Nintendo DSi vs Nintendo DSi XL
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NintendoDSi | NintendoDSi XL | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2008 | November 2009 |
| Performance | ||
| Type | Handheld | Handheld |
| CPU | Nintendo custom ARM CPU | – |
| GPU | Nintendo TWL integrated graphics | – |
| Storage | 256 MB | – |
| Disc drive | No | No |
| 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 | Integrated in the TWL chip (iFixit) | – |
| 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 | SD and SDHC card slot | SD and SDHC cards up to 32 GB; miniSD and microSD cards require an adapter (Nintendo UK) |
| Display and video | ||
| Built-in screen | 3.25″ LCD, 256 × 192 | 4.2″ LCD, 256 × 192 |
| Built-in screen | 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 | 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 | 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) | Built-in speakers and microphone; stereo headphone output |
| Design and power | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 14 hours | Up to 17 hours |
| Weight | 214 g (better) | 314 g |
| Battery life detail | 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 | 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 Japan manual) | Approximately 2.8 W maximum while charging (Nintendo's Japanese manual) |
| Size | 137 × 74.9 × 18.9 mm when folded (width × depth × thickness); approximately 214 g includes battery and stylus | 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, AC adapter, two styluses, quick start guide, instruction manuals and support booklet (Nintendo Japan) | 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 | Nintendo DS card slot, SD card slot, AC adapter connector and stereo headphone/microphone connector | 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 (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) | 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 | 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) | 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 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 | 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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