New Nintendo 3DS XL review: Return to the third dimension

Glasses-free 3D improvements impress, but other changes are more marginal.

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[salamanderjuice]

From what Wikipedia states it seems like the New 3DS has twice the RAM and a quad core processor instead of the dual core in the original. Not a huge upgrade but not that much different from the GB to GBC or DS to DSi. One of the cores is for the OS and another for the head tracking apparently which gives an extra core to games. Maybe Pokemon Z on New 3DS will be able to do 3D with more than 10FPS at least.

I was willing to upgrade to the smaller New 3DS since my launch 3DS has even crappier battery life now and the shoulder buttons are starting to give( Will Nintendo ever fix this problem on their handhelds?) and also Xenoblade but I guess I will stick with the original until the 4DS or whatever.

 

[zombie]

I have the original 3DS and have to agree that the angle needed for the 3D to work is really too small.
I ended up disabling the 3D for the vast majority of games.

 

[tipoo]

Is there any way to find out what kind of new CPU is in this thing? I've heard mixed reports, some saying a quad core ARM11 at the same speed (with four vector co-processors), some saying a double clock speed dual ARM11, and some saying two new core types in addition to the two old ARM11s (but ARM11 does not support asymmetrical cores, unless Nintendo was arsed to add it in...I guess it could be a true split 2+2 design though). Sites are less spit on the RAM and GPU at least, the main RAM being doubled, and the video RAM going from 6MB to 10MB, but the GPU and its clock speed being unchanged.

Maybe browser benchmarks would help figure out what it is on the CPU side? Single thread bound tests would not benefit from a quad for instance, but if it was a higher clocked dual they would see improvement.

 

[kazriko]

As someone who uses a desktop keyboard with one of those eraser nub pointers, I wish they'd replace that awful circle pad on the left side with one... It's not as good as the Vita's thumbsticks, but better than a circle pad.

 

[EdgeZephyr]

Solid review, though I've heard some talk that would disagree with the "currently no games that make use of this additional horsepower".

While there are no "new 3DS Exclusive" titles coming out until Xenoblade, a lot of folks on reddit seem to feel that Monster Hunter 4U actually is a case of software already taking advantage of the new hardware: looking and running better on a new 3DS than on an "old" 3DS.

I personally can't wait to see if this is accurate or not for myself. I'm all for designing games in a way that can at least utilize the new hardware, while not alienating owners of the original handheld.

 

[tipoo]

"800 x 240 pixels as the old 3DS (halved horizontally for each eye when 3D is on),"

You don't get the full 800 lines in 2D mode either, it uses pixel doubling to artificially cap that. So the 3D mode actually does get more effective resolution, as at least each eyeball is getting 400 lines, vs the 2D mode which is 400 lines for both eyes.

Makes sense too - the 3D mode is higher demand and has more framerate issues, not the reverse as you'd expect in the other situation. They also just plain don't want the 2D mode to be higher resolution I guess, because 3D is kind of "the thing".

 

[toolman83-2]

How is the battery life compared to the old one?

Newer processor (soc/chipset etc), will be on a newer process, presumably with lower power draw, though that may be balanced out by more cores, higher clock speed etc

Also, how much difference to battery life does turning the 3d on make on the new model?

 

[Marlor_AU]

Osvaldo Doederlein[/url]":ep9s56qu]Does this new model include better parental controls, including time limits? No? Not buying then. My biggest mistake as a parent.

You can't enforce time limits by saying: "Kids, that's enough gaming, time for homework."?

 

[zealotpewpewpew]

Marlor[/url]":2g3l6tmt]

Osvaldo Doederlein[/url]":2g3l6tmt]Does this new model include better parental controls, including time limits? No? Not buying then. My biggest mistake as a parent.

You can't enforce time limits by saying: "Kids, that's enough gaming, time for homework."?

He tried, but the system's voice recognition is terrible.

 

[secretmanofagent]

Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

 

[Zomboe]

When I first heard about the smaller New 3DS launching in Japan for about $150 I actually became slightly interested in it. But now that we are only getting the big one here, and for $200 (vs $180 in Japan), my interest has evaporated. Not including the power adapter is like salt in the wound. (Do you require two power adapters to transfer data from an old system? Would be really ironic.)

Let me know when this drops to $130, the price I paid for my DS Lite (that I still play occasionally). If the 2DS had the clamshell design I'd probably just get that instead.


By the way, the "pointing sticks" are preferred by some and fortunately still are included in some laptops, like some Lenovos. Personally I wouldn't buy a laptop without one.

kazriko[/url]":1y18fyyo]As someone who uses a desktop keyboard with one of those eraser nub pointers, I wish they'd replace that awful circle pad on the left side with one... It's not as good as the Vita's thumbsticks, but better than a circle pad.

