Nintendo Goes Big on 3D, Announces 3DS XL Priced at $200

By Jane McEntegart
published

Nintendo has announced a brand new version of its 3DS handheld gaming console.

When Nintendo's E3 press events came and went without any mention of a rumored 3DS, we didn't know what to think. However, it seems the company may have been saving its announcement for a time when the newswires were a little bit less crowded. Nintendo last night confirmed the existence of the 3DS and announced that the hand-held console would be on sale by the end of July.

 

The Nintendo 3DS XL features a top display that measures in at 4.88 inches and a bottom display that measures 4.18 inches. This is compared to
3.53 inches for the top display on the 3DS and 3.02 inches for the 3DS's bottom display. The new 3DS will also ship with a 4GB SD card and will be available in Japan first, on July 28. U.S. gamers will have to wait a bit longer, as the 3DS XL isn't slated to arrive in North America until August 19.

"No other hand-held entertainment experience compares to the fun of Nintendo 3DS," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "With the launch of Nintendo 3DS XL on August 19, consumers will be able to enjoy the great lineup of current and upcoming games on an even grander scale. Plus, Nintendo 3DS XL gives owners even more real estate on their screens to enjoy entertainment applications like Nintendo Video and Netflix."

Gamers in Japan will have a choice of red and black, black and silver, or white, while customers in the U.S. will get a red version and a blue version. Pricing for the 3DS XL has been set at $199.

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Jane McEntegart

Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • berval
    No second circle pad?
    Reply
  • I bet the CPP peripheral for the regular 3DS will be incompatible with the XL model, as well. Also, what's up with the different colors for each region? Seems stupidly unnecessary.
    Reply
  • chumich1
    bervalNo second circle pad?It's like the PSP all over again! (at least they have the peripheral)
    Reply
  • aoneone
    Seriously, whos going to buy this waste of money?
    Firstly, Theres no second circle pad as every controller should since 1997
    Secondly, the design is just piss poor boring and blocky
    Thirdly, any screen larger than the original 3ds with the same resolution just results in bigger pixels with same resolution? Good luck BAHAHAHAH
    Reply
  • fulle
    I'd hate to see how ridiculous this thing looks with a Cirlce Pad Pro attached to it.



    Reply
  • Kami3k
    As if people weren't confused enough by the naming scheme already.....
    Reply
  • aftcomet
    Screen almost twice as big at same resolution? Terrible, terrible combination.
    Reply
  • upgrade_1977
    Should have done the XL ver. in the first place... DUH...
    Reply
  • Khimera2000
    For 50 bucks more I can get a PS Vita.

    I don't like the style of the DS, and at that size, I see more value in better control surfaces then in 3D. Plus I got to play with the Vita's augmented reality setup... that was cool 0.o
    Reply
  • shqtth
    yumm
    Reply