New 3DS XL Review

I’ve had my new 3DS XL for about a week now and man am I happy I don’t have to go back. What makes the new 3DS XL “new” compared to the old one? Well you can read my geekier more involved breakdown here but the overall gist is the new system is much snappier doing everything from downloading games to navigating menus and switching between apps. Perhaps the biggest upgrade in my opinion is the vastly improved 3D that really changes the overall experience and is what Nintendo should have been aiming for when the original 3DS launched. Now, if the system is moved out of the sweet spot with 3D mode enabled the picture doesn’t blur and break like it did previously. This is made possible because of a faster processor coupled with a front facing camera that tracks your head movement and is able to adjust the 3D viewing angle on the fly. To my surprise this not only made playing during my commute on the doable but enjoyable. There are also two new added shoulder buttons and a c-stick commonly referred to as “the nub”. If you want to future proof your purchase I recommend buying the new XL as some upcoming games will only be playable on the new 3DS such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3D while others like Code Name S.T.E.A.M. and Majora’s Mask control much better thanks to the c-stick but are still playable with both previous 3DS models.

Let me start out with what I really like about the new 3DS XL. I am obviously a fan of the aforementioned speed and 3D improvements along with a lot of other things like the color which in black is sexy. I just can’t get on board with the red unit. I mean it’s a really nice color black. It reminds me of a gunmetal grey with a carbon fiber style pattern on the outside. I’m also a fan of the SNES colored letters on the buttons even though I love the SNES buttons every other territory gets on the smaller new 3DS. Another subtle refinement is the display’s outer shell is flat instead of being slightly bubbled like before. Because of this I find it easier to slide in and out of my pocket than my old XL. I’m not sure if the speakers have been upgraded but they sound clearer and louder compared to the previous models. Also from what I’ve read Nintendo claims they haven’t upgraded the top display but for some reason it looks better than my previous XL’s display. This may be due to the fact that the overall picture is consistently sharper since the 3D rarely breaks because of the Super Stable 3D feature. Moving the headphone jack from the front left edge to the center is also a welcome tweak as well as the quieter display hinge. Gone are my fears of waking my lady laying next to me in bed because of he thunderous cracks from opening or closing the lid. During my playthroughs with Majora’s Mask the c-stick was responsive and got the job done without any issues. Some people are comparing it to the nub that IBM ThinkPad computers used to have, but I find it much more comfortable than that. Contrary to what others have said I feel like it was the right choice over a second circle pad as it looks like an additional full joystick would shift the X, A, B, Y buttons lower and would create an awkward reach and balance issue while holding the system.

Ok so there has to be some stuff I don’t like and there is. Unfortunately the Super Stable 3D doesn’t do a good job tracking my eyes when I’m laying in bed in the dark with my glasses on, but I didn’t expect it too. While I think the new finish is really nice I’m afraid of how easy it might be to scratch or scuff it if I drop it. For those of you like myself who primarily keep the wireless off I miss the lack of a physical button/slider to toggle it. It now takes a few taps via a menu to turn it off and on. Another annying addition to me was the auto-brightness which can thankfully be disabled in the settings menu. It would adjust my brightness while I was sitting in the same area withhout my lighting conditions changing which I found to be annoying. My only other minor complaint is the movement of the stylus from the right side of the unit to the bottom. While I would be playing a game I found it much easier to quickly pull the stylus out from the side rather than have to fumble pulling it out from the bottom edge.

Overall the above list of complaints are minor and the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. If you haven’t taken the plunge into the 3DS family now’s a perfect time with a faster system, vastly improved 3D, and an excellent library of AAA and indie titles to play through. It’s also a hell of an improvement from the original 3DS or a 2DS . You may be wondering if it’s worth upgrading if you currently have a 3DX XL and it depends. If you primarily play your games in 2D and don’t care about having to wait between menus then you can stick with your original XL.

Antonio Worrall
Antonio Worrallhttps://antonioworrall.com
I'm a Senior IT Support Engineer, every day tech geek, gaming enthusiast, world traveler, and foodie living with my wife and cat in the NY/NJ area.

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