Nintendo 3DS XL vs Nintendo DSi XL
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| Nintendo3DS XL | NintendoDSi XL | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | July 2012 | November 2009 |
| Performance | ||
| Type | Handheld | Handheld |
| Disc drive | No | No |
| 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 cards up to 32 GB; miniSD and microSD cards require an adapter (Nintendo UK) |
| Display and video | ||
| Built-in screen | 4.88″ LCD, 800 × 240 | 4.2″ LCD, 256 × 192 |
| 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 4.2-inch transmissive TFT colour LCDs, approximately 260,000 colours each; five brightness levels and a touch screen on the lower display |
| Audio | Stereo speakers with pseudo-surround and headphone output | Built-in speakers and microphone; stereo headphone output |
| Design and power | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 6.5 hours | Up to 17 hours |
| Weight | 336 g | 314 g (better) |
| 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 | UTL-003 user-replaceable lithium-ion battery pack, 3.9 Wh (Nintendo's Japanese manual). Nintendo rates approximately 13–17 hours at lowest brightness, 11–14 at low, 9–11 at medium, 6–8 at high and 4–5 at highest; software and usage affect runtime. Full charge approximately 3 hours |
| Power use | – | Approximately 2.8 W maximum while charging (Nintendo's Japanese manual) |
| Size | 156 × 93 × 22 mm when closed (width × height × thickness); 336 g includes battery, stylus and SD card | 161 × 91.4 × 21.2 mm when folded (width × depth × thickness); approximately 314 g includes battery and stylus |
| Colours | – | Dark brown, wine red and natural white at the Japanese launch; other regions and later releases differ |
| In the box | – | DSi LL, AC adapter, small stylus, large pen-style stylus, quick start guide and instruction manual (Japanese bundle); the large stylus is 129.3 mm long and the small stylus 96 mm |
| Connections | ||
| 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 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) |
| 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; inner and outer fixed-focus CMOS cameras, approximately 0.3 megapixels each (Nintendo Japan) |
| 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 reviews describe the service before closure |
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