge stand and a battery that is double the battery life of the original (for $20 you can get the battery without the stand). Playing 3DS games with 3D, no wireless and power saving mode on I get from 8-10 hours of straight playtime. The only downside to the Nyko Power Pak is that it adds a slight bump to the back of the 3DS and makes it slightly heavier. The weight increase should not be as much as the 3DS XL’s weight increase and the Power Pak does not make the 3DS anywhere as bulky. For $20, you will spend less on a better battery then you would trading in your 3DS towards the 3DS XL at Gamestop.

3. No Control Improvement

     I have very large hands and have never hand an issue with either holding the 3DS or smashing all the buttons at once. Unless you have enormous hands, handling the 3DS should not be a problem. Despite my larger hands, I enjoyed the DS Lite better than the original DS. While it felt a little small in my hands, the controls were much more responsive than on my first DS. From the screenshots I have seen of the 3DS XL, it does not look like there have been improvements made to the buttons. The touch screen has also only been enlarged and not improved on (though I don’t think it needs much improvement).

The DS Lite buttons pop up and are more responsive compared to the flat buttons of the DS.

4. Speaker Improvements?

     The speakers have been most likely improved, but that does not matter to me anyway as the sound comes out the same through my headphones.

What Improvements I Would Like To See

     The first and foremost would be a second analogue stick. The redesign could be slightly larger, just enough to implement the second stick underneath the face buttons on the right, similar to a 360 controller. The 3DS XL has the space for it. I know this is what everyone else is begging for, but that would be the redesign that will make me upgrade. I am sure developers would still allow for the option of a second analogue to be controlled with either the touch screen or face buttons so all types of 3DS owners can play, but most people will soon prefer to play with the second analogue. When I am on the road I do not mind playing Resident Evil: Revelations without the Circle Pad Pro because it stills controls well but at home I do not hesitate to stick that bad boy on. It is great that the 3DS XL will also get a Circle Pad Pro but that is going to make the already large handheld even bigger.
     Finally - this probably will not happen because it could take the wind out of the 3DS XL’s sails – I would like Nintendo to sell a better battery for the original 3DS. If they can double the battery life of a much larger version, surely they could do more than double the battery life on the smaller system. I would not be surprised if they could triple the battery life. For a battery like the latter, I would pay $30. 

     So what are your thoughts on the 3DS XL? Will you be getting it or not and why? Love or hate some of my points? Leave your responses in the comments below.
     As this is my first blog post, please feel free to critique it as well. The more you rip up, the less I slip up. I will be posting bi-weekly to start off with. Once I get the hang of things I will be posting three times a week.
     Thank you for reading.