Nintendo Handheld Console DSi XL - Dark Brown

I've upgraded to the Nintendo DSi XL from a plain ol' White Lite unit, and I could not be more happier if it made the coffee. The XL is a beautiful bit of kit, perfect for young and old alike (I'm only just pushing 21 and I love the idea of a bigger console). Regarding portability issues, if you're someone who only uses their DS at home or sports a backpack/handbag everywhere you go, the XL is perfect. If you're someone who loves shoving their DSi in their pocket before trekking out the front door, you may want to think about just getting or sticking with the smaller DSi - the XL was never really meant to be portable. A few of the many features which are a definite improvement:- 01) Larger screens. Lots of people have been concerned that the larger screens would make games appear stretched, blocky or pixelated. Not so. The larger screens are beautiful, bright (I use my XL on Brightness Setting 3, and whilst it's slightly darker than the factory setting everything still looks bright and beautiful!) and the new LCD viewing angle is perfect for games played at a table, etc. 02) Speakers. Both DSi systems boast a music facility (Nintendo DSi Sound) where m4a format music tracks can be put on an SD card and played through the DSi XL. You can then muck around with them if you like (the facility boasts a surprising number of gadgets for doing so), change the visualisations much like on Windows Media Player, or just sit back and listen. One of the XL designers mentioned on the "Iwata Asks" interview that not only are the XL's speakers larger than the DSi's, but they have added more holes, which adds to the sound quality. And it really does - songs are loud, crisp without losing their bass, and the speakers work well with both instrumental and vocal tracks. The unit can also turn off its backlights after it detects you're idle to save on battery life, which is a treat. 03) Connectivity. Both my Phat and Lite DSes have had trouble finding our modem from my bedroom (which is only a stones' throw away from our wireless modem!) and have done since I first got them. The XL, on the other hand, has no problems at all. The wireless signal strength is definitely stronger and faster than previous consoles. The internet browser, powered by Opera, is a smidgen slow but perfect for doing on-the-go Google searches (even image searches are processed in a breeze), and the browser is also perfectly capable of displaying Amazon, LiveJournal, eBay and Nintendo itself. The only downside is a lack of flash player (which means you can't access sites like YouTube or Google Video) but really, for a utility to just look things up quickly when you don't want to boot up your laptop, it's a dream. Having a larger screen means a larger keyboard, too, so typing is made remarkably easier. 04) Stylus. The larger stylus that comes with the XL is marvellous. It's the comfiest thing I've ever held, stylus or pen alike, and the little tab on the side stops it from rolling off to God knows where. Sometimes I forget I'm even holding it. 05) Battery life. The XL has an improved battery life over the regular DSi (harking back to the Lite), and on Brightness Setting 3 you can get approximately 9-11 hours (I've tested this, it's true). If you're a battery-conservation freak like I am, you can also turn off your wireless whenever you know you won't be using the DSi Shop or Internet Browser. Just go Settings > Wireless Connections > Turn Wireless: Off. The little yellow light on the left hand side of the top screen will turn off. The top lid is a bit of a finger print magnet, as the Lite was before it, but it's easy enough to go over with a bit of cloth if you're worried about appearances. The matte bottom is great for holding the console and not getting sweaty hands/having it slip out of your fingers. The Start and Select buttons have been enlarged (so you don't need to press on them as hard as you had to with the Lite), and the moved Power button means fewer accidental turn-offs. The inbuilt software is a bargain - Doctor Kawashima's Brain Training: Arts Edition is practically a full program if you don't have the original Brain Training cartridge that made the DS so popular, and whilst the Dictionary has a few words missing I imagine it would still help if you're stuck on the crossword. Having the option to look up words in German, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese is also sort-of cool, if you're interested. (It helps my Dad with decoding his German military history, which is good...) I would also recommend signing onto the DSi Shop and downloading Flipnote Studio (it's 100% free). A lovely little program for writing memos or doing the odd doodle when you're bored. Note that if you connect to the DSi Shop before March 31st, you get 1000 free points to spend on games. I highly recommend Art Style: PiCOPiCT and Starship Patrol if you're into Puzzle/Strategy games. Finally, the camera is nothing to shout about, but it's great for taking photos to be used on your top screen a la a wallpaper. It's also great for photographing my dog - she doesn't realise it's a camera and sits still for once! The photos can then either be uploaded to FaceBook using the XL's inbuilt internet, or sent to the SD card to be transferred to a computer. The resolution isn't great, but the XL was never made to replace your digital camera anyway. In conclusion: A vast improvement on its predecessors, perfect for people who are vision-impaired or just want larger game screens, beautiful speaker quality, great wireless connectivity, better battery life, great in-built software. A great machine. I hope Nintendo continues along this path - bigger is better!

