In one of the more surprising post-E3 twists, Nintendo announced today via their “Nintendo Direct” conference that a version of the Nintendo 3DS with a 90%-larger screen will be released next month in Japan.
Dubbed the Nintendo 3DS LL, the system, the top screen measures in 4.88 inches — A full 90 percent larger than it’s regular 3DS counterpart. The bottom screen is 4.18 inches, also 90% larger. The battery life is measured between 3.5 and 6.5 hours for 3DS games, compared to the regular 3DS’s 3 to 5 hours. Normal DS game battery life is between 6 to 10 hours.
Nintendo announced that in an attempt to cut production costs, they will sell the AC adapter separately; however, the regular 3DS AC adapter will work fine.
The 3DS LL arrives in Japan on July 28th and will come in three colors — White, Red X Black, and Silver X Black. It’ll retail for 18,900 yen — which is only about $40 more than a regular 3DS.
In America, the 3DS LL arrives on August 19th and will retail for $199.99. At only a $30 increase from the normal 3DS, is there really an excuse to not pick up this version of the hardware?