Is the 3DS XL worth it ?

[NewOSX]

I'm trying to decide whether i should get a 3ds or a 3ds XL. I want a decent sized screen so i can see everything especially when i'm playing game such as monster hunter 3, tales of the abyss and fire emblem. I heard that the XL lost its portability and i even heard from some that it's almost the size of a brick and that's not something that i want to carry around. I'm looking into the regular 3DS and i'm worried that the screen might be too small but so far i haven't heard any complaints about it. So really my question is the 3DS XL worth the extra 30 bucks ? or should i stick with a regular 3ds ?

Also i never seen these two devices up close so i really don't know what to expect, so it would be nice if any 3DS or Xl owner would share their opinion on which is the best hand held.

 

[hrath]

Well the best thing to do would be to go to your neighborhood electronics store and ask to see them both and compare them (most stores allow you to do this). But seeing as you are asking here, I am assuming that you can't or aren't able to do this.
From my personal experience (used to own both and then sold them to friends like a week ago for money for PS4), I would say that I love the improved size of the 3ds XL and definitely would pay $30 extra for it, but I mainly use it for travel and not, say, if I was going for a walk or something. It is true that it is almost the size of a brick and pretty hefty, but it more than makes up for it with the extra screen size.

I know there will be people that completely disagree with me, but hey that's life, you can't trust other peoples' experiences better than your own.

 

[corvak]

If the game library has sold you on the platform, the XL is superior to the original 3DS in almost every way.

I've used both, own both, and never use my old 3DS anymore.

- The screen is bigger, and image quality doesn't suffer for it.

- the 3D slider can be locked in the off position, on the original it would frequently be hit inadvertently (I play with it off in most games, personal preference)

- the start/home buttons are of higher quality, and dont feel so flimsy.

- the system feels much better in my hands, and I don't feel sore after long play sessions.

- the battery life is much longer, mine lasted over a day at MAGFest (gaming convention) with me streetpassing constantly, and was only around 50% at the end. My original 3DS would not last a whole day at a convention.

Finally, if you buy a 3DS XL and Luigi's Mansion or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, you get a free digital game from nintendo, which is a pretty good deal.