I would love a desktop keyboard with one, which one do you recommend?

 

[nider]

I'm sitting here at home with a cold, waiting for the postie to deliver my new 3DS XL MM edition. I just took the SD card out my exiting 3DS and realised I'd bought a 32GB version. Just plugged it into my Mac now and I see that I've used up 13GB on the card.

I was planning to just perform a wireless transfer, but after reading the review, I think I'm going to have to get a micro SD card adapter and undertake a PC based transfer. Thanks for the helpful information!

Update:
Had a bit of a panic when the old 3DS XL had an error during the transfer of the eShop data. Spoke to a Nintendo rep: he'd never seen the issue before and my old system was now wiped. He advised to just leave the new one going.

Eventually, after about 30 minutes of being stuck, the new system timed out, and after dismissing the dialogue, it rebooted to the transfer screen and successfully pulled down the last bit of information from Nintendo to complete the transfer.

So, my biggest tip is: if something goes wrong, let the system time out by itself and don't be impatient and force the system to reboot yourself. I'm guessing things may have been a little less happy if I had.

 

[sarusa]

I've seen some reports that the eye tracking can be confused by glasses, so if you're a meganekko you might want to give it a test drive first. Of course you shouldn't expect it to work at all with sunglasses.

 

[prawnmatic]

I transferred a 3dsxl to a N3DS without needing to open the device or copy/transfer sd cards. There are several methods available to transfer the systems, you can do the whole process wirelessly but it'll take longer.

 

[siliconaddict]

I know its a vanity thing. But I really want the white one with the super famicom buttons. Its nostalgia factor is off the charts for me. Enough that I'll hold out to this fall in hopes that they come out with it then during xmas season.

 

[bluesdrivemonster]

I bet it was a dark day for old 3DS owners when the New 3DS was announced and only it could play Xenoblade Chronicles.

 

[elvisizer]

might actually be time to upgrade the ol' DS lite.
edit: well, that's annoying.

 

[Snarky Robot]

I've saved up to buy one, but I'm really only interested in the Majora's Mask version. Which means, I think, that I'm out of luck for a while.

 

[xizar]

Your copy of Smash hadn't updated if the c-stick didn't work. (That update dropped yesterday, I think.)

Also, some devs are updating their titles to take advantage of the new processors and c-stick. Retro City Rampage is a popularly mentioned game that's getting updated for this.

 

[Chaedog]

Well looking forward to playing with mine, but its arriving tomorrow and its date night, followed by Valentines Day, luckily the misses works Sunday so I'll be able to dive into it then.

I went with the monster hunter edition and also ordered Fire Emblem Awakening. I'll probably save that for vacation, since we plan on doing a lot of lounging and relaxing. It'll be good to have a new game to sink into.

Given Nintendo's wonky DRM system (not as smooth or as easy as Sony or Microsoft) I tend to just buy all my games on cards instead of downloading, so I'm sure as with the 3DS the 4GB internal storage will be more than enough for me on the New one as well.


/edit

elvisizer[/url]":2sg8axxk]might actually be time to upgrade the ol' DS lite.
edit: well, that's annoying.

Yeah that's odd that its hard to buy, I just picked up a $5 USB cable off of amazon to charge it at my desktop (or in car)

 

[Mangosteen69]

Nintendo was touting an improved browser, with actual html5 support. Was very disappointed that no mention of the web browser was made (I guess most people don't bother using it, but as someone without a phone it is quite important to me). I know that the browser in my current 3DS XL is absolute garbage, so I'm very curious to see whether the new one is actually usable

 

[Ellisthion]

The nub isn't usable for smash attacks in the latest Super Smash Bros. titles

As a member of the Australian master-race who got the new 3ds early, this definitely works for me. Maybe the US version's missing an update or something?

 

[FreneticPonies]

salamanderjuice[/url]":yd9a4j14]From what Wikipedia states it seems like the New 3DS has twice the RAM and a quad core processor instead of the dual core in the original. Not a huge upgrade but not that much different from the GB to GBC or DS to DSi. One of the cores is for the OS and another for the head tracking apparently which gives an extra core to games. Maybe Pokemon Z on New 3DS will be able to do 3D with more than 10FPS at least.

I was willing to upgrade to the smaller New 3DS since my launch 3DS has even crappier battery life now and the shoulder buttons are starting to give( Will Nintendo ever fix this problem on their handhelds?) and also Xenoblade but I guess I will stick with the original until the 4DS or whatever.

