The Japanese are finally figuring out that, in America at least, bigger is better. Nintendo has announced its new, larger handheld gaming device, the 3DS XL, and Nintendo loyalists have some reason for excitement.
The new gadget’s screen measures 4.88 inches, 90 percent larger than the previous 3DS. It will also include a longer-lasting battery that will reportedly provide 3.5 to 6.5 hours of gaming, a small improvement over the 3DS’ three to five hours. While initial sales of the 3DS were slow, they’ve totaled more than 17 million since the handheld debuted in March of 2011.
Nintendo is no doubt looking for a boost from the 3DS XL, which goes on sale Aug. 19—especially in light of posting the company’s first-ever annual loss this past April. As long as those MarioKart tracks look nice and wide, Nintendo’s addition to the 3DS line might draw new legions of gamers, instead of going extinct.
