Nintendo 3DS XL vs Nintendo DSi

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3DS XL compared with DSi

	Nintendo3DS XL	NintendoDSi
Overview
Released
Released	July 2012	November 2008
Performance
Type
Type	Handheld	Handheld
CPU
CPU	–	Nintendo custom ARM CPU
GPU
GPU	–	Nintendo TWL integrated graphics
Storage
Storage	–	256 MB
Disc drive
Disc drive	No	No
CPU
CPU	–	Nintendo's custom ARM CPU and GPU, marked TWL in iFixit's exact DSi teardown; Nintendo's public specification does not identify clock speeds
GPU
GPU	–	Integrated in the TWL chip (iFixit)
Storage detail
Storage detail	–	256 MB of Samsung MoviNAND flash memory with an integrated MMC controller (iFixit); downloaded software runs from internal storage, with SD/SDHC cards used for backups rather than direct game launching (Ars Technica)
Storage expansion
Storage expansion	SD cards up to 2 GB and SDHC cards from 4 to 32 GB; SDHC card included (UK manual; capacity stated on the box)	SD and SDHC card slot
Display and video
Built-in screen
Built-in screen	4.88″ LCD, 800 × 240	3.25″ LCD, 256 × 192
Built-in screen
Built-in screen	Upper 4.88-inch 3D LCD, 800 × 240 with 400 pixels per eye in 3D; lower 4.18-inch touch LCD, 320 × 240; both display 16.7 million colours. Five brightness levels and power-saving mode (UK manual)	Two 3.25-inch transmissive TFT colour LCDs, 256 × 192 each, approximately 260,000 colours; five brightness levels and a touch screen on the lower display
Audio
Audio	Stereo speakers with pseudo-surround and headphone output	Built-in speakers and microphone; DSi Sound plays unprotected AAC files with .m4a, .mp4 or .3gp extensions, 16–320 kbps and 32–48 kHz, and stores up to 18 recordings of up to 10 seconds each (Nintendo Japan)
Design and power
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 6.5 hours	Up to 14 hours
Weight
Weight	336 g	214 g (better)
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	SPR-003 replaceable 6.5 Wh lithium-ion pack; approximately 3.5–6.5 hours with 3DS software or 6–10 hours with DS software. Runtime depends on brightness, software, wireless use and temperature; cameras may shorten it further. Charge approximately 3.5 hours when off	TWL-003 user-replaceable battery pack; 840 mAh in iFixit's tested unit. Nintendo rates approximately 9–14 hours at lowest brightness, 8–12 at low, 6–9 at medium, 4–6 at high and 3–4 at highest; software, temperature, wireless and camera use affect runtime. Full charge approximately 2 hours 30 minutes
Power use
Power use	–	Approximately 2.8 W maximum while charging (Nintendo Japan manual)
Size
Size	156 × 93 × 22 mm when closed (width × height × thickness); 336 g includes battery, stylus and SD card	137 × 74.9 × 18.9 mm when folded (width × depth × thickness); approximately 214 g includes battery and stylus
In the box
In the box	–	DSi, AC adapter, two styluses, quick start guide, instruction manuals and support booklet (Nintendo Japan)
Connections
Ports
Ports	Game card and SD card slots, charging cradle contacts, AC adapter connector and stereo audio jack	Nintendo DS card slot, SD card slot, AC adapter connector and stereo headphone/microphone connector
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz; infrared. Amiibo requires the separate NFC Reader/Writer (Nintendo UK); the retained Japanese page's NFC line conflicts with this accessory requirement	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g (DSSS/OFDM), 2.4 GHz, nominal range approximately 10–30 m depending on surroundings (Nintendo's Japanese manual); WPA2 works for supported DSi functions, while older DS games retain their older wireless-security restrictions (Ars Technica)
Controller
Controller	One Circle Pad, D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R, Start, Select and Home; motion and gyro sensors. One inner and two outer fixed-focus 0.3-megapixel CMOS cameras (Nintendo Japan)	Built-in D-pad, A/B/X/Y, L/R, Start and Select buttons, stylus and touch screen; two fixed-focus CMOS cameras, approximately 0.3 megapixels each (Nintendo Japan)
Backward compatibility
Backward compatibility	Nintendo 3DS, DS, DSi and DSi-enhanced game cards; 3DS and DSi software must match the system's region (UK manual)	Nintendo DS and DSi games and installed DSiWare; no Game Boy Advance games or DS accessories requiring the GBA slot. DSi Shop purchases and free downloads ended on 31 March 2017 (Nintendo UK); launch-era reviews describe the service before closure