• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

3DS XL First Impressions/Previews

Status
Not open for further replies.
Aren't Nintendo shipping the consoles without any foam between the screens? If that's the case wouldn't all the screens be fucked out of the box?

They are shipping without foam between but not everyone is having the screen scratch/dot issue out of the box so I guess it varies. It seems the issue is happening when pressure is applied to the top of the closed XL so maybe systems that were stacked up in stores/shipping are having the issue?
 
I can say that my 3DS XL don't touch. I've walked with it in my pocket and such. There is clearly a gap. They put the rubber stops in the right spot.

Mine is the same way. Had in snug in it's case and in my pocket and it is perfect. Putting a cloth inbetween is going to make it seem like they would touch and cause and imprint, but it's most definitely because of the thickness of said cloth.

*Not saying it is a 0% problem, just that it is not commonplace like the OG 3ds.
 
Thanks! Maybe I will get it, $15 is not so bad considering I like how nice it looks, and to avoid any complications with a $200 return... Did it come with that large stylus or did you put that there from a DSi XL one?

I bought an another large XL stylus from nintendo's online store. I have one for my DSi XL but wanted another for the 3DS XL
 
As a blissfully happy 3DS owner, I was disappointed at how impressed I was by the 3DSXL when I first tried it yesterday. It really is a massive step up and luxurious device, and I would certainly recommend it over the regular. It was clamped into a unit so I didn't get a good fondle of the size and form, but the impression was very positive.

I won't be upgrading personally, as I love my Toad 3DS and hate replacing devices but I'm glad the option is available for people moving forward.
 
Are the Hori screen protectors adhesive or static? I've never used them before. I'm guessing static would be preferred so if they aren't static, which ones are?
 
I'm getting screen protectors. I noticed the other day from very light usage, mostly none at all, on the part where the bottom screen matches with the top, when you have the screen off, under really intense lighting, and a bit of moving around to capture the right lighting, there are very tiny, minuscule scratches on my unit, and before it gets any worse, the screen protectors are coming in... And you know what, I honestly don't think it's just exclusive to my system, how would that even make sense? Aren't they all manufactured the same? Except for like a dead pixel and screen temps, scratches happen because of the way the system closes itself, and I'm pretty positive every screen closes itself the same way unless you've got some kind of broken hinge or something. Which I doubt is the case, because Nintendo even put rubber pads on the top screen, but I'm starting to feel like they didn't even bother testing it. Nintendo need to get this shit straightened out, because until now, I have not had to do this for any Nintendo handheld.

More confirmation the screen scratch problem hasn't been fixed.
Edit: At least in all units?
Glad I haven't upgraded yet. Last night I put some new, extra thick rubber stoppers on my 3DS (tore off from an old router) in order to widen the screen gap greatly. Nintendo's not getting any XL cash from me until this is finally corrected. Someone in their quality division seriously needs to be fired over this.
 
Looks like Amazon is finally getting off of their collective asses and starting to sell the XL. It showed up in my Gold Box today for $189.99, but it won't ship for 2 to 3 weeks.
 
I'm getting screen protectors. I noticed the other day from very light usage, mostly none at all, on the part where the bottom screen matches with the top, when you have the screen off, under really intense lighting, and a bit of moving around to capture the right lighting, there are very tiny, minuscule scratches on my unit, and before it gets any worse, the screen protectors are coming in... And you know what, I honestly don't think it's just exclusive to my system, how would that even make sense? Aren't they all manufactured the same? Except for like a dead pixel and screen temps, scratches happen because of the way the system closes itself, and I'm pretty positive every screen closes itself the same way unless you've got some kind of broken hinge or something. Which I doubt is the case, because Nintendo even put rubber pads on the top screen, but I'm starting to feel like they didn't even bother testing it. Nintendo need to get this shit straightened out, because until now, I have not had to do this for any Nintendo handheld.

But haven't they?

My top screen is flawless. I've had mine since Sunday morning, been playing the shit out of it since. I've taken it out to coffee, to stores, on errands. Nothing. Not a single mark on the top screen.

I'm not saying it can't happen, it probably could, but maybe your unit is defective? Maybe the scratches were there from production? Call Nintendo and set up a repair. Get that unit replaced. You keep saying its not a big deal to you, but you keep trumpeting this thing that you say isn't a big deal...which means it is a big deal to you: fix it.
 
