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$135 refurbished 3DS XLs available through Nintendo - 1 year warranty included

Celegus

Member
Awesome price, love my XL! Even though it says you can't register, I'd try anyway. My refurb WiiU registered just fine, I got coins for it and everything.
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
I tried registering it and it refused. Oh well.
 
Really sucks that you can't register it but I got back refurb Wii U and its like new. Im going to jump on this!
For what it's worth, I was able to register my refurb Wii U using the serial number on the console. Is it not possible to do this with the 3ds as well?
 

Zing

Banned
My main beef with the XL is the sound. The speakers and/or amp are extremely weak. Anything beyond 75% volume and you get distortion and clipping, all the while still being unable to really hear the sound. I might not think much about it if I didn't know better, but after using the original 3DS, the difference is very clear. The OG system is useable without headphones, while the XL is mostly not.
 

Meffer

Member
My hand cramps a little bit with the OG 3DS. It's just a tad too small and the shape isn't right.

People seem to still have that issue with the XL, but it's a bit alleviated. Nintendo could work a bit more on ergonomics.

I say get it now. It's a really good deal. I'm even considering one after my next pay, and I already have a XL. Mine got a speck of dust near the middle of the top screen and I don't know how the hell it got in there since I take care of it so well. It's kinda distracting.
 

BDrummer1606

Neo Member
May have to bite on this. Have an og black 3ds from launch that's looking pretty crappy now so thinking an upgrade is needed.
 

Davey Cakes

Member
I decided to jump in for a black/black model. My brother and friend already have blue and while my OG 3DS is red, I don't like that color as much on the XL.

The price is right. The only thing holding me back was the prospect of black friday or holiday deals but I don't feel like waiting four months and don't really care about bundles since no bundles thus far have enticed me and I don't see any upcoming games that could be bundled that would change that.

This way it's direct from Nintendo and still has the warranty. I just hope I get a pristine system that's as close to brand new as possible.

I don't necessarily mind the OG 3DS but ever since I've seen/held an XL I've always wanted one and I do feel like I would actually enjoy using it more. The size and design of my current 3DS is just...unsatisfying or something. It doesn't cut it.

The XL is still flawed but the improvements will be worth it to me.

Thanks again for the thread. I took a few days to think about it and now I'm content with my decision.
 

hunnies28

Member
I just wanted to mention that they also have 2DS refurbs for 90 bucks in case anyone is interested.

Edit: I have an OG launch day model and still love it. But I think it's time to get a new one since mine has seen a lot of use. Problem is , I'm still torn between a 2DS or a XL.
 

Zing

Banned
I really wish that I could freely switch between systems. I'd use the OG for travel and XL for home. I have all physical games, but still can't even use the same SD card for extra data on two systems.

Anyway, I decided to go for this. Worst thing is I end up selling the system at cost. I bought a red for me and blue for a friend.
 

Meffer

Member
Couple days.

I'm sure this was answered before but how was it's condition? Is it as good as their refurbed WiiUs?
For example: Were the screens good, do the buttons feel okay, is the circlepad alright, is the hinges tight or loose and are there any dings or scratches throughout the overall unit?
 

JPS Kai

Member
I ordered a pink XL the first time these came around and it took about 9 days after placing the order (it took forever to actually ship, but the actual shipping time was quick. 2-3 days max)
 

Zing

Banned
I ordered a pink XL the first time these came around and it took about 9 days after placing the order (it took forever to actually ship, but the actual shipping time was quick. 2-3 days max)
Yes, I read many posts on other forums from people who had to wait anywhere from a week to a month for shipment, which is why I asked. I was initially regretting not paying for express shipment so I could have it by next weekend, but I see that it's unlikely to ship that fast anyway.
 
Do these refurbished 3DS XL's come in a complete retail box? I'm a stickler when buying consoles/handhelds that are currently available on the retail market as a refurb because I want to have the complete retail box/manuals. If I bought one of these would I get everything I would get if I were to buy in brand new in a store, minus the Club Nintendo coins?
 

