This means you'll see a greater number of jagged edges when playing games on the New 3DS XL as the image stretches to fill the larger screen, and we found that turning on the glasses-free 3D made them even more prominent on nearly every game we played. To compare the hard numbers, the New 3DS XL's top screen has a pixel density of 171 pixels-per-inch whereas the New 3DS's top screen has a pixel density of 215 pixels-per-inch. However, each pair of displays have exactly the same resolution, as both 3D displays have a resolution of 800x240 and both touchscreens have a resolution of 320x240. This means that games don't look quite as sharp on the New 3DS XL, as its larger screens give each display a lower pixel density than its little brother. To put that top display in perspective, that's practically the same size as your average smartphone. While the New 3DS has a 3.88in autostereoscopic 3D display and a 3.33in touchscreen, the New 3DS XL's 3D screen is a whole inch bigger, measuring 4.88in while its touchscreen comes in at 4.18in. SCREEN SIZE The main difference between each console is the size of its screens. NEW 3DS VS NEW 3DS XL - SCREEN SIZE & DIMENSIONS That means you'll be stuck with the basic version of the console if you buy one at launch, so it may be worth waiting until a special edition you like appears, or opt for the smaller New 3DS which you can customise to your liking if you're bothered about your console's appearance. It's also important to bear in mind that the New 3DS XL's front and rear panels aren't removable like its little brother's, so you won't be able to swap them out for any additional cover plates at any point in the future. Need some games for your New 3DS? Here are our top 3DS games for 2015 These range from generic patterns to wooden illustrations of your favourite Nintendo characters and cost between £11 and £20. This won't be too much of a problem, though, as you can always swap out the New 3DS's front and rear panels for something a bit more colourful if you buy one of its many compatible cover plates. Nintendo's only made a white charging cradle for the New 3DS, though, so the colours won't match if you want a black console. This costs around £8 from Nintendo, but Zavvi's currently offering a New 3DS and charging cradle bundle for £155, saving you a few pounds over buying them separately. You can't use the same charging cradle as your old 3DS, though, as the New 3DS's larger dimensions means it won't actually fit inside it.
It uses the same adaptor as the old 3DS, so you can use your old one if you're a current 3DS user, but new ones only cost around £7 from Argos. There are currently only two colours on offer (black and white), but it's worth noting that neither console comes with an AC power adaptor or a charging cradle, so you'll have to buy these separately. NEW 3DS The smaller of the two New 3DS consoles is currently priced at around £150.
With upgraded internals, bigger screens and a whole new set of controls, the New 3DS consoles are a big upgrade over their predecessors, but what's really changed? We've put both consoles to the test to see which one you should buy. The Nintendo 3DS is one of the best-selling consoles of this generation, but now there are two new iterations joining the 3DS family - the New 3DS and New 3DS XL.