In an unexpected but intriguing bit of E3 news, Nikkei is reporting (via The Verge) that Nintendo will announce a larger, XL version of their Nintendo 3DS handheld during the company’s E3 Keynote presentation tomorrow morning.
Rumors of a 3DS redesign have been swirling since the console’s troubled launch, but most have come from the belief Nintendo would use the opportunity to correct several design flaws in the current version, such as adding a second circle pad. Simply creating a larger version of the console is a bit of a surprise, but not necessarily an unpleasant one.
The Nintendo DSi XL, the last iteration of the original Dual-Screen line, was a critical and commercial success, and Nikkei reports that the 3DS XL will imitate that console’s design with a 4.3-inch screen. Given the 3.53-inch size of the current 3DS, that’s a lot more room to play.
We’ll see if the report comes true or not tomorrow morning, or if Nintendo will use the XL’s additional real-estate to add that long-rumored second circle-pad.