Zing

Banned
Yes and no. You get a "retail" type box, but it is specially printed for refurbished games. There is big red text and graphics on the box saying it is refurbished. Also, the boxes all look identical, and they just have a little coloured circle on the box to say what colour it is. The actual photo of the 3DS on the box is always the same colour (black for 3DS, blue for XL).

I agree with you. It's disappointing. I'm wondering what they do with all the old retail boxes that the systems originally come in.
 

Fermbiz

Gold Member
I placed my order last week Thursday. With two day shipping, is waiting for me to be picked up today :)

Hopefully it's in perfect condition as in no scratches on the screen or anything. I will post impressions in about an hour.

Thinking of getting Zelda OoT as my first game.
 

LtOrange

Member
I have not really played my OG 3DS over the past year, but there are a lot of upcoming games that I want to pick up. Monster Hunter 4 and Smash Bros would really benefit from the increased screen size on the XL. I might have to jump on this soon with Fantasy Life quickly approaching. Thanks OP!
 

Fermbiz

Gold Member
I just opened it up and Im extremely happy with it. Its in mint condition. There are no scratches of any kind on both the screen and the outside case itself. I also didnt find any dead pixels.

Just like the Refurbished Wii U, its a steal!

jbgkU8aAGoZkMy.jpg


jIcT35c8HyECd.jpg


jbqaN02LFu65iY.jpg
 

zruben

Banned
I just opened it up and Im extremely happy with it. Its in mint condition. There are no scratches of any kind on both the screen and the outside case itself. I also didnt find any dead pixels.

Just like the Refurbished Wii U, its a steal!

oh my...
was thinking of getting my GF a Yoshi's 3DS XL... I think your pictures just convinced me.
 

Zing

Banned
9 days for me - in Canada (shipped from near Vancouver all the way to Toronto).

It appears my order has shipped. I wasn't expecting it to be ready so quickly (ordered Friday evening). I would have paid for express shipping if I had known, so I could be sure to have it by the end of this week.
 

Zing

Banned
I spoke too soon. They have created the shipping label but not actually shipped for whatever reason. The items are individually marked as shipped, but the order still says "processing". Canada Post says the tracking number was created but not physically delivered to the post office. This is similar to many reports I have read online.
 

Davey Cakes

Member
For me, in the Order History page it says "order processing" but when I click into the Shipping Details it says "status: shipped."

I don't know what to believe!

Just a waiting game I guess.
 

Zing

Banned
That is exactly my situation. Either they have the boxes packed up and do a mass delivery to (or pickup by) the postal service, or they print out the shipping label immediately and pack the order later.
 

Meffer

Member
I just opened it up and Im extremely happy with it. Its in mint condition. There are no scratches of any kind on both the screen and the outside case itself. I also didnt find any dead pixels.

Just like the Refurbished Wii U, its a steal!

jbgkU8aAGoZkMy.jpg


jIcT35c8HyECd.jpg


jbqaN02LFu65iY.jpg
You convinced me. I'll order one as soon as I'm able.
 

Zing

Banned
Four days after printing the shipping label, they finally got the package in the hands of the postal service. Bah, expresspost would have had it to me by tomorrow. Now I have to wait until next week.
 

Zing

Banned
I'm curious what my daughter will think of the XL. I was tempted to buy her the pink system, but I'll wait and see. I did order the animal crossing pouch just in case.

I really hope I can make the 3D work on this thing. I tried at the store, and it was clearly more sensitive to position than the 3DS. The speakers are also garbage. I decided to give it a honest chance, though. I ordered some new earbuds and the red reversible pouch to match.

Delivery date is next Wednesday.
 

Meffer

Member
I'm curious what my daughter will think of the XL. I was tempted to buy her the pink system, but I'll wait and see. I did order the animal crossing pouch just in case.

I really hope I can make the 3D work on this thing. I tried at the store, and it was clearly more sensitive to position than the 3DS. The speakers are also garbage. I decided to give it a honest chance, though. I ordered some new earbuds and the red reversible pouch to match.

Delivery date is next Wednesday.

