Nintendo DSi XL — the biggest DS screens, tested
Personally tested · Shipped from the Netherlands with PostNL tracking · 3-8 working days
DSi XL consoles in stock
3 conditions Nintendo DSi XL Blue
€114.95Personally tested
2 conditions Nintendo DSi XL Bordeaux
€120.95Personally tested
2 conditions Nintendo DSi XL Bronze
€120.95Personally tested
2 conditions Nintendo DSi XL Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Edition
€206.95Personally tested Playable condition
Nintendo DSi XL Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Edition (poor condition)
€170.95Personally tested Fair condition
Nintendo DSi XL Blue (poor condition)
€89.95Personally tested Fair condition
About the Nintendo DSi XL
The Nintendo DSi XL (2010) is the DSi in a bigger body: screens roughly 93% larger than the DS Lite’s, a wider viewing angle, and a heavier, more stable shell that sits better in the hands during long sessions. Technology, cameras and DSiWare are the same as on the DSi. Note that, like the DSi, it has no Game Boy Advance slot — the DS Lite is the model for that. Every console here is tested on both screens, the hinge, all buttons, the touch screen and charging; the listing says which charger comes with it. Sent from the Netherlands, tracked, with no customs charges anywhere in the EU.
- Released in Europe
- March 2010
- Screens
- Two 4.2-inch screens — roughly 93% more area than the DS Lite
- Viewing angle
- Wide enough for two people to watch
- Weight
- About 314 g — a table and sofa console, not a pocket one
- Plays
- Every Nintendo DS cartridge; no GBA slot
- Region
- DS games region-free; DSi-exclusive and DSi-enhanced titles region-locked
- Charger
- WAP-002 — shared with the DSi and the whole 3DS family
The numbers side by side
Same resolution, same games, same cameras and DSiWare as the DSi — the XL is about the body around them.
- Screens: 4.2 inches against 3.25 on the DSi and 3.0 on the DS Lite. The picture gets bigger, not sharper.
- Viewing angle: clearly wider, so someone next to you can follow the game.
- Weight: over 300 g against just over 200 g for the DSi.
- Battery: slightly larger than the DSi’s, giving the longest play time of the DSi line.
- Stylus: a full-size pen stylus came in the box next to the standard one.
Colours and editions
In Europe the DSi XL launched in Wine Red and Dark Brown, followed by blue, yellow, green and white. The best-known edition is the red Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary console from 2010, with the classic mushrooms printed on the lid. Which colour and edition a console is, is in its listing, with photos of the shell.
What to check on a used DSi XL
The XL is heavy, so the hinge takes more strain than on the small DSi: the lid should hold its position without play. The shoulder buttons collect dust like on every DS. Because the large top screen rests on the edge of the bottom screen when closed, we also check the top screen for pressure marks and scratches. And the battery: a console from 2010 has years behind it, and the listing says how it came through our test.
Region and games
Regular DS cartridges are region-free and play on any DSi XL. The handful of DSi-enhanced titles, Pokémon Black and White among them, are region-locked on DSi and 3DS consoles. We sell European consoles and European games, so they work together. The DSi Shop closed in 2017; what you buy today is the cartridge library, and that is the largest of any handheld.
DSi XL or DSi?
Same technology, same games — the XL is the one for big screens and long sessions.
Nintendo DSi XL · 2010
Largest screens · wide viewing angle · no GBA slot
Screens roughly 93% larger than the DS Lite and a viewing angle wide enough to share. The most comfortable DS for anyone who wants a bigger picture.
Nintendo DSi · 2009
Compact · two cameras · no GBA slot
The same console in the pocket size. It has its own page.
Nintendo DS Lite · 2006
Has the GBA slot
Smaller screens, but the only one of the three that also plays Game Boy Advance cartridges — its own page too.
- Both screens and the hinge tested
- Dead pixels, a loose hinge and a drifting touch layer are what go wrong on this model. All three are checked.
- Original Nintendo hardware
- European (PAL) consoles, described as they are — battery condition included.
- Tracked EU shipping, 30-day returns
- Sent from the Netherlands — no customs charges anywhere in the EU.
What is the difference between the DSi and the DSi XL?
The size. The DSi XL has clearly larger screens, a wider viewing angle and a heavier, more stable body; the technology, cameras and DSiWare are the same. Both play the complete DS library.
Does the DSi XL play Game Boy Advance games?
No. Like the DSi, the XL has no GBA slot — Nintendo removed it in 2009. The DS Lite is the model that plays both DS and GBA cartridges.
Does the DSi XL play 3DS games?
No, and a 3DS card will not physically fit a DS slot. The other way round works: every 3DS and 2DS plays DS games.
Does the battery still last?
These batteries are fifteen years old, so capacity is down from new — that is expected, not a fault. We test that every console charges and runs on its own battery and note in the listing how it performed.
What does shipping to my country cost?
We ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. A console travels as a parcel: €21,95 to Germany, France, Italy and Spain, €23,95 to Denmark and Austria, €28,95 to Sweden. The exact rate for your country appears at checkout before you pay — and there are no customs charges anywhere inside the EU.
Shipped from the Netherlands
- Your order leaves our own stock in Enter, the Netherlands, and travels to you with PostNL — always tracked, so you know exactly where your parcel is.
- There are no customs borders inside the EU: no customs, no import duties, no extra VAT. The amount you see at checkout is the final amount.
We ship exclusively from the Netherlands. Your parcel therefore crosses a border: it takes longer than a domestic delivery, and shipping costs more than it would at a seller in your own country.
I hope Gameshop Enter gives you back a piece of how it used to be.