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Here are the five key things to know about the Nintendo DSi XL on March 28th.
1. Yes, it's much, much bigger.
Much. This is the heaviest, longest, and widest DS to date. Specifically, the DSi XL boasts twin 4.2 inch screens -- 93% larger than the DS Lite and a fair share bigger than the DSi. It also packs a standard stylus alongside a fat new stylus roughly the size of a pen. See for yourself in this handy size comparison pic.
2. That goes for the battery, too.
This might be the most overlooked new feature. The supersized battery means you don’t have to charge it up as often, reportedly lasting between 13 and 17 hours on the lowest brightness setting. That's a significant boost over the DSi's 9 to 14 hour range. Unless you're flying halfway around the world, chances are the DSi XL will be a dependable travel companion.
3. It's pre-loaded with games.
Although we're not sure they all deserve to be called "games." Two of them are Brain Age spinoffs: one for Arts and Letters, another focusing on Math. The others? A Photo Clock (which lets you turn any picture into a timekeeper), a browser, and the Flipnote animation studio. It's not exactly Mario Kart, but hey, free stuff is free stuff.
4. It will play all your DS titles.
Besides, you're not going to waste time with the pre-installed software for long. The DSi XL supports all 1,000 or so DS games released over the past six years. And since it's still technically a DSi system, you can also download DSiWare titles.
5. It doesn’t really fit in your pocket.
One of the selling points of any portable game system is, well, its portability. By most accounts, the DSi XL is a little too bulky to tote around in your front pocket. It's not as unwieldy as an iPad, but it's hardly as portable as your iPhone...or your standard DSi.
1. Yes, it's much, much bigger.
Much. This is the heaviest, longest, and widest DS to date. Specifically, the DSi XL boasts twin 4.2 inch screens -- 93% larger than the DS Lite and a fair share bigger than the DSi. It also packs a standard stylus alongside a fat new stylus roughly the size of a pen. See for yourself in this handy size comparison pic.
2. That goes for the battery, too.
This might be the most overlooked new feature. The supersized battery means you don’t have to charge it up as often, reportedly lasting between 13 and 17 hours on the lowest brightness setting. That's a significant boost over the DSi's 9 to 14 hour range. Unless you're flying halfway around the world, chances are the DSi XL will be a dependable travel companion.
3. It's pre-loaded with games.
Although we're not sure they all deserve to be called "games." Two of them are Brain Age spinoffs: one for Arts and Letters, another focusing on Math. The others? A Photo Clock (which lets you turn any picture into a timekeeper), a browser, and the Flipnote animation studio. It's not exactly Mario Kart, but hey, free stuff is free stuff.
4. It will play all your DS titles.
Besides, you're not going to waste time with the pre-installed software for long. The DSi XL supports all 1,000 or so DS games released over the past six years. And since it's still technically a DSi system, you can also download DSiWare titles.
5. It doesn’t really fit in your pocket.
One of the selling points of any portable game system is, well, its portability. By most accounts, the DSi XL is a little too bulky to tote around in your front pocket. It's not as unwieldy as an iPad, but it's hardly as portable as your iPhone...or your standard DSi.
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