For the 3D, you have to look straight at the screen. I look at it fine without really any problem. And the speakers are really the weakest part of the system, but headphones or earbuds fixes this issue.
 

Meffer

Member
Wow, this thread seems to have appeared at the right time! Still disappointed you can't get a decal-less Silver, but that price is pretty nifty.

And to answer your question from the other thread. I suggest ZAGG's. Though oddly they don't make the full-body one(both screens and all surfaces) of it anymore. Only the top screen. How strange.
 

Zing

Banned
I received my red and blue systems today. Both look brand new. However, there is an extra refurbished label on the bottom, all in Spanish for whatever reason (probably refurbished in Mexico). It doesn't bother me too much that it is there, but I'll take it off if it comes off easily. Anyone taken this off without trouble?

I've only played with it a bit and the 3D spot is distinctly much more narrow. There is precisely one distance from my face and one position to hold the system to get 3D without striping or darkening, and even then the edges show a bit of fading. With the regular 3DS, I have a relatively wide range of distance and angles. Or maybe it's the same and I just can't see the artifacts as easily on the smaller screen.

The colour temperature of my screens is roughly equal on both screens. As has been mentioned before, the regular 3DS screen looks almost purple in comparison.

One huge benefit I immediately noticed, especially since I was sitting next to a sunny window, is that I am not staring at my own face in the reflection from the glossy screen. While I must set the XL to brightness 5 to equal my original at brightness 3, I can still see much more clearly overall due to no reflections. Also, the original doesn't work well in bright sunlit areas as the screen itself reflects and causes double images when using 3D (which I almost always have set to max)

I bought some new earbuds: Sennheiser MX365. They seemed identical in construction to my older pair of Sennheisers which work very well, and this new model comes in multiple colours. I bought a red and blue set, and they seem to match the colours of the systems closely, although not perfectly.

Overall time from ordering was essentially a week, given that I ordered late Friday night. Order processed Monday morning and arrived the following monday. It would have been Friday if I had paid for express shipping.

Now, to give this thing a good shakedown for a week and see if it is truly worthy.
 

Zing

Banned
Two problems so far. First, the red XL's 3D slider rattles and buzzes when at about 3/4 or higher. The speaker vibrations make it buzz. It's annoying as hell. If I hold the slider with my finger, the buzzing stops. I checked the blue XL and the slider doesn't do this, despite it feeling as loose as the buzzing red XL.

Second problem is the 3D sweet spot is so goddamn small. Can't move the system at all without the screen darkening. It's not always a problem, as I can keep the screen still in most games. But games with a lot of action, such as 3D Land or NSMB2 cause me to jiggle and move the system a bit just from using the controls normally. So, I'm bouncing around on NSMB2 stage 5-2 and the screen is flickering like crazy because I'm moving the system a tiny bit.

Otherwise, it is difficult to go back to the small screen. I went back and forth for about an hour just now. I wish I could just not look back, but the 3D problem with the XL is critical.
 

Meffer

Member
Two problems so far. First, the red XL's 3D slider rattles and buzzes when at about 3/4 or higher. The speaker vibrations make it buzz. It's annoying as hell. If I hold the slider with my finger, the buzzing stops. I checked the blue XL and the slider doesn't do this, despite it feeling as loose as the buzzing red XL.

Second problem is the 3D sweet spot is so goddamn small. Can't move the system at all without the screen darkening. It's not always a problem, as I can keep the screen still in most games. But games with a lot of action, such as 3D Land or NSMB2 cause me to jiggle and move the system a bit just from using the controls normally. So, I'm bouncing around on NSMB2 stage 5-2 and the screen is flickering like crazy because I'm moving the system a tiny bit.

Otherwise, it is difficult to go back to the small screen. I went back and forth for about an hour just now. I wish I could just not look back, but the 3D problem with the XL is critical.

The slider buzzing is really odd, maybe the speakers were tweaked too much while it was refurbed?
 

Joei

Member
Has anyone picked up the Yoshi or Mario & Luigi one? Do those come with the games or are you just getting a skinned 3DS? I'm curious cause I might be buying one in the next week or so to take on trip early next month (8 hour flights, lots of downtime) and it doesn't specifically say you get the accompanying game in the package description.
 