Fuck screen protectors, if you're good at applying them. Go for it. I suck ass. My hands are too shaky, there's always dust no matter what I fucking do, air bubbles that won't go away no matter how much I scrape.

It ends up looking 5000000x worse than the light scratches you get that can only be seen under direct light.

My phone I got 4 years ago was the last device I ever applied a screen protector to. NEVER FUCKING AGAIN.
 
The last pic shows the microfiber cloth I am using to sit in-between the two screens when the system is closed, notice the imprint lines from the bottom bezel on the cloth, scary. If you are not using screen protectors (like myself) this is a must. As others have mentioned the screen scratching issue, while improved, is not fixed. I went without the cloth for 2 days and noticed two tiny dots on the right side of the upper screen. It's not bad and not noticeable at all unless you are anal like me and exam the screen under very bright light at every angle but I figure I would stop it from getting any worse.

Where'd you get that microfiber? Looks like the perfect size.
 
Went for Kid Icarus. You guys better be right!

You'll love it...

Prepare to be amazed at the awesome burning itself into your eyes with every passing moment ^_^

Sidenote: I was hesitant about the game when I picked it up, the control scheme scared me and at first,I wasn't used to it. I really love the game, I've put over 60 hours into single player, just collecting weapons and beating higher intensity challenges. So, so good.
 
Yeah, well you were talking about buying an XL then returning it just to get the $15 case.

Yeah, I did, if it worked, because it could potentially be free like I said, but whatever, I don't think I'd want to deal with that hassle anyways... So, sorry about that.


But haven't they?

My top screen is flawless. I've had mine since Sunday morning, been playing the shit out of it since. I've taken it out to coffee, to stores, on errands. Nothing. Not a single mark on the top screen.

I'm not saying it can't happen, it probably can, but maybe your nit is defective? Maybe the scratches were there from production? Call Nintendo and set up a repair. Get that unit replaced. You keep saying its not a big deal to you, but you keep trumpeting this thing that you say isn't a big deal...which means it is a big deal to you: fix it.

Well, it really ISN'T a big deal for me, I can live with it. Let me explain. Like I said, they're very tiny, and can only be noticed upon close inspection under direct intense lighting, and almost appear as dots. I'm just upset at them as a company because of the amount of people that had this issue with the original 3DS, here comes a revision, and out of the box a lot of people are still experiencing this issue, if not more people than the launch of the OG 3DS. It just shouldn't be a persistent issue anymore.
 
You mean risky? Because it's pretty much been proven here by myself and many others that the system is prone to scratching even from very light use...

No it hasn't, a few anecdotal cases does not "prove" that it is an easily encountered issue, just that it can be an issue.

Light use... you mean like how I constantly carry mine in my back pocket, sometimes going up stairs even (gasp!)

Again, I never said it wasn't an issue, just that when you look at the very small number of people complaining compared to the millions of units out in the world now you have to realize it is not wide spread. Wide spread is OG Xbox 360's red ringing, or first gen PSP's with dead pixels, from what I've seen this issue does not fall under that category. It is definitely a very real and shitty issue though.


Yeap, so it's very likely, especially with the shitty boxing that they've done...

Except it's not very likely... I'm really not trying to come off the wrong way here but you're using info from a very small sample size of the overall 3DS/XL population that is in no way representative of the overall userbase. You know those people without scratches? Well most of them are not going to come on here to post about it cause it's not an issue for them, hell most of the time you see anyone mention their screens being scratch free it's in response to a post about scratches. If this was really as much of an issue as you're trying to make it out to be then this thread would be exploding right now, not to mention all the shit we'd be seeing on the game sites about it.
 
Someone asked for pictures of the free Universal hardcase that Bestbuy is including with purchase of the XL. It's actually not a bad case and very sturdy. You can't beat free.

