Nintendo 3DS

Better battery ; Bigger screens ; Comfortable 3D ; Improved layout

Lower pixel density ; Only one circle pad ; Less pretty

If you spend most of your day staring at the new iPad's gorgeous Retina Display - or even the rival PS Vita's glorious OLED screen - the 3DS XL's often stretched-looking screens may put you off a purchase.

Better battery life than original 3DS, large 4.88-inch screen, can be used as a 2D device, enough decent games now available, more affordable than original 3DS was at launch

No power charger included!, same resolution as 3DS, the 3D mode won’t be for everyone, is the age of the handheld console and pricey games challenged by smartphones and tablets

The 3DS XL makes more sense than the original 3DS ever did. Why? Because the last 12 months have seen enough worthwhile content released. The larger screen is better to use, despite the resolution remaining the same. The 3D feature might be fun for...

Bigger screen looks great ; 3D sweet spot much larger ; Comfortable curved design

Build feels a bit cheap ; Heft makes it cumbersome ; Bland styling

The 3DS XL is a portable gaming professional with much to recommend about it, a whopping great screen and a decent raft of games being high among them. While smartphones reign the masses, the 3DS has proven there is still a market for dedicated gaming...

Glasses-free 3D effective ; FAmiliar interface ; Augmented reality potential

Feels a bit toy-like ; 3D effect will fill some with ; Battery life could have been b

It's 3D without glasses ; Best DS grahics yet ; Augmented reality shows otential ; Sleek looks ; Reduced rice is good

3 hour battery life is oor

The 3DS outdoes its predecessors significantly when it comes to power and visual output, which means Ninty players can look forward to demanding names like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid in the future.

Analogue stick is great, 3DS effect easily adjusted, bundled software is interesting and innovative

Poor battery life, lacks a really good launch title

There are times when the 3DS leaves us wishing that Nintendo had left the 3D gimmick on the table, and splashed out on more obvious things, like increased graphics horsepower or a higher-resolution screen. As weird as Nintendo's choices seem now, in 6...

Big bright screen ; Rounded design is comfortable ; Well-placed buttons

Heavy ; Bigger screen shows up graphical flaws ; No charger in the box

This jumbo 3DS console is just that -- a super-sized edition of the existing Nintendo handheld. The bigger screen is the main attraction, but as it's considerably heavier and doesn't offer a sharper picture, there's not much here to persuade 3DS owners...

Nintendo 3DS XL – overviewNintendo's handheld console refreshes have followed a predictable pattern over the years, firmly centred around Nintendo's 'bigger is better' philosophy. The Nintendo 3DS X

A bewildering array of technology in a compact package, the Nintendo 3DS has huge potential.