Zing

Banned
The slider buzzing is really odd, maybe the speakers were tweaked too much while it was refurbed?
I did some web searching and there are quite a few reports of this. It's only when the 3D slider is set high. When slowly sliding it up, there is a specific point where I can feel a slight change in feel, and that is the exact point at which is buzzes. If I set it just below this point, it's fine.

A couple months ago I bought a XL at the local store to try for a few days. I only actually tried it for a few hours, as the speakers were "distorting" and buzzing at high volume and it drove me crazy. I figured it was due to the crappy speakers. Now, I'm fairly certain that it also had the 3D slider buzzing, as the only game I tried was 3D Land and would have had 3D set to max.

The thought of sending it in for "repair" is maddening. Fortunately, I do have my old 3DS, but I have to wait a week to transfer back.
 

Meffer

Member
Has anyone picked up the Yoshi or Mario & Luigi one? Do those come with the games or are you just getting a skinned 3DS? I'm curious cause I might be buying one in the next week or so to take on trip early next month (8 hour flights, lots of downtime) and it doesn't specifically say you get the accompanying game in the package description.

That's a very good question actually. When it comes to new copies it's confirmed that the game is installed and ready to go. But as for these refurbed special 3DSs', I honestly don't know. Does anybody know this to answer this question?
By the way, mine came in today, I'll check it out after I wash up from work.
 

Meffer

Member
Transferring to my new 3DS right now. It's like brand new. No scratches, or any sign of wear, absolutely spotless; it was even fully charged. I also tested the 3D slider to check if it made any buzzing noises when it was all the way up. No sound what so ever. Everything from the charger cord, manuals and AR cards came included. All in all, it was absolutely a fantastic choice.
If you're considering getting a 3DS, you can't go wrong with this option.
Here's pics of new 3DS with my older one. Sorry if they're not HD (taken from my phone).
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The new is one the left while the old one is on the right.
o3N8mUV.jpg

1XbuaOz.jpg

yr0wYNj.jpg

And a close up of that sexy, black model.
 

Magnus

Member
Eh, the XL seems to go down to $130 like every other week in Canada. I guess the warranty is the sweetener?

It...it does? Where? It seems like a solid $170+ everywhere and anytime I look.

I mean, the OG 3DS is usually somewhere between $100-150 most of the time. Did you mean that model?
 

Davey Cakes

Member
Meffer, may I ask what's wrong with your old 3DS XL? Just curious as to why you needed to get a new one.

As for me, I got my refurbished black/black XL in the mail the other day. Took longer than I'd expected but no biggie. I have not yet done the transfer from my OG 3DS but the system itself is in relatively pristine condition. The only thing I noticed is a near-invisible mark on the top that's basically a "regular use" sort of thing. I even told my brother and he didn't even notice it.

Maybe I'll complete my transfer tonight if I have time. Looking forward to it.
 

Meffer

Member
Meffer, may I ask what's wrong with your old 3DS XL? Just curious as to why you needed to get a new one.

As for me, I got my refurbished black/black XL in the mail the other day. Took longer than I'd expected but no biggie. I have not yet done the transfer from my OG 3DS but the system itself is in relatively pristine condition. The only thing I noticed is a near-invisible mark on the top that's basically a "regular use" sort of thing. I even told my brother and he didn't even notice it.

Maybe I'll complete my transfer tonight if I have time. Looking forward to it.

Well, my friend's original 3DS has a problem with the bottom screen. The issue is that it's calibration goes out of whack shortly after he does calibrate it. This makes playing some games of his difficult.
And I wanted a black model since I find it very sleek. That and I recently found that a speck of dust got under the top screen and I have no idea how that happened. My eye always looks to it and it drives me nuts and the warranty for it ran out, however my friend doesn't mind it. Other than that, my old one is perfectly fine (I take good care of my handhelds and consoles) so I'm just giving it to him.
I get a new one and he gets one that doesn't have a possessed touchscreen, everyone's happy.
 
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