Sorry for the crappy quick phone pics

GjDpS.jpg

j93UP.jpg

Gq9Dp.jpg

Lgrb8.jpg

The last pic shows the microfiber cloth I am using to sit in-between the two screens when the system is closed, notice the imprint lines from the bottom bezel on the cloth, scary. If you are not using screen protectors (like myself) this is a must. As others have mentioned the screen scratching issue, while improved, is not fixed. I went without the cloth for 2 days and noticed two tiny dots on the right side of the upper screen. It's not bad and not noticeable at all unless you are anal like me and exam the screen under very bright light at every angle but I figure I would stop it from getting any worse.

free case better then I thought, I'm picking it up from BB today, they forgot to give it to me on Sunday
 
No it hasn't, a few anecdotal cases does not "prove" that it is an easily encountered issue, just that it can be an issue.

Light use... you mean like how I constantly carry mine in my back pocket, sometimes going up stairs even (gasp!)

Again, I never said it wasn't an issue, just that when you look at the very small number of people complaining compared to the millions of units out in the world now you have to realize it is not wide spread. Wide spread is OG Xbox 360's red ringing, or first gen PSP's with dead pixels, from what I've seen this issue does not fall under that category. It is definitely a very real and shitty issue though.

Yeah, but not everyone comes to GAF to bitch about it, so you don't really know the numbers... Also, it could be the result of Nintendo's shitty packaging (because let's face it, it was shitty this time) and I may not have noticed it right away, and maybe it won't be happening again. I'm just saying that it's good to be cautious. If you're fine with taking that risk, then by all means take the risk if you like to see your screens naked. Mine could have been sitting piled up under a bunch of other boxes and got pushed too tightly, and it's worth noting that it's only on the right side. Have any other people reporting this issue said it's on the right side only? Because then that would be an interesting correlation, some guy before me said it was on the right, but I don't know about all of the rest...
 
Yeah, but not everyone comes to GAF to bitch about it, so you don't really know the numbers... Also, it could be the result of Nintendo's shitty packaging (because let's face it, it was shitty this time) and I may not have noticed it right away, and maybe it won't be happening again. I'm just saying that it's good to be cautious. If you're fine with taking that risk, then by all means take the risk if you like to see your screens naked. Mine could have been sitting piled up under a bunch of other boxes and got pushed too tightly, and it's worth noting that it's only on the right side. Have any other people reporting this issue said it's on the right side only? Because then that would be an interesting correlation, some guy before me said it was on the right, but I don't know about all of the rest...

That's my whole point dude, the saying is "vocal minority" because it's usually the people with issues that are the loudest, the people without issues are quiet cause they have nothing to complain about.

I again want to stress that I've seen pictures and I fully believe people when they say they've gotten the issue, I just do not believe that it is in any way as bad as some people make it out to be. And to me, the bottom line is if it is an actual issue on your 3DS then hey, Nintendo will fix it. That may not be enough for some but at least it's something.

Anyhow this is getting long winded, I won't shit up the thread anymore about this.
 
That's my whole point dude, the saying is "vocal minority" because it's usually the people with issues that are the loudest, the people without issues are quiet cause they have nothing to complain about.

I again want to stress that I've seen pictures and I fully believe people when they say they've gotten the issue, I just do not believe that it is in any way as bad as some people make it out to be. And to me, the bottom line is if it is an actual issue on your 3DS then hey, Nintendo will fix it. That may not be enough for some but at least it's something.

Anyhow this is getting long winded, I won't shit up the thread anymore about this.

This is very true, and I meant no disrespect if it any point it felt like I was attacking you or misunderstanding. I see your point, and I will agree with you, it's worth keeping in mind, and logically makes a lot of sense. Thank you for your perspective. ;)
 
Kid Icarus first impressions:

-holy shit at the music
-holy shit at the graphics and presentation
-holy shit at the dialogue
-holy shit my left hand hurts

Controls really are hurting it for me, literally, but I'll keep at it.
 
Yeah, but not everyone comes to GAF to bitch about it, so you don't really know the numbers... Also, it could be the result of Nintendo's shitty packaging (because let's face it, it was shitty this time) and I may not have noticed it right away, and maybe it won't be happening again. I'm just saying that it's good to be cautious. If you're fine with taking that risk, then by all means take the risk if you like to see your screens naked. Mine could have been sitting piled up under a bunch of other boxes and got pushed too tightly, and it's worth noting that it's only on the right side. Have any other people reporting this issue said it's on the right side only? Because then that would be an interesting correlation, some guy before me said it was on the right, but I don't know about all of the rest...

