Nintendo DSi XL REVIEW – Should You Buy the Nintendo DSi XL?

It’s Not as Portable as the Nintendo DS Lite / DSi: The Nintendo DSi XL’s big screens come at a small price: They make the handheld longer and wider. As a result, the Nintendo DSi XL won’t slip into your purse or pocket as easily as the Nintendo DS Lite. The Nintendo DSi XL is lightweight, however (314 grams, or 0.7 pounds), and still much smaller than a netbook or an iPad.

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The Cameras are Noticeably Low-Resolution: Like the Nintendo DSi, the Nintendo DSi XL has two cameras: An interior 0.3 megapixel camera, and an external 3 megapixel camera. That’s approximately the kind of performance you’d expect from an average cell phone camera. However, cell phone cameras take pictures for small screens. When you take a picture with the Nintendo DSi XL and it pops up on the large screens, it becomes apparent just how low-res the cameras actually are. Photos look somewhat chunky and washed-out.

The Nintendo DSi XL Costs More Than the DSi: The Nintendo DSi costs 9.99 USD. The Nintendo DSi XL costs 9.99 USD. The price difference is small, but significant if you’re on a tight budget.

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Both the press and the gaming community were lukewarm about the Nintendo DSi XL when it was first unveiled. I, too, was among the unexcited. I’ve since been spoiled by the DSi XL; I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to the comparatively tiny screens of the Nintendo DS Lite (or the Nintendo DS Phat–yikes!).

But 9.99 is a lot of money to dish out if you already have large Nintendo DS family. Moreover, the Nintendo DSi XL is the next evolution of the Nintendo DSi, and both lack backwards compatibility with the Game Boy Advance. There’s also the matter of the Nintendo 3DS. You might consider saving your money for the Nintendo DS’s true successor instead of raiding your penny jar for a system that’s admittedly an upgrade.

If, however, you’re in the market for a Nintendo DSi, spending a little extra for the larger screes and pre-loaded software is a good call. The Nintendo DSi XL doesn’t tout itself as a miracle handheld that will prepare dinner and do tricks. Its emphasis has always been on its larger screens and wider viewing angle, and both are very welcome additions in a world that’s in love with palm-sized game consoles.