New 3DS XL review – Nintendo’s biggest, newest handheld

Of course, the New 3DS XL’s main attraction is its huge screens. At 4.88in, the top screen alone is practically the same size as your average smartphone, and the lower touchscreen’s 4.18in display provides more than enough room to swipe and tap with the stylus. That’s a sizable increase over the New 3DS’s 3.88in and 3.33in screens, and there’s no denying that games look visually more exciting and immersive on the New 3DS XL thanks to the larger window it provides into each game world.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, for example, is a perfect match for the New 3DS XL, as the world not only looks and feels larger, but you also get a much better idea of the sheer size of each monster as they tower over you. By comparison, when we played the same game on the smaller New 3DS, our hunts felt much more cramped and it couldn’t really do justice to the game’s extensive environments.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate looks much more impressive on the New 3DS XL’s larger screens

Super-sized gaming does have its downsides, though, as the New 3DS XL’s screens still have exactly the same 800×240 and 320×240 resolutions as those on the New 3DS, giving each one a lower pixel density. This means that games don’t look nearly as sharp on the New 3DS XL, and we could see visible aliasing on nearly every game we tried. It was particularly prominent when we turned on the stereoscopic 3D. We wouldn’t say it’s not a massive problem in the grand scheme of things, though, as we’re more than willing to put up with a few jagged edges if it means grander-looking games.

Of course, not every game has the same epic style as Monster Hunter, and smaller scale games such as Tomodachi Life don’t benefit nearly as much from the extra screen space. If anything, we’d say it actually looks worse on the New 3DS XL due to the sheer amount of aliasing.

The same goes for Majora’s Mask 3D. As much as we appreciated the extra sense of depth on the New 3DS XL, Link and the rest of Clock Town’s inhabitants looked noticeably crisper and more defined on the smaller screens of the New 3DS, so you may want to consider what types of games you like playing before you decide to go for one console or the other. If you like open world RPGs like Monster Hunter and are particularly looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, for example, then you’ll probably want to consider an XL to get the most of each title.

Another point in the New 3DS XL’s favour is its larger 1,750mAh battery, allowing you to play for longer periods between each charge. While some games will drain the battery faster than others, Nintendo estimates that you’ll be able to spend 3.5 to 7 hours playing, which is an extra hour over the New 3DS’s 1,400mAh battery. Both consoles should last around 3 days in sleep mode, though.

Overall, we much prefer the New 3DS to its big brother, but the main deciding factor is whether you want the larger screens. It’s a shame the console isn’t simply a larger like-for-like version of the New 3DS, as the New 3DS’s finish is far superior to the XL’s more toy-like, glossy exterior. The lack of face plates is another big deal breaker for us, but if this doesn’t bother you then the New 3DS XL is still a perfectly fine choice. In fact, there’s almost more reason to buy a New 3DS XL right now if you’re hankering after Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, as its larger screens really do add a lot to overall gameplay experience. Otherwise, the smaller New 3DS remains our Nintendo handheld of choice.