I had a DSi and convinced myself that it would be a waste to get an XL, but it turns out I was wrong. The screens.. I never really gave much thought to how small the regular DSi screens are. The XL screens in comparison are massive. They are lovely and bright, and very clear. One thing I didn't like with the regular DSi was that the sound was pretty bad. The slot design of the speaker made everything sound a bit tinny. There's no issue here. The XL sounds great with no distorting or crackling. The interface is the same as with the DSi. You can scroll through the menu left and right to see what installed games/apps you have and you can connect with the Nintendo eShop via wifi. The nice thing with the DSi/DSi XL is that you can press the home button to quit back to the menu screen if you want to reset or change games, rather than having to turn the console off and on again like with the DS Lite. There are two cameras on the XL, but they're not up to much. They mostly serve as a bit of a diversion when you first get the console but with so many good DS games, I never used them past the first day to be honest. The other great thing about the XL is that although you get the regular skinny stylus, it also comes with a big pen shaped one too. I never gave much thought to how my hand used to get a bit cramped using the little stylus, but it's so comfortable using the pen one that I'll never go back now. The only downside is that it doesn't attach to the console, so you have to be careful not to lose it. The skinny stylus still slots into the unit itself though, so if the worst happens and you do lose the pen then you still have a backup. Lastly, I really like the fact the DSi and DSi XL have proper up and down buttons for the volume instead of the slider on the DS Lite. I would regularly be nudging the volume accidently on the DS Lite. No more accidental silent gaming here. The XL is solidly built and looks, and sounds, great. It's a bit heavier than the regular DSi but considering how nice the screen are it's a compromise worth making. The only downside is that probably won't fit in your pocket anymore.

The actual console is fine as long as you can charge it, as when you put charger cable into it nothing happens until you pull the cable really tight and cellotape it to console so pulling the console socket downwards and even then it take a few goes to get it right, when it is charged its a great console but its annoying when something is so much trouble. Just updating review as one of the prongs in charging socket has now fallen of and I suspect it being loose was the problem all along, I bought this console from joy in a box

I have just used some birthday money to upgrade from my DS lite to this and I have to say I am very, very impressed! There are so many more features but the main reason I upgraded was for the screens. I was finding it really hard to play for any length of time with the smaller screens but this little (erm, well maybe not so little) gem is amazing. The screens are bright and give your DS games a new lease of life. I have not noticed any pixilation as some have reported, just massive, easy to see and play versions of all my favourite games. For anyone with a DSI, it's worth upgrading just for the screens alone in my opinion. Note that they are the only difference between last years DSI and this years XL. All other features (cams etc) are the same. For those with a Phat or Lite, it's a must buy! I will admit that it is not as portable as it's smaller cousins but that is not a problem for me as I only use my DS at home. Anyone wanting to pop this in a pocket will need BIG pockets! Overall though, for me, this has been a great decision and I am now enjoying my DS games much more than I ever have. I highly recommend buying it, you won't regret it! Edit: The above review was written the day I bought it. Since then, the hinge has worked loose so that the top screen waggles about and I have had 6 instances where my games have stopped working. After turning the console off and back on again, the game cart was not being recognised and had to be taken out and put back in several times before it would read it. This has happened with 3 different games so it's not a cart issue and they work fine on my nephew's DS lite. I'm taking it back to store to get an exchange - though I'm not sure I'll get another XL, might swap for a DSi. It's still an amazing console though despite this - there are always bugs to iron out when new hardware is released.