The right side seems to be where the hinge lock is located.

Kid Icarus first impressions:

-holy shit at the music
-holy shit at the graphics and presentation
-holy shit at the dialogue
-holy shit my left hand hurts

Controls really are hurting it for me, literally, but I'll keep at it.

Turn up the sensitivity and aim assisting (automatically fires when reticule is moved over an enemy) in the options. Calibrate those controls to your advantage.

You'll thank me later.
 
Quick question guys. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. In terms of the 3D effect, how well does it work for the most part and does it get old fast or does it really add something to the games?
 
Quick question guys. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. In terms of the 3D effect, how well does it work for the most part and does it get old fast or does it really add something to the games?

It really depends on the game. Even the size of the sweet spot depends on the game.

In, say, Mario Land 3D or SFIV, I find the 3D to be really quite good. In Mario Land in particular, the 3D is necessary to find some cool hidden stuff.

In my friend's copy of Rayman 2, it's a bad port and done poorly. It's kind of like a movie that has had a terrible conversion or something... which doesn't make sense since it's a 3D game. There's also tons of stuff floating in the air which can really mess with you.
 
Quick question guys. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. In terms of the 3D effect, how well does it work for the most part and does it get old fast or does it really add something to the games?

Your answers will vary. I think it's totally superfluous and adds nothing to the game after the, "Oh, that looks cool." I play with it off 95% of the time.

Others have compared it to HD graphics and higher resolutions adding to the immersion.
 
Quick question guys. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. In terms of the 3D effect, how well does it work for the most part and does it get old fast or does it really add something to the games?
The 3D is done well on the XL but I never use it anyway. It doesn't add anything to the game (3D Land is the exception) and gets very annoying if you move your head or the system even just a tiny bit. Plus, I noticed some bad ghosting with 3D in OoT. 2DS XL is best 3DS.
 
Quick question guys. I've been thinking about picking one of these up. In terms of the 3D effect, how well does it work for the most part and does it get old fast or does it really add something to the games?


it adds depth, which increases immersion in some games (like Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Pilotwings) and it actually has gameplay implementation in games like SM3DL and Mutant Mudds. In short, it's a really cool visual trick
 
The 3D is done well on the XL but I never use it anyway. It doesn't add anything to the game (3D Land is the exception) and gets very annoying if you move your head or the system even just a tiny bit. Plus, I noticed some bad ghosting with 3D in OoT. 2DS XL is best 3DS.

OoT also has some REALLY strange glitches. Like Rupees that show up in one eye, but not the other. I feel like they didn't get a true handle on the tech until Mario Land 3D.

As for this screen scratching thing, I'm pretty confused. I don't doubt at all that some people are having issues, but I can literally hold my 3DS XL up and see right through it; there's no place the screens on mine could touch. Those that DO have the issue, if you hold it closed and look through the side, can you see between the screens?
 
I ordered the screen protecters out of fear today but when I close the 3DS and look through a light the screens aren't touching and I haven't noticed any scratching or marks on the screen since I've had it since sunday


for those with the HORI screen protector, is it noticeable when it's on?
 
I ordered the screen protecters out of fear today but when I close the 3DS and look through a light the screens aren't touching and I haven't noticed any scratching or marks on the screen since I've had it since sunday


for those with the HORI screen protector, is it noticeable when it's on?

+1

Also: does a screen protector on the top screen ruin the antiglare/reflective coating Nintendo applied to the 3DS?

Is it later enough? Because thanks.


No worries. Makes the game infinitely more playable, too! You be blasting eggplant wizards in no time ^_^

It's labeled as aim assist or auto aim...something like that, you'll see it in the control options
 
I ordered the screen protecters out of fear today but when I close the 3DS and look through a light the screens aren't touching and I haven't noticed any scratching or marks on the screen since I've had it since sunday


for those with the HORI screen protector, is it noticeable when it's on?

As long as you don't get any bubbles, it's practically invisible. Just applied mine to my brand new XL! it's so painless when you do it right out of the box :D

Happy to report there are no problems here! No dead pixels or scratches, too happy right now but i'm afraid it's time to start the transitional process!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom