Nintendo DSi XL

Note: The DSi XL is priced at AU$299.95; it will be available in Australia on April 15, 2010, in either bronze or burgundy.

There's no debating it, the Nintendo DS is by far the best-selling portable system ever released. With approximately 128 million units sold worldwide, no other gaming handheld comes close to the success of the franchise. Even the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP), which is widely regarded as a commercial success, has only reached around 57 million in total sales.

Last April, Nintendo released the DSi, the third iteration of the DS, which introduced two low-resolution cameras along with larger screens and an overall more robust and slim design over the DS Lite. In October 2009, news came of another refresh, a supersized version of the DSi with even larger screens.

Though the huge screens have plenty of advantages, they also make the system less portable and blur some text-based games. At the end of the day, the DSi XL is exactly the same as the DSi, so unless you're desperate for more touch-screen real estate, or your vision is impaired, we can't recommend buying one. If you've been waiting since the days of the DS "phat" to upgrade, we'd still encourage a DS Lite or DSi purchase. You may even want to wait for the forthcoming 3DS, the new 3D portable gaming system from Nintendo that offers 3D graphics without the need for glasses and will be backward compatible with DS games.

Ultimately, we wished Nintendo had improved on the original DSi design by possibly increasing the dual camera's resolution, but for the most part, this refresh is strictly a screen-size upgrade.

We'll be primarily comparing the DSi XL with the original DSi in this review, so if you want to read more about the jump from the DS Lite to the DSi, please check out our full review of the Nintendo DSi.

Design

If you own or have held a DSi, the first thing you'll notice about the DSi XL is its weight. Coming in at 314 grams, the XL trumps that of the DSi and DS Lite (both weigh around 213g). That being said, there's a certain attractive robustness to the device which probably means it can take more of a beating than previous models. Whereas the DSi is covered in a matte, almost rubberised outer layer, the DSi XL sports a glossy top along with a more texturised plastic outer casing, giving it an overall more sophisticated look. We didn't scuff it up during our testing, but it appears that the shiny top may be prone to scratching, not to mention it's already covered in fingerprints. The dark burgundy colour of our review unit does help with hiding that, however.

Measuring in at 16.1 cm wide by 9.1 cm deep by 2.1 cm high, the XL actually makes the DSi look tiny. Its dual 4.2-inch screens are a whopping 93 percent larger than those found in the DS Lite and roughly an inch larger than the screens on the DSi. The three LED lights found on left hinge of the DSi XL are the same as the DSi, with symbols for power, charging and Wi-Fi activity.

The two screens on the DSi XL are 93 percent larger than the DS Lite's.(Credit: CBSi)

Nintendo has made a big deal about the XL's large viewing angle on the two screens, and although it's tough to tell a huge difference between this and the DSi, this improvement becomes very apparent when comparing them with a DS Lite. This upgrade also lends itself to the idea of the console being more "social," with it now being easier than ever to watch people play by sitting next to them or over the shoulder.

Every button on the system has the same shape, feel and location as those found on the DSi, save for slightly larger L and R shoulder buttons and power toggle. Compared with those on the DS Lite, the X, A, B and Y buttons aren't as deep, thus they require less of a pressing motion. The same can be said for the L and R rear buttons; they are now much springier and require much less of an effort to engage. Even the Select and Start buttons have received a similar treatment; we found them to be especially difficult to press with the DS Lite. Moving along to the D-pad, we experienced the same sort of click responsiveness. The DS Lite's D-pad, a carbon copy of the one found on a Wii remote, was a bit looser.

As mentioned earlier, we really wish the DSi XL improved on the original's 0.3-megapixel cameras. It's here where the supersized screens almost hurt the camera feature, because even though the screens have been enlarged, their 256x192 pixels per screen have not. This leads to photos appearing blurry and leaving much to be desired in terms of detail.

The included stylus is mounted in the same rear location as the DSi, with just a 4-millimeter bump in length. We really liked the pen-shaped stylus (12.9 cm) that's also included and found ourselves using it on our older DS models, too. Though the thick stylus is a great addition, it cannot be stored in the unit itself and must be carried separately. There's also an included AC charger, which works with the original DSi as well.

The DSi XL is not as portable as some may want it to be. Its bulky size won't let you store it practically in a pocket, so wherever you go it'll most likely need to be kept in a backpack or purse. It would not surprise us if the DSi XL becomes more of a home portable system instead of something that you would travel daily with.

Features

Our DSi XL shipped with firmware version 1.4U, which includes all the various media and online applications that we saw in the DSi. Bundled in with the XL are a few software bonuses that include the DSi Web Browser and Photo Clock. There are three games also preinstalled: Clubhouse Games Express Card Classics, A Little Bit of... Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: Arts Edition, and Flipnote Studio. Of course, you have access to the DSi Shop, where you can download different games and applications for the system.

