Product Comparison: Nintendo 2DS XL vs Nintendo 3DS XL

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Nintendo 2DS XL Handheld Console

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Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

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General Specifications

Brand

Nintendo

Model

2DS XL

3DS XL

Origin

China

About the Product

The new clamshell-design system will be available in a stylish Black + Turquoise colour, as well as White + Orange, and will use the same size large screen found on New Nintendo 3DS XL systems. As the name of the new system implies, visuals will be displayed in 2D only. The system is lighter but still packs the same power as New Nintendo 3DS XL, and has built-in NFC support for amiibo cards and figures. It can play the massive library of quality Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS games in 2D.

The Nintendo 3DS XL system combines next-generation portable gaming with eye-popping 3D visuals. Take 3D photos, connect to friends, other players, or wireless hotspots with the wireless StreetPass and SpotPass communication modes. With 90 percent larger screens than the 3DS, 3DS XL is the ultimate 3D entertainment system.

Key Specs

Screen Resolution

240 p

Game Sources

Nintendo DS cartridge, Nintendo eShop

Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DS cartridge

Internal Memory

4 GB

1.5 GB

Screen Resolution
Internal Memory

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Nintendo 2DS XL Handheld Console

The screens are better than I expected, with ample brightness, and after having played a lot of hours on it, good enough resolution.
The memory card is easily accessible so it can be replaced with a larger one if preferred.
It seems a bit odd that this only has 400x240 pixel resolution, especially notable since the mobile gaming has been doing 1080p for years.
Screen is insultingly low resolution and the build quality is hyper basic.
Unfortunately, the bigger screens do NOT mean higher resolution. While the screens are quite a bit larger than the 3DS, the resolution is the same, which results in ugly stretched pixels.

Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

The screen has a nice resolution. Very well built. Much better than the ds lite!
It's perfect! I absolutely love it. It also came with a 4GB Memory Card, so I was so relieved I didn't have to buy my own.
The 3DSXL comes with a 4 GB SD card, making for a much bigger space for storage than the 2 GB SD card included with the first models.
i was nervous it wont work but after i started it it was very good and good going, it also had a 4 Giga memory card
The game collection is super small. You can download a number of games off the store but proprietary memory cards make this expensive.

Size & Weight

Color

White/Orange

Black

Height

0.8 in.

3.7 in.

Width

6.4 in.

6.1 in.

Depth

6.3 in.

0.9 in.

Weight

0.58 lbs.

0.74 lbs.

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

It doesn't look ergonomic, but its actually quite comfortable to play with.
Perfect for my boyfriends birthday, affordable, compact, from what he says better than the original. Easy gift for a gamer.
The buttons all work well, the weight is nice, for being fairly large in screen size, the overall unit is pretty compact.
The buttons are placed horribly and the device does not feel good while in your hand.
The ergonomic design of the console could use a good bit of work, though. It's very uncomfortable to play for more than a few minutes at a time.

Screen

Screen Type

LCD

LCD (3D)

Screen Size

4.88 in.

Screen Size

What customers say about "Screen"

Nintendo 2DS XL Handheld Console

The screen is a good size and the console feels lightweight . The screen hinge feels durable and there is a C stick I assume is similar to the N64 controller.
The XL series has a large screen without adding any resolution so be prepared to SEE the pixels, it has a nice large screen but it's not a modern mobile phone with ultra high-dpi.
Console was in perfect condition, pretty much new. Brilliant design and clean screen no scratches or marks. Very happy with purchase thank you would order again.
I was rather disappointed with the screens, noticing that Nintendo still use the TN panels, which have been in use for ever!
The screen was opened up is a bit wobbly. Not something that affects game play or enjoyment of the console but just an irritant.

Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

The touch screen is really nicely made
The screen is large, and the 3D effect really does work (but it's a strain on my eyes, and is easily turned off.)
The screen size is great, the touch screen is very responsive.
The screen is SOOO much larger and definitely makes any game you play with it that much more immersive..
My Son likes it but the 3D is the down side, because if you move your head away and look back at the screen you need to find the right place to see the 3D

Multimedia

Front Camera

0.3 MP

Rear Camera

0.3 MP

Multimedia Features

Multiplayer, Face Raiders, AR Games, Nintendo eShop, StreetPass, Mii Maker, Activity Log, Internet browser

Music, Photo, StreetPass, SpotPass, Multiplayer, Mii Maker, Internet browser, Nintendo eShop, YouTube, Activity Log

Expansion Card

64 GB

32 GB

What customers say about "Multimedia"

Nintendo 2DS XL Handheld Console

I was very happy when I found out that it is possible to take photos directly from the device.
Good battery life, have many good games such as Pokemon and Tomadachi, many functions like Internet and Camera.
It also has a dust guard for the game card slot and the SD card slot is right next to it, meaning you don't have to use a screwdriver to swap them out any more.
I think they put too many expensive features in the console like 2 cameras when it really wasn't needed and sacrificed build quality.
Photo quality poor although that is what a camera or smartphone is for. Screen quality not very clear a lot of money and disappointed.

Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

The 3DS also comes with a front and rear cameras so you can take pictures and edit them however you like.
Web browsing is alright. You can go on Facebook and such. Websites load reasonably fast.
The resolution is very low quality so don't expect HD pictures.
Expected better quality from the two cameras but it's not really an annoyance.
My only complaint is that the eshop is not as fleshed out as it is on the Wii.

Details

Controls

C stick, Start button, Select button, Home button, Cross control pad, Circle Pad, Volume control, ZL/ZR buttons, A/B/X/Y buttons, Power button, L/R buttons

Interfaces

Wi-Fi, MicroSD card slot, Audio jack 3.5mm

Power

Battery

1400 mAh

1750 mAh

Battery

What customers say about "Power"

Nintendo 2DS XL Handheld Console

The battery life is good and is great as portable fun. This has been so much better than I ever imagined and it has been a fantastic gift.
This gives me a similarly large console with a similar battery life. The battery life itself is extremely impressive.
I love this. It feels very matte. The screen is large, he has awesome battery life, and it's adorable.
The battery life is superb, I have went 3-4 days before charging. The hinge seems perfectly secure, and not seeing any looseness whatsoever.
Battery life is not as good as my DSi but still good enough, think I'm getting about 4 hours. Really pleased I bought it!

Nintendo 3DS XL Handheld Console

This is such a fun console. Battery lasts a long time. And it goes everywhere w us.
Battery hold life fairly long.
Really a fantastic system and the battery life is fantastic.
Good system with good battery life

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer warranty

Certifications

FCC, CE

Other Information

Manual

Download

Date First Available

July 28, 2012