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Despite its odd name, the New Nintendo 3DS XL is not a new 3DS XL, but an upgraded 3DS XL. It's effectively a differentgame system with more power, features, and controls, that happens to be completely backwards-compatible with 3DS and DS games. So of course this new handheld isn't called something sensible, like the 3DS XL 2 or the 3DS XL Plus or anything. It's the New Nintendo 3DS XL. Fortunately, this $199.99 gaming handheld is an excellent update to the already excellent 3DS XL, and definitely worth your time. And yes—even if you already have a 3DS or 3DS XL.
Like with every new Nintendo portable iteration, the New 3DS XL's ports and controls have been rearranged slightly over the previous version. Now only a charging port sits at the top of the lower half of the New 3DS XL, between the hinges. The game card slot and headphone jack have been moved to the bottom edge of the lower half of the unit, along with the stylus holder and Power button. The Home button sits on the bottom edge of the lower screen, and the Start and Select buttons sit below the X, A, B, and Y buttons, which now have colored lettering in a nod to the Super Famicom. The second control stick sits above and to the left of the buttons, and the L and R shoulder triggers are now joined by ZL and ZR, smaller buttons that sit slightly to the right and left of the original shoulder buttons. Finally, the Volume slider has been moved to the left edge of the top half of the device, and is now parallel with the 3D slider.
The second control stick is the most notable change in the New 3DS XL's physical design. It adds a much-needed secondary analog control to the device. (For comparison, the original 3DS could be augmented with the Circle Pad Pro accessory, but it's a bulky, obscure gadget that doesn't work with 3DS XL systems.) The new stick is much smaller than the analog pad on the left side of the lower screen, which remains unchanged. Instead of a pad, the stick is more like the nub pointer controllers found in the middle of the keyboards of some notebook computers. It's stiffer and less accurate than the analog pad, and isn't comfortable for precision aiming or quick, precise maneuvers like Smash attacks in Super Smash Bros. It's an excellent camera control, though, and it enhanced both The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo by letting me easily change my perspective without rubbing the touch screen with my thumb.
The build and features are far different from thePlayStation Vita, which still stands as an excellent piece of hardware. The Vita is more rounded, slimmer, and of course has only one, non-glasses-free-3D, screen. While direct hardware comparisons aren't realistic for such different game systems, the Vita also appears to have more power under the hood. However, games make the handheld, and while the Vita is a nice device, the New 3DS XL boasts a huge library of compelling 3DS and DS games that stretches well into the current generation. We'll touch more on this below.
The included 4GB microSD card is a nice gesture as well. But it doesn't make up for a glaring omission by Nintendo: The New 3DS XL doesn't come with a charger. You can use your 3DS/3DS XL charger with the New 3DS XL just fine, and you can get a new charger for $6 to $12, but it's a pretty big thing to leave out of the box. This will be an extra pain for people who received the New 3DS XL as a gift, since without a charger the device is unusable once whatever charge is already in the battery runs out.
The interface and online features are identical to the previous 3DS and 3DS XL, and if you import all of your game data from one of the earlier handhelds, you'll even see your themes and icon arrangements preserved. Our review of the original 3DS explores these features in more depth. Long-time Nintendo fans will find no surprises in the software.
The New 3DS XL vastly improves the 3D thanks to face-tracking technology. The front-facing camera on the top half of the system constantly watches your face and adjusts the screen filter, which produces a separate image for each eye based on where your face and eyes are. You still have to keep your face in view and relatively straight on to the camera, but the sweet spot to keep 3D functional and not headache-inducing has exploded in size. I could comfortably use the New 3DS XL with 3D on from a variety of positions, including standing on the subway. It works remarkably well, and shows a huge leap in the technology since the first 3DS came out.
The 3D isn't perfect, though. Very high-contrast scenes still show significant ghosting even if the camera has a lock on your face, and this can mean frustration for dungeons, caves, and atmospheric horror settings. If one object is very bright compared with everything else on the screen, it will probably look like two objects. The 3D works best when playing consistently bright and colorful games.
The New Nintendo 3DS XL is a comprehensive and welcome upgrade to the original 3DS and 3DS XL, even if the name, design, interface, and game selection don't make that clear. Its 3D is much better (if still not perfect), it's more powerful (for games that take advantage of it), and it has a second analog stick (even if it's more like a camera-controlling nub). Nintendo doesn't make it clear, but with all of the New 3DS XL's improvements it's definitely a handheld you should consider to replace your current 3DS or 3DS XL. It might still not be as technically fast as the Vita with its two equally functional analog sticks, but the massive game library available makes the New 3DS XL the clearly superior choice for most gamers.
I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).