The DSi XL Camera application allows you to take pictures via either camera (there's one mounted on the front and one on the internal hinge) and keep them on the unit's internal 256MB of storage or onto an SD card. Though the XL still supports SDHC cards of up to 32GB, we would have liked an upgrade in internal storage here, considering you still can't play a DSi game directly off a flash card (they must be copied over to the system). For folks going from the DSi to the XL, you must copy your old games over to an SD card and then onto the XL itself.

Online/Wi-Fi

Just like the DSi, the XL has the ability to connect to any 802.11b or g Wi-Fi router or hot spot. Strangely enough, all the hiccups we found in setting up wireless networking on the DSi are still present in the XL. It's still difficult to find settings that allow you to connect to a security higher than WEP. Those settings are actually buried in the system, forcing you to choose "Advanced Settings" on the main "Internet Connection Settings" screen. We're not sure why this functionality is so hard to find, but using connections 1-3 won't allow anything higher than WEP. Once you access the advanced menu, you can manually set up a connection using higher encryption such as WPA and WPA2. You'll have the ability to scan for hot spots that support encryption above WEP, and then you'll just need to enter a security key. Alternately, if your router supports AOSS, the DSi can connect that way as well. You also have the option of using a Wi-Fi USB connector (sold separately) that will allow for an easy internet connection to the DSi XL.

The success of the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console and WiiWare platform has led to the handheld equivalent, called the DSi Shop, which debuted on the original DSi. Download speeds remained the same on DSi XL's shop, and we noticed heavy internet activity definitely had the most impact on battery life. More on battery life a bit later.

Performance

Like we've mentioned earlier, the DSi XL is essentially a carbon copy of the DSi, and the same goes for under the hood. The same 133MHz processor and 16MB of RAM are here, so don't expect any increases in overall performance. Besides, we didn't notice any improvements the first time around when going from a DS Lite to these new DSi specs.

Aside from the screen sizes and battery, the DSi XL is nearly identical to the DSi.(Credit: CBSi)

The most notable internal hardware change has to be the new battery inside the DSi XL. Compared with the 9 to 14 hours of playtime the DSi provided on the lowest brightness setting, Nintendo boasts 13 to 17 hours with the XL. Our overnight testing supported this, which is, for lack of a better word, outstanding. We've always been impressed with battery life on the entire line of DS systems, and that legacy continues with the XL.

Before seeing the DSi XL, we were a bit concerned about pixelation because of the screen's size enlargement, but the resolution stayed the same. When we demoed Mario Kart DS on the XL back in February, our worries evaporated as we had a blurry-free gaming experience. However, during our brief demo with the unit, we didn't get to try out games heavily focused on text like the preinstalled Brain Age titles. It's in games like these where the sharpness suffers. It's by no means unplayable, but those transitioning from the DS Lite may notice a change. Even in the system's menus, text appears a bit off, almost like what happens if you put your nose too close to an LCD monitor.

That said, the two 4.2-inch screens really do give you plenty of real estate to work with, and games like the Brain Age series — or any game where a lot of writing is required — truly benefit. We loved scribbling notes on our interactive map in Zelda: The Spirit Tracks and appreciated the massive room to write when designing games in WarioWare: D.I.Y.

We also want to mention that playing games on the DSi XL is a bit of a different experience than what's had on smaller systems like the DSi and DS Lite. The device's weight and bulkiness does come into play here, so you may need to readjust the way you're used to gripping the system. You'll also have to get used to the fact that your hands are farther apart, which may make for a bit of an initial awkward acquaintance period. But after a few extended sessions, you should have no problem getting used to the bigger design.

It may take a few sessions to get used to the new large design.(Credit: CBSi)

Conclusion

Since the DSi XL is merely a screen upgrade in comparison with the DSi, it leaves the question, "Who should buy it?" Judging by the way Nintendo has marketed the XL, we get the feeling that it is not necessarily aimed at younger gamers first; in fact, it's probably geared more toward an older crowd who may be intimidated by previously smaller models. We also should note how much more pleasant of an experience the XL can be for those with vision impairment.

Owners of the original DS "phat" and Lite are left with a tough decision. If you're clamouring for more touch-screen real estate, the XL might be what you're looking for — just be prepared to lose some of that portability you're currently enjoying. Of course you can always wait for the imminent release of the just-announced Nintendo 3DS, a portable gaming system that will display 3D graphics without the need for glasses. It will be backward compatible with DS games and should be out within a year or so.