I like the XL much better than the regular 3DS. 3 Reasons: the size, little better battery, the screen.

Ok, I'm chiming in with my .02 I upgraded to a 3dsXL and love it so far. Transfer was smooth but time consuming. I did the transfer while grilling. I love the bigger screens and feel of the larger console in my hands. I can tell a difference in volume level, but feel the sound is still plenty loud. Well worth the upgrade. I gave my daughter my 3ds.

I must be in the minority here, but my hands hurt after using my 3ds XL for the first time today. I'm using Nerf Armor which I thought might be the problem, but when I took it off it didn't alleviate the problem.

Is this a good product for what I"m looking for? http://www.amazon.com/DreamGEAR-Nint...I18ZTYYNM7P4R7

If it helps in giving you an idea of my hand dimensions, I was a fan of the original "Duke" Xbox controller and found it fit me perfectly.

So I have upgraded (the transfer process was PAINFUL) and the thing I like most about the 3DS XL is it's more like a DS Lite or DSi. The stylus is where it should be, no weird loose top screen, or bulge (raised cover) on the bottom screen. I'm not crazy about the device size but having those big screens kind of makes me forget. Overall satisfied with the decision to upgrade. I also got $122 from Amazon as a trade in so that helps too

hey when you traded in your 3DS to amazon did you have to include the SD card to get full value? I just printed my label for like new, as I still have the original packaging and charging dock etc.

Originally Posted by 100xp hey when you traded in your 3DS to amazon did you have to include the SD card to get full value? I just printed my label for like new, as I still have the original packaging and charging dock etc.

I included it since the XL came with a 4GB and the original came with the 2 but I could see them overlooking that since they have to open the system to see if it's in there. Probably not worth taking a chance though.

Originally Posted by jkam I included it since the XL came with a 4GB and the original came with the 2 but I could see them overlooking that since they have to open the system to see if it's in there. Probably not worth taking a chance though.

yeah, that's what i figured. thanks for the quick response.

I'm going to keep my AR cards though. I doubt they'll dock me for not including that.

I'm buying my first 3DS soon but am torn between the original and the XL. I like the buttons, matte finish, and form factor of the XL, and the screen brightness, clarity, and overall size of the original.

Pixelation is a huge concern for me since many of the games I liked on the DS use a fair amount of 2D art, and some of these same types of games are coming to 3DS. For instance, one of the first games I'll be getting is Etrian Odyssey IV, which uses a lot of crisply-drawn 2D character art. I probably won't play any original DS games on whatever 3DS I get, so that's not a problem.

Any advice is appreciated

Originally Posted by blueshinra I'm buying my first 3DS soon but am torn between the original and the XL. I like the buttons, matte finish, and form factor of the XL, and the screen brightness, clarity, and overall size of the original. Pixelation is a huge concern for me since many of the games I liked on the DS use a fair amount of 2D art, and some of these same types of games are coming to 3DS. For instance, one of the first games I'll be getting is Etrian Odyssey IV, which uses a lot of crisply-drawn 2D character art. I probably won't play any original DS games on whatever 3DS I get, so that's not a problem. Any advice is appreciated

Honestly, the XL is the way to go. In terms of graphics, I was someone who actually didn't like the DSi XL because of the pixelation, but I have zero problems with my move from the regular 3DS to the XL. There is a slightly lesser lack of 'sharpness', as it were, but it's not enough to outweigh all of the other benefits of the XL.

Outside of the lesser speakers (which, really, I haven't had an issue with), there's almost no reason to not go with the XL. I don't even find it to be less portable.

Anyway, just my opinion... but if you're taking the 3DS plunge, the XL is the one to pick up. I really don't feel like it's hyperbole to say that the XL feels like what the 3DS always should have been. Even after only a month of XL use, my old 3DS feels so antiquated that it's not even funny.

blueshinra - I recently upgraded and gave my daughter my old 3ds. Their is no comparison, get the XL. The screen and graphics still look great and the sound is fine. I can't believe I used to play on the smaller system.

Originally Posted by 007 There is a slightly lesser lack of 'sharpness', as it were, but it's not enough to outweigh all of the other benefits of the XL.

Yeah, "sharpness" is why I ask, since one of the big reasons I'm getting a 3DS is for an RPG with in-game art that looks like this:



How slight is the loss? Just want to make doubly sure.

I have looked at both systems in stores, but none of the demo games (Pilotwings, Mario platformers, etc.) have used 2D art.

How does the brightness compare between the two screens for you guys? I was told the CL has a simmer screen at the same setting so as to preserve battery life, is this correct?

Originally Posted by prateeko How does the brightness compare between the two screens for you guys? I was told the CL has a simmer screen at the same setting so as to preserve battery life, is this correct?

It is dimmer in terms of an overall brightness ceiling, yeah. I had my regular 3DS set to 4, but my XL needs to be at 5 to achieve the same level. Truthfully, though, it's not a problem. I've yet to run into a situation where I've needed it any brighter. So, there's a difference, but it's not one that really seems to be problematic in any way.

I'm really late to this to reply but I chose the regular over the XL having owned both at the same time; atm I own neither.

The XL does have bigger screen, better battery but it feels like a cheap toy compared to the regular 3ds. In the hands it's hollow feeling and has a bit of flex in the casing. It wasn't any more comfortable imo in fact the finish on the XL seemed conducive to generating sweaty palms which I can easily see leading to pre-mature paint wear on the console. The sound quality is noticeably worse on the XL as well.

I really enjoyed owning the DSi XL but the 3ds XL is not for me.

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The playing experience just seems better with the bigger screens and less of a squinting experience. Sound is a little lower and less "bass"ey, but the quality might be more realistic. And the actual size of the 3ds xl is smaller than the dsi xl.

I got a 3DS XL like 2 weeks ago and love it. Hold it next to my regular 3DS makes it looks so tiny. It was defninitely a worthwhile upgrade in my opinion.

I'm very much enjoying my 3DS XL and have found that I'm playing it more due to the size increase. I'm also playing a lot more DS games and appreciate the larger display for them.

I also like the buttons a lot more and the larger size of the machine feels better in my hands. The position of the stylus is better plus it's size is nice. Finally, the locked 3D slider! Since I play with it off 100%, it no longer becomes activated by accident.

Overall, hands down must have upgrade for me.

First time owning a 3DS XL and I feel like the 3DS XL was cheaply made. I am thinking of returning this for a 3DS but will that be worth it? I am having a tough choice since its my first Nintendo handheld.

So worth the upgrade. Ive had both and love my 3DS XL now.
Feels awesome and love playing Fire Emblem on it.

I love the way it feels.