Yeah this is something I don't understand. Upgrade the hardware, barely advertise the fact, and no visible change to business model such as, say, actually encouraging third party development.

Just got a Wii U as well, and between the "New" 3DS and just how absolutely and stiflingly ugly the Wii U is from the Menu system to the way the controllers feel (imagine a bad 360/PS4 controller and you're there) I'm convinced Nintendo is heading down the same way Sega did, and the only thing keeping them afloat is their software division.

BTW, the "New" 3DS not only still comes with a proprietary charger, in an era of USB. But it also doesn't come in the box. Apparently Nintendo expects only people that already have a 3DS to buy their "sort of new but not really" console, or just plain hates their customers.

 

[Wheels Of Confusion]

Death_wish01[/url]":2nkvaei5]I got the 3DS XL a year ago. I think I should have waited... I feel cheated.

It's futile to feel that way about Nintendo's handhelds because they've been doing this incremental upgrade thing for a while now.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I won't be interested in a Nintendo handheld until they improve the resolution. I'm not a specs whore but I saw the 3DS in person and the display was downright awful. It actually distracted from the gameplay.

 

[Zomboe]

FreneticPonies[/url]":2hl69vkw]

BTW, the "New" 3DS not only still comes with a proprietary charger, in an era of USB. But it also doesn't come in the box. Apparently Nintendo expects only people that already have a 3DS to buy their "sort of new but not really" console, or just plain hates their customers.

I completely agree with you that it's ridiculous but to be fair to Nintendo the DSi chargers also work, apparently. Not that I have one of those either!

For me the 3DS region locking is a sign of hating their customers. Especially in this case, where they just plain refuse to release the smaller New 3DS in America. In some parallel reality I'd be buying the Japanese hardware. Not to mention that my favorite DS game is Japanese.

Wheels Of Confusion[/url]":2hl69vkw]

Death_wish01[/url]":2hl69vkw]I got the 3DS XL a year ago. I think I should have waited... I feel cheated.

It's futile to feel that way about Nintendo's handhelds because they've been doing this incremental upgrade thing for a while now.

A notable exception was the DSi, which I skipped. For me, the loss of GBA backwards compatibility actually made it inferior to the DS Lite.

But yeah I definitely wait till the 2nd or even 3rd revision for Nintendo's handhelds. I was just reminded that the original 3DS launched at $249!

 

[karashata]

I'm personally going to hold off on upgrading from my original Aqua Blue 3DS until the standard-sized model New 3DS is released, if we're lucky enough for NoA to decide to release it here some time in the future. I don't expect there to be too many exclusive games for the New 3DS that could convince me to upgrade to the larger XL model, since I don't find it at all appealing to me, for various reasons.

That said, for those people that do like the XL model, it's probably a reasonable upgrade, certainly if you want the extra power and controls for those games that will be able to utilize them.

 

[stormbeta]

elvisizer[/url]":aqn8ovyt]might actually be time to upgrade the ol' DS lite.
edit: well, that's annoying.

Sure, if you want one that goes directly from an outlet to the device. USB cables that have a 3DS plug on one end are very easy to find though, and probably a better bet since you can use them with any standard USB brick/port.

 

[Sufinsil]

I want it for the 3D face tracking alone.

And the System transfer is a lot quicker than when I moved to a new PS4. No way to copy data over from system to system. You have to re-download everything, reinstall everything from disc, get patches again, track down all the small DLC you had with your games. Half a day right there gone if you want to be back to where you were.

 

[Sufinsil]

secretmanofagent[/url]":y4i7u672]Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

Officially, 32GB. 64 and 128 should work if you format to FAT32.

 

[kazriko]

Zomboe[/url]":35u7gqid]
By the way, the "pointing sticks" are preferred by some and fortunately still are included in some laptops, like some Lenovos. Personally I wouldn't buy a laptop without one.

kazriko[/url]":35u7gqid]As someone who uses a desktop keyboard with one of those eraser nub pointers, I wish they'd replace that awful circle pad on the left side with one... It's not as good as the Vita's thumbsticks, but better than a circle pad.

I would love a desktop keyboard with one, which one do you recommend?

I'm using the Lenovo one right now, it's more like a laptop keyboard put into a USB device, but the scissor keys are decent enough and the trackpoint is almost as good as the one on my T61.

I've often been tempted to get a buckling spring EnduraPro keyboard, but the trackpoint is supposedly not as nice on those. (There's also no scroll button on them.)

 

[xizar]

Sufinsil[/url]":2dcu7c82]

secretmanofagent[/url]":2dcu7c82]Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

Officially, 32GB. 64 and 128 should work if you format to FAT32.

