Thumbs Up:

Dual larger touch-screen displays; better battery life; new pen-shaped stylus; preinstalled software and games; revamped viewing angles.

Thumbs Down:

Does not support transfer of old DSiWare games; text games look a b it blurry; no improvements over storage and camera; bulky and heavy as compared to its predecessor.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

The Nintendo DSi XL is powered with 133MHz processor, 16MB RAM and 1.4U firmware. It has inbuilt 256MB memory and micro-SD expansion slot that accepts up to 32GB cards.

The console has two 4.2-inch touch-screens and each has 256×192 pixels resolution. The DSi XL has inbuilt stereo speakers and Wi-Fi that supports IEEE 802.11 b/g. There is also a Nintendo DS cartridge slot and one 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.

Razzle Dazzle:

The Nintendo DSi XL is 0.83 inch all, 3.6 inches thick, and 6.34 inches wide and weighs 11.08 ounces. It is heavier than the previous DSi and DS Lite. Its glossy top has texturized plastic casing on outer that gives a sophisticated look. However, the top attracts fingerprints and smudges. The XL game console is not so portable to fit in the pants pocket, but you can carry it in a safe pack or small handbag.

Inside Dope:

The Nintendo DS is the best selling portable system till now. The company has sold 128 million units around the world and any other gaming console does not become so appealing towards the franchise system. Despite of being commercial success, the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) has only reached about 57 million. Nintendo also had released the DSi and the DS Lite with large screens and two low-resolution cameras. Now, the company has launched the Nintendo DSi XL that looks similar to previous the DSi. $199 priced the DSi XL offers two big touch-screen displays, improved battery life and viewing angles, preinstalled software and games. If you need a latest portable gaming console within a year, then go for – Nintendo DSi XL. However, you can also wait for the Nintendo 3DS – portable 3D gaming system that features 3D graphics without any glasses. It will be released within one year and remains backward compatible with previous DS games.

Dual 4.2-inch displays of the Nintendo DSi XL have 256×192 pixels resolution per screen. Both of them are 93% larger than the dual screens of the DSi. The DSi XL’s each screen is one inch bigger than that of the DSi. There are three LED lights on the left hinge marked as Wi-Fi, charging, and power like that of the DSi. We appreciate the Nintendo to improve the viewing angles as well for both the screens. All the buttons including A, B, X, Y, L, R, Start and Select on the console are well placed and shaped to give nice feel while usage. They are raised above the surface and needs less pressure. The D-pad is a reminiscent of the Wii mote.

The Nintendo DSi XL has revamped 0.3-megapixel dual cameras, but the low resolution screens do not give much benefit. The captured picture looks blurry with less detail. Like on the DSi, the improved stylus can be mounted in the same rear location. We like the included pen-shaped 5.09 inches stylus.

The Nintendo DSi XL comes with firmware 1.4U version that includes all online and media applications of the DSi. Preinstalled software are Photo Clock and DSi Web browser, while the games are: Flipnote Studio, Brian Age: Express: Arts & Letters, and Brian Age Express: Math. More applications and games can be downloaded through the DSi Shop.

You can capture the images from the cameras using the DSi XL Camera app and store it on 256MB internal memory or SD cards. We are disappointed that the games on a flash or memory card cannot be played on the DSi XL and you may have to repurchase the game. If you are already using the DSi or DSi Lite, we will not recommend you to purchase the Nintendo DSi XL as it does not play games stored on a card. We will prefer the manufacturer to increase the internal memory in further models and release an update to play the games already stored on cards.

Like the DSi, the Nintendo DSi XL features IEE 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi to connect with your router. However, it is a bit difficult to find the high-end secured settings of WPA and WPA2. You can find these settings in “Advanced Settings” on main screen of “Internet Connection Settings”. In contrast, you can easily setup the Wi-Fi connection with wireless router using WEP security.

The Nintendo DSi XL uses the same 16MB RAM and 133MHz processor like that of the DSi, but the XL performs much better than the original DSi. The large dual displays give a better experience to play and see the graphics. Still their sharpness is not enough and menus and text looks a bit off. All the preinstalled and newly purchased games were exhibited good graphics and text without any pixelation.

The battery life of the Nintendo DSi XL is 13 to 17 hours of continuous play. This is better than 9 to 14 hours of the DSi.

Nitty Gritty:

If you are habitual of playing the games on very small gaming consoles then the Nintendo DSi XL will deliver a better experience after some usage. If you already have the original DS Lite or phat, then the DSi will be the good choice.

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