Happy to find a DS XL for the price advertised. Order shipped on time, but I was given the incorrect tracking information. Toy Planet was quick to respond and despatched a new item to the required address. Whilst the item was a week late due to this, it did arrive before I required it (mother's day). Whilst it was advertised that there were mild scratches to the case, the inside and screen of the DS was pristine, working charger also supplied. However the stylus was chewed up, it was revolting - I think it is pure laziness not to replace this, as I picked a pack of 5 spare styluses for about £3. Wouldn't have gone amiss.. Upon testing the DS with two different official Nintendo game cards, I learnt that it was unable to read games. So I am paying for the return for a full refund of the product. There was no postage method offered, so I don't think this will be refunded to me. There is a chance that this experience is just a particularly bad one off. I blame Amazon for their lack of vetting. So I probably won't use this company again unless they offer something particularly enticing, because as I said they were very quick to respond and resolve the situation overall. So I'd recommend this company if you have time & coin to spare for the return. TL;DR: Product arrived late, wrong tracking, DS turned on but didn't read working game cards, refund actioned, returning at my cost, seller quick to respond + resolve. 3 stars for response from seller, product being in relatively good 2nd hand shape + accepting return // -1 star for wrong tracking/delay, -1 star for not working as advertised.

I recently purchased this as my old-style DS (original) had begun to show signs of 'wear' - like a crack going through it. The large screens are a welcome sight - yes I can see the smaller one easily but (in this case) bigger is better. I like the way is flips open allowing the LEDs (for charging etc) to be shown when closed. The larger stylus (and especially the pen) are also a welcome. This is because you can grip it more naturally (and less 'hard') so that your fingers don't start going numb (after a few hours of playing!). The new software is also a welcome sight as it is much easier to use. Microphone and cameras are a novel addition although I doubt they'll replace the 3.2MP camera (aka phone) that I use. Free brain training (arts edition) is an interesting addition, along with the translation dictionary (although not much use for me). The only flaw is that the web browser is poor at best. My suggestion is do not use this to surf the web at all. It has slow loading times (which are excusable) but 9/10 times I go on it and google something the system crashes. (If this happens you have to hold the power button 5 seconds or more to reset the system). If you want to surf use your PC/Mac/lapton/tablet or even your phone before considering to use the DSi browser.

The Nintendo DSi XL is an excellent handheld console. It is more comfortable for an adult to hold than the DS lite or DSi, ironicaly pretty much the same size as the ordiginal "phat" DS when it first came out, which was succeeded by the DS Lite, and subsequently the DSi. The top is a lovely glossy finish which is very attractive but a magnet for grubby finger-prints. The rear, and the area around the screens is a matt finish which is slightly rough, aiding your grip. All in all, it's a very attractive console. The Gameboy Advance slot is absent, so this console will only play DS games and games downloaded onto it. This is potentially a problem if you have a big stock of GBA games and intend to part-exchange your old GBA DS, or DS lite console when buying this. The screens are very clear and bright, although it should be noted that the resolution of the screens is identical to the DS and DSi. This means you have the same number of pixels, but each is larger. Great if you are getting on in years and struggle to see small characters and text, but equally good at giving you a "bigger" experience. This is particulalrly noticable on GTA Chinatown Wars, which is a bit too fiddly on the smaller consoles IMO. The sound seems more substantial that the smaller consoles and is adjustable by up/down buttons, rather than the old slider. Battery life is very good, but I don't use the WiFi facility which eats into battery life more rapidly, as does wireless DS to DS gameplay. As for the colour, it's AA van yellow and looks great! :-)

Bought this to match the dandelion, yellow, gameboy colour I got for my 8th birthday as a boy. It's great like every other DSi XL/LL. Screen looks amazing. DPI of the screen is not terrible like you would expect; the DPI is actually quite comfertable. The console itself is not the most comfertable thing to hold for intense action games as it is the closest any DS will get to being shaped like perfect rectangle. It's case design lacks the comfort that the curves of the DS phat provided. However when you just play pokemon, a few rythum games, sgt.Frog games, light mario games, mario kart, someother titles it's not all that bad to hold. It's also not an ergonomic wrist killing satan; it is comfertable but it's level of comfort can't compete with that of the DS phat provides with its curves. So the DS phat wins in comfort. The DSi XL/LL wins in colour and screen. *Camera sucks by the way but I never bought it for it's camera so it does not effect my view/ratings of the device at all. **The top of the DS lid (yellow top side with the camera) is like a glossy PVC see through plastic on top of yellow plastic and is a scratch and fingerprint magnet if you are not careful. If you are careful and love your DS it will love you back with a sexy look/finish. Then again I'm 19 now and probably care more for my electronics than I did at age 8. The device itself (well everything the colour yellow) being a light colour bends more easily to showing wear and dirt in actualy application but it looks great while you keep it clean.