DSi XL Review

The Nintendo DS has been one of the worlds most successful handheld consoles worldwide. It is fun, simple and has a long battery life, which makes it perfect for portable entertainment.

The DSi XL is the latest in the Nintendo DS series, and is nearly identical to the Nintendo DSi in specifications, except for a few very simple, but important aspects. The main change that has been made is the screen size, which is 93% larger than the Nintendo DSi!

The increased size of the DSi screen does is a fantastic move, the screen is sharp, bright, and clear. This is much more useful for text based games, with clearer writing, and more space to draw with the stylus for games such as Scribblenauts. However because the games are still set at the DS resolution, some of the graphics may seem blocky, as the stretched images have no extra detail, the pixels can become apparent.

Despite this, the DSi XL is a fantastic piece of kit, it allows for more enjoyable gameplay, with more accessibility and ease of use. Along with the larger screens the DSI XL comes with a more substantial stylus, giving you more accurate handling on the DSi XL. It is a shame therefore that these are some of the few benefits which I can mention in this DSi XL review.

The actual controls are still the same size as those on the original DSi, leaving them as fiddly as before to anyone who had trouble with the previous DSi controls. The specifications also remain the same, so the new DSi XL is no faster than a standard DSi. Surprising since we had to pay so much more for the smaller DSi, a larger DSi should be able to hold more components, or at least cost less. The DSi XL will actually be coming in at a premium price, which has annoyed some.

All in all, I can recommend the new DS console in this DSi XL review, however the DSi brings little new to the DSi console, so if you already have a Nintendo DSi console, a DSi XL console is probably not worth the additional cost. If you are new to buying a Nintendo DSi, I do actually think the larger screen is worth the slight additional cost, it does make the gameplay more immersing, and with the new pen like DSI XL stylus, it really is much easier to use.

The new DSi XL only has a few features, but I will go through them here to keep everything simple and apparent.

Size - The DSi XL is much larger than the original DSi, it's screen is reportedly 93% bigger. This improves gameplay, but does reduce the quality of the graphics. This size makes it great for playing around the house, but when it comes to portability, the DSi XL leaves a lot to be desired.

Stylus - The DSi XL comes with an enlarged pen like stylus, this allows for more comfortable and accurate gameplay on the DSi XL.

Buttons - The DSi XL Buttons are the same size as the original DSi, so while the stylus may be better for those who had trouble with the original DSi, don't expect any further relief from the buttons themselves.

Finish - Whereas the DSi had a matte the DSi XL has a gloss finish. It looks much better, but it is once again susceptible to fingermarks and grease smears.

Games and Applications - Unlike the DSi, the DSi Xl comes with two games, Dr Kawashima's a Little Bit of Brain Training, and the 6 in 1 dictionary. On top of this you also get some additional basic items which increase the DSi XL functionality.

The DSi XL is a great piece of kit, it gives great functionality, increased viewing pleasure and further accessibility.

While the DSi XL's larger screen size does give the console some major benefis, it also causes some major issues with portability. I would however say that all in all it allows briliant extended gameplay especially for those games which require intricate stylus gameplay and have lots of reading involved.

That is the other benefit of course, if you are one of the few people using the Nintendo DS series as an eBook reader, the larger screen size makes reading MUCH more comfortable!

If you already have a DS Lite or DSi, then this is probably not a worthwhile purchase, If you are looking to buy a new handheld console though, then the DSi XL could be a good buy for you!