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Tuesday, 24 August 2010 22:10
Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 August 2010 07:29
When I first heard about the specs of the DSi XL, I thought 'How big could it really be?' Upon opening the box, I was completely shocked at the sheer size of it. The unit didn't appear to be any heavier in my hands and actually felt better to hold. It was like I was really holding something with some actual meat on it, and it made me realize the small size of the DSi. In total, the DSi XL weighs in at 11.08 ounces or 314 grams while the original DSi is 100 grams lighter, weighing in at 7.5 ounces. The XL also includes a full size stylus that doesn’t actually fit into the DSi XL, forcing you to you to carry it separately. Because of this inconvenience, I’ve never used the full size stylus.
The screen size is stunning and measures in at 4.2 inches diagonally and features a transmissivde TFT color LCD with 256 x 192 pixel resolution and .333 mm dot pitch, capable of displaying 260,000 colors. This is a noticeable upgrade from the DSi’s 3.25 inches. A concern that I’ve heard about the DSi XL is that it doesn’t improve the graphics and that the games appear more pixelated. This is because the games are additionally magnified to fit the larger screen. This magnifies the already pixelated games and makes some of games appear more pixelated.
If you think back though, DS games have always been pixelated. The Nintendo DS has never been about stellar graphics and criticizing the DSi XL on its lack of new graphical capabilities would be unfair. While the DSi XL does enhance the pixels on an already pixelated it was a non-issue to me during gameplay and it’s a worthy trade off for the much larger screen.
Where the DSi XL does suffer is the buttons size. Although Nintendo enlarged everything else, it seems they forgot about the buttons. Although this didn't effect gameplay I believe it would have enhanced the gaming experience on the DSi XL especially since this iteration was created for older and bigger people. The shoulder buttons felt more natural and appeared the be more responsive but the larger buttons would have been a nice addition that felt like a lazy oversight on Nintendo’s part. Then again it may be a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
The DSi XL also features a new glossy clear coat finish on the lid and the same matte finish on the back. With it's glossy finish and new color schemes ,this DS is the most mature out of them all. The DSi XL comes in three colors: bronze, burgandy and blue.
The screen size is stunning and measures in at 4.2 inches diagonally and features a transmissivde TFT color LCD with 256 x 192 pixel resolution and .333 mm dot pitch, capable of displaying 260,000 colors. This is a noticeable upgrade from the DSi’s 3.25 inches. A concern that I’ve heard about the DSi XL is that it doesn’t improve the graphics and that the games appear more pixelated. This is because the games are additionally magnified to fit the larger screen. This magnifies the already pixelated games and makes some of games appear more pixelated.
If you think back though, DS games have always been pixelated. The Nintendo DS has never been about stellar graphics and criticizing the DSi XL on its lack of new graphical capabilities would be unfair. While the DSi XL does enhance the pixels on an already pixelated it was a non-issue to me during gameplay and it’s a worthy trade off for the much larger screen.
Where the DSi XL does suffer is the buttons size. Although Nintendo enlarged everything else, it seems they forgot about the buttons. Although this didn't effect gameplay I believe it would have enhanced the gaming experience on the DSi XL especially since this iteration was created for older and bigger people. The shoulder buttons felt more natural and appeared the be more responsive but the larger buttons would have been a nice addition that felt like a lazy oversight on Nintendo’s part. Then again it may be a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
The DSi XL also features a new glossy clear coat finish on the lid and the same matte finish on the back. With it's glossy finish and new color schemes ,this DS is the most mature out of them all. The DSi XL comes in three colors: bronze, burgandy and blue.
The sound is much more beefier compared to previous models. The audio is clearer and the surround sound is more 'surrounding'. This is due to the enlarged speaker grates enabling the sound to travel better.
All versions of the DSi XL come with Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters and Brain Age Express Math. Two awesome proven brain games that you can jump into right away and try out your new DS. Also included is Photo Clock and Flipnote Studio. The Nintendo DSi and the DSi XL both come with 256 mb of memory on board. You can still use SD cards to increase storage capacity.
The DSi XL also has improved battery life over previous DS iterations. While my Nintendo DS Lite never seemed to run out of power, my DSi always seems to be dead whenever I pick it up. While using the DSi XL I never had that same problem. Officially Nintendo states the new DSi XL states that the newer system can last 13-17 hours at it’s lowest brightness setting compared to the DSi’s 9-14 hours of battery life.
Would I recommend the DSi XL? It really depends. If you already own a DSi and all is in working order than no. If you own the original DSLite and been thinking about upgrading I'd say go for it unless you want the smaller form factor of the smaller DSi. If you own the original DS, then yes you should have upgraded two versions ago. While the DSi XL is a great unit, there hasn't been enough changed to warrant throwing out your old DSi or DSLite so you can purchase the DSi XL.
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