Comparison of Features: Nintendo DSi XL vs DSi, DS Lite, DS Phat
Author: DarkKnightH20
I thought I’d make an article about the comparison of features between all the DS handhelds just to clarify any questions people had about them, namely the newest of all the models: the Nintendo DSi XL (also called the Nintendo DSi LL). It isn’t as different from the normal DSi as people may be thinking. In fact…
The primary difference is … the Size! (that was obvious!)
Who would have guessed that, huh? When it comes to size, we are mostly interested in the LCD screen size in comparison to the standard DSi. In comparison, the LCD screen size for the standard Nintendo DSi is 3.25″, whereas the DSi XL screen size is a whopping 4.2″ on both screens. This means that the DSi XL screens are 93% larger than that of the Nintendo DS Lite’s LCD screens, which are only 3.0″. That is a very substantial increase of a whole 1.25″, making the DSi LL / XL sound like a mammoth in comparison!
To make use of the larger screens for this DS that looks as if it’s on steroids, a larger stylus was also created. It is more like a pen than the previous design and feels very nice in your hands. Something worth also noting is that the battery life of the DSi XL is actually considerably longer than that of the normal DSi, which wouldn’t be obvious right away because of the large screen size. The DSi XL uses a 1050 mAh battery while the standard DSi uses a 840 mAh battery. The DS Lite on the other hand uses a 1000 mAh battery and the original DS, the DS Phat, uses a 850 mAh battery.
Excluding the normal apps that come with the DSi regular, the Nintendo DSi XL comes bundled with the following games and applications–
| Games Bundled With DSi XL / LL |
| • Brain Age Express: Math – Train your brain with lots of new and familiar activities in this math-focused edition of the popular Brain Age series. • Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters – Enjoy another round of training your brain in minutes a day with this artistically focused Brain Age title! • Photo Clock – Use images taken with the Nintendo DSi Camera application as the background for a clock! |
Unlike the DSi regular, the DSi XL handles WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) instead of just WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) on 802.11 wireless connections. This was a big problem in the previous DS versions, and I’m glad it was fixed.
Here’s an easy-to-read table comparing the sizes of the Nintendo DS Phat, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi XL / LL:
| Device | Screen size | Total Size | Stylus Size | Battery Life | Weight |
| DSi XL | 4.2″ | 161.0 X 91.4 X 21.2mm | 129.3mm | 13-17 hours 1050 mAh |
314g |
| DSi | 3.25″ | 137.0 X 74.9 X 18.9mm | 92mm | 9-14 hours 840 mAh |
214g |
| DS Lite | 3.0″ | 133.0 X 73.9 X 21.5mm | 87.5mm | 15-19 hours 1000 mAh |
218g |
| DS Phat | 3.0″ | 149 X 84.7 X 28.9mm | 75mm | 10-14 hours 850 mAh |
300g |
To get a better idea of what the comparison between the DSi and DSi XL actually looks like, take a look at these images:
A Layered Comparison of the DSi and DSi XL / LL and Their Styluses
The above picture gives a great comparison of the DSi and DSi XL. Also, note how different in size the DSi stylus is in comparison to the DSi LL / XL pen.
Comparison of LCD Screens During Gaming
I like the above picture because it really helps you see the difference in how the picture will look on a Nintendo DSi XL in comparison to the smaller screen of a normal Nintendo DSi. You can use Mario for scale — notice how much bigger he is on the DSi XL?
If you’re hungry for yet even more information, here’s one more table comparing additional features across the Nintendo DS (Phat), Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi LL / XL:
| Feature | DS (Phat) | DS Lite | DSi | DSi XL |
| Screen Size | 3″ | 3″ | 3.2″ | 4.2″ |
| Pen Stylus | No | No | No | Yes |
| Built-in Games | No | No | No | Yes |
| Wide Viewing Angle | No | No | No | Yes |
| Cameras | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Dictionary | No | No | No | Yes |
| Web Browser | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| SD Memory Card Slot | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Demo Download | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Music Playback | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Internal Storage | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| DSiShop | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sleek Design | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GBA Compatible | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Weight | 275g | 218g | 214g | 314g |
| Battery Life | 10-14 hours | 15-19 hours | 9-14 hours | 13-17 hours |
Chart based off of this table but modified accordingly
Hopefully this comparison has been useful to some of you! As you can see, the Nintendo DS has gone a long way. What does the next generation of DS hold for us in the future? Well, 3D gaming of course! Read about the newest Nintendo DS coming out in the future: The Nintendo 3DS – A Brand New Handheld. Hopefully it’ll be as cool as it sounds, but who knows! Check out the article for more details.
I really do suggest getting a case to protect your DSi XL, as well as a screen protector. Some pretty well-rated ones can be found on Amazon.com–
However, if you’re still rocking on the Nintendo DSi…
Then I suggest using the Nerf Armor cases which are the best cases ever! They can take a beating and unlike other cases, they seem to actually absorb the impact completely. That’s good to have since you’re probably going to hold on to your money until the Nintendo 3DS comes out. An accessory that is also awesome and available only for the DSi regular, is the attachable sound system speakers. They really increase your volume output, which is cool because some games have good music. I myself like Mega Man music…But that’s a different story.
I hope this information helped those who were wondering about the differences between the Nintendo DSi, DSi XL, and DS Lite + Phat. The Nintendo 3DS will be the next hand-held to join the comparison.
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DarkKnightH20 | 
April 8, 2010 4:16 PM
5 Comments
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By Tamara, August 6, 2010 @ 12:06 PM
Thank you! Very helpful!
By LOL, August 18, 2010 @ 12:12 PM
VERRY USEFEL
By LOL, August 18, 2010 @ 12:12 PM
MY BAD I MENT VERRU USEFUL
By DarkKnightH20, August 18, 2010 @ 4:37 PM
Thanks! Hope it helped! I hope to do a similar comparison to the Nintendo 3DS when it comes out. Hopefully it’ll live up to the hype. After all, who wouldn’t love jumping on Goombas while playing Mario in 3d?
By trumpet-205, September 2, 2010 @ 2:49 PM
Several errors on your post.
First, DS Lite has 3.12 inch for both screen.
Second, DS Phat weighs about 300g, not 275g.
Third, DSi handles WPA as well.
There is no enhancement on DSi XL besides larger screens and better sound quality.
WPA only works for DSi enhanced, exclusive games, and DSi Shop. Regular DS Games can only use WEP, even on DSi XL.