My 64gig card, formatted with FAT32, works in my old gameboy. Tomorrow will be the moment of truth. I have, however, read several testimonials regarding even a 128gig card working, again formatted with FAT32.

To echo some of the above statements, region locking has been the biggest negative I've tallied against Nintendo's consoles. While the 3DS will read DS carts from any region, the inability to play Fatal Frame 5, Senran Kagura 2, and some other games vexes me. Similarly, there are many titles the US gets that the EU doesn't.

The main reason I will keep my old gameboy will so I have a platform to enable region unlocking, if that becomes more easily done. (There is a current workaround that does not require rooting the 3DS. It doesn't work on the New 3DS.)

The second biggest negative to tally against Nintendo is their inability to name a fucking console clearly.

GameCube -> Wii? fine.
Wii -> Wii U? wtf...

DS -> 3DS? Good, actually... clearly explains what's new in the title.
3DS -> New 3DS? ... really? "I just got a new New Nintendo 3DS." "Just gotta say `new' once, dude." "no... that's the name."

(And the reason I will always refer to them as a "gameboy" and "nintendo".)

 

[salamanderjuice]

xizar[/url]":1gsogbni]

Sufinsil[/url]":1gsogbni]

secretmanofagent[/url]":1gsogbni]Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

Officially, 32GB. 64 and 128 should work if you format to FAT32.

My 64gig card, formatted with FAT32, works in my old gameboy. Tomorrow will be the moment of truth. I have, however, read several testimonials regarding even a 128gig card working, again formatted with FAT32.

To echo some of the above statements, region locking has been the biggest negative I've tallied against Nintendo's consoles. While the 3DS will read DS carts from any region, the inability to play Fatal Frame 5, Senran Kagura 2, and some other games vexes me. Similarly, there are many titles the US gets that the EU doesn't.

The main reason I will keep my old gameboy will so I have a platform to enable region unlocking, if that becomes more easily done. (There is a current workaround that does not require rooting the 3DS. It doesn't work on the New 3DS.)

The second biggest negative to tally against Nintendo is their inability to name a fucking console clearly.

GameCube -> Wii? fine.
Wii -> Wii U? wtf...

DS -> 3DS? Good, actually... clearly explains what's new in the title.
3DS -> New 3DS? ... really? "I just got a new New Nintendo 3DS." "Just gotta say `new' once, dude." "no... that's the name."

(And the reason I will always refer to them as a "gameboy" and "nintendo".)

So because the naming convention is bad you make things worse by using the wrong name? I don't really follow your logic there. At first I thought you just had a 64GB SD card in a Game Boy flash cart until you explained at the end.

 

[Marlor_AU]

xizar[/url]":3cl0j7lt]
3DS -> New 3DS? ... really? "I just got a new New Nintendo 3DS." "Just gotta say `new' once, dude." "no... that's the name."

They're just copying Apple's branding (e.g. "New iPad").

 

[Merovingian]

Marlor[/url]":2lrjcrdo]

Osvaldo Doederlein[/url]":2lrjcrdo]Does this new model include better parental controls, including time limits? No? Not buying then. My biggest mistake as a parent.

You can't enforce time limits by saying: "Kids, that's enough gaming, time for homework."?

Apparently there's a lot of Arsians that either aren't parents, or have little experience with temperamental (read: most) kids. Life isn't like TV or the movies. Many kids either find ways to get what they want, or raise hell when they can't. There are wonderful days when the kid is compliant, and the device is put away when asked. The rest of the time it becomes leverage, a bargaining chip, or bullet fodder.

The effect is multiplied when you have fewer devices than kids, and no, the answer isn't to simply buy enough for everyone (see paragraph above).

Involved parenting isn't science, though it takes real experience with real children to understand.

 

[BasP]

I have the original 3DS, and I never found the 3D viewing angle to be cumbersome or too small, so I always left the 3D on. Judging from the review and some of the comments, if the 3D is that much better I guess I'll be completely blown away by the new device?

 

[torp]

Zomboe[/url]":1d3ct55a]
For me the 3DS region locking is a sign of hating their customers. Especially in this case, where they just plain refuse to release the smaller New 3DS in America. In some parallel reality I'd be buying the Japanese hardware. Not to mention that my favorite DS game is Japanese.

Speaking of which, is there any point in getting a Nintendo handheld if you live in a country Nintendo hasn't heard of (namely Romania)? I guess i wouldn't get any online services and I'd be limited to whatever they, in their infinite generosity, decide to make available for sale locally. Which at a quick glance is not worth the bother. Or can I just lie that I'm in the UK and get my stuff from UK stores, like I do with the playstation titles?

Edit: or to believe the poster I'm replying to... can I lie that I'm in Japan?