2DS screen question...

[dave4shmups]

I've been thinking about getting a 2DS, but am concerned about the size of the bottom screen. Is it as big as the bottom screen on, say, a DS Lite? I don't want the image to look really compressed when I play original DS games.

[Guspaz]

The 2DS bottom screen is 3.02", while the DS Lite screen is 3.12".

You may want to consider a New 2DS XL instead, which features much larger screens.

[bobrocks95]

Especially considering you'll want to hold Start/Select when you launch a DS game to play it in original resolution- on one of the XL systems, running a DS game in the original resolution should get you close to the size of a DS Lite. I think Guspaz that you've actually done the math on that at one point?

[Guspaz]

It's similar, although the DSi XL was much bigger in general. The d-pad of the DSi XL is also in a much more comfortable place for playing classic DS games.

That said, we can do the math again. 3DS bottom screen resolution is 320x240 with a hypotenuse of 400. DS bottom screen resolution is 256x192 with a hypotenuse of 320. That is 80% the size diagonally.

Here is the size an original DS game will run at in 1:1 pixel mode on a few consoles, in order of size.

DSi XL: 4.2"
2DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
New 3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
DSi: 3.25"
DS Lite: 3.12"
DS: 3.03"
New 3DS: 2.66" (out of 3.33")
2DS: 2.42" (out of 3.02")
3DS: 2.40" (out of 3.00")

[dave4shmups]

It's similar, although the DSi XL was much bigger in general. The d-pad of the DSi XL is also in a much more comfortable place for playing classic DS games.

That said, we can do the math again. 3DS bottom screen resolution is 320x240 with a hypotenuse of 400. DS bottom screen resolution is 256x192 with a hypotenuse of 320. That is 80% the size diagonally.

Here is the size an original DS game will run at in 1:1 pixel mode on a few consoles, in order of size.

DSi XL: 4.2"
2DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
New 3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
DSi: 3.25"
DS Lite: 3.12"
DS: 3.03"
New 3DS: 2.66" (out of 3.33")
2DS: 2.42" (out of 3.02")
3DS: 2.40" (out of 3.00")

OK, thanks! I'm not that interested in 3DS XL games, so I might go for a DSi XL. People overcharge, IMO, for the DS Lite on eBay because it can also play Gameboy Advance games.

[Ikaruga11]

It's similar, although the DSi XL was much bigger in general. The d-pad of the DSi XL is also in a much more comfortable place for playing classic DS games.

That said, we can do the math again. 3DS bottom screen resolution is 320x240 with a hypotenuse of 400. DS bottom screen resolution is 256x192 with a hypotenuse of 320. That is 80% the size diagonally.

Here is the size an original DS game will run at in 1:1 pixel mode on a few consoles, in order of size.

DSi XL: 4.2"
2DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
New 3DS XL: 3.34" (out of 4.18")
DSi: 3.25"
DS Lite: 3.12"
DS: 3.03"
New 3DS: 2.66" (out of 3.33")
2DS: 2.42" (out of 3.02")
3DS: 2.40" (out of 3.00")

Wow. So many different sizes.

I had no idea the DS, DS Lite and DSi each had different screen sizes, nor did I know that the 3DS and 2DS had different screen sizes.

In my opinion, DS games are best played on the DSi XL. Dual IPS screens, better sound quality, better battery life, better D-Pad and just more ergonomic than the smaller models. Since DS games are mostly 2D sprite-based games, they don't suffer from being played at any particular size. Seeing the sharp and thick pixels of sprites is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

For 3DS games, I believe they're best played on a New 3DS. Since most 3DS games use 3D models instead of 2D sprites over 240p, I feel like large screens makes those polygons blurry and jagged.

[Guspaz]

The downside is that the pixels on the DSi XL are so large that the sub-pixel structure is visible.

[Einzelherz]

The downside is that the pixels on the DSi XL are so large that the sub-pixel structure is visible.

Which, imo, is neat. I like the chunkiness of the dsi xl, personally. If jaggies bother you though you'll probably dislike it.

Plus they're pretty inexpensive.

[Ikaruga11]

The downside is that the pixels on the DSi XL are so large that the sub-pixel structure is visible.

Sub-pixel structure? I thought pixels were the smallest unit of a display? What do these look like?

The downside is that the pixels on the DSi XL are so large that the sub-pixel structure is visible.

Which, imo, is neat. I like the chunkiness of the dsi xl, personally. If jaggies bother you though you'll probably dislike it.

Plus they're pretty inexpensive.

Same. Jaggies don't bother me with 2D sprites. They're supposed to be pixelated. 3D models, however, look terrible with jaggies and pixelation.

Another advantage of the DSi XL that I forgot to mention is that the increased screen size makes it easier to draw and make precise inputs on the touchscreen.

Did you know that the dual IPS screens of the DSi XL and New 3DS [XL] actually have scanlines? Yeah, it looks amazing. It kinda feels like I'm playing on a CRT display. TN screens have a checkerboard pattern instead of scanlines.

[bobrocks95]

Sub-pixel structure? I thought pixels were the smallest unit of a display? What do these look like?

http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones ... 4/iPod.gif

The downside is that the pixels on the DSi XL are so large that the sub-pixel structure is visible.

At a normal viewing distance I can't see the pixel structure, though I guess there's a little bit of a screen-door effect once you get closer. I just shoved my face into the display and couldn't even make out the sub-pixel structure.

[Guspaz]

I fired up a game and I could definitely see the red/green/blue subpixels separately, they don't just look like square coloured pixels to me. The result is that the image is not nearly as pleasing as the much larger chunky pixels you get playing a SNES on a big screen. This only applies to the DSi XL, though, the other ones have pixels too small for me to see that.

That said, it's still worth it to get the extra size.

[Ikaruga11]

I fired up a game and I could definitely see the red/green/blue subpixels separately, they don't just look like square coloured pixels to me. The result is that the image is not nearly as pleasing as the much larger chunky pixels you get playing a SNES on a big screen. This only applies to the DSi XL, though, the other ones have pixels too small for me to see that.

That said, it's still worth it to get the extra size.

So it's like looking at a CRT very closely?

Scanlines , RGB phosphors and sharp fat pixels.

[Guspaz]

It really isn't like that, and on a CRT, each "pixel" is typically made up of more than one RGB pair.

[Ikaruga11]

Look at it though. The sub-pixel layout looks exactly like an Aperture Grille CRT.



I also found this:



https://gbatemp.net/threads/new-nintend ... ns.391738/

[Guspaz]

Yes, but the pixels don't map 1:1 on a CRT, so on an aperture grille you don't have the same issues.