Still on the fence with Nintendo’s new handheld solution: The New Nintendo 3DS XL? You’re not alone. But, that’s why We The Nerdy is here: to help you through this time of crisis. Back a launch, I imported a Japanese unit to give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. Chances are, if you’re a hardcore Nintendo fanboy you did the same, or at the very least preordered a local copy, but many fans I notice are still scratching their heads on just what the new system is. To make things simple, I came up with the 3 most important things to know about the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
The “Improved” 3D Screen
One feature I noticed being showcased in ads is the New 3DS’ ability to use face tracking and light metering to improve your 3D viewing experience. The camera follows where your face is and adjusts the 3D effect to accommodate your viewing angle. Anyone who has tried the old model 3DS has likely noticed the 3D effect falls apart if your head shifts a little too far to the side. The concept here is a clever solution to this issue, but in my experience it simply does not work. Without clear studio lighting, the system seems to have trouble following my glasses-wearing face and will often wig out. While the 3D effect was on, I’d notice the screens jarring and jumping a bit more than usual, even while my head was still. If the reason you were considering the New 3DS upgrade was to finally enjoy games in 3D, don’t get your hopes up. Similarly, the system has a power-saving function to adjust brightness depending on where you are. In my dimly lit room I typically play games in, I noticed the brightness would hiccup from max to min every time my head tilted over to the side or I adjusted myself in my seat. Again, the concept itself is a great idea, but I ended up turning both these features off very quickly.
The Stronger Processor
It’s clearly a quality of life improvement, but the system boots up much faster and navigating the menu and in-system store is so much more enjoyable on the New 3DS. Most of my gaming is done on the old system I bought at launch because that’s my only US region system, and each time I want to post to the Miiverse or just swap to a different game I feel an urge to stop what I’m doing and play on my Japanese system instead. Is this boost to menu navigation speed worth $200? I wouldn’t say so, but rest assured that this is one perk that does live up to the sales pitch.
The Added Buttons
The final big talking point I hear my friends get most curious about is “how does that C-stick work?” To answer that best I can only say “Don’t call it a C-stick”. While the added nub does function pretty well, I would never use it to perform smashes in Smash Bros or really anything beyond camera adjustments, but the sensitivity of the nub itself is very functional in nature. I found I could navigate the home menu using that stick instead of the large one to the left, and surprisingly it behaves in a very accurate fashion. The only problem is the lack of feedback on the nub itself. It doesn’t really tilt or click in like any controller stick I’ve ever experienced, and kudos to Nintendo for thinking outside the box, but as a result it feels like the stick itself is broken or stationary. However the nub works, it does go left when you want to press it to the left, and it does go down when you press down, so it’s possible the sturdy design was intentionally made with quick flicks in mind. I don’t forsee any first person shooters being played this way, but in games like Zelda or Monster Hunter I’m sure New 3DS owners will get used to tweaking their camera at least. Additionally, the New 3DS also has two new shoulder buttons, which may prove to be a game changer in some upcoming New 3DS-compatible titles, but I believe to date we only have 1 game which requires the New 3DS to play.
Over all, I must point out that the New Nintendo 3DS XL is a clear upgrade from the traditional models, but it is far from a new console as some fans had hoped. I think I’d most recommend considering this upgrade if you yourself are still rocking your old original Nintendo 3DS from launch and never went for that XL upgrade. Now is a great excuse to get that bigger screen and enjoy the faster system at the same time. However, if you recently purchased a 3DS XL, don’t kick yourself just yet. Sit on what you have because you aren’t really missing out on too much just yet. I’m sure as time goes on we will see models with unique designs or valuable bundles built in, so keep an eye out for 2015’s holiday season for a better excuse to jump on the system.
