Nintendo DS Lite games in a DSi XL?

[EcoLady]

Do games that were for the DS Lite work in a DSi XL please?

We're looking to replace our son's old DS as the hinges are wobbly and the screen has black gaps, but I don't want to get him the 3DS.

Thanks!

yes they will work in the DSi XL. They would also work in the 3DS (you can turn off the 3D function)

Thank you!

Yep, for your future info, standard DS games will work in:
Original DS
DS Lite
DSi
DSi XL
3DS
3DS XL

3DS games will only play in the 3DS and 3DS XL. There are only the two different game formats for DS.

Why would you prefer to get him a DSi which is about to become obsolete?

Badlad ... because I don't want to get a 3DS!

His sister has a DS Lite. If we buy new games for a 3DS she won't be able to use them in hers.

He will argue with us about wanting to use the 3D function.

The fact that the DSi XL is going out of production is irrelevant. We need something fully back compatible. TBH I'd be happy to get him another DS Lite.

OK, but soon you won't be able to buy any new games except 3DS games, as Nintendo stop supporting their obsolete hardware.

It makes much more sense to buy a DSLite than a DSi, as it happens. At least the DSLite has something the 3DS doesn't - the backward compatibility with Gameboy Advance games. The DSi has nothing at all that the 3DS doesn't.

Old DS games will be around for a while. Don't worry. The DS is one of (if not the) best selling consoles of all time and has a massive user base. Nintendo historically will support at least 2 generations of console, so there's no worry at least until the 3DS is replaced. You might not be able to get all of the latest games, but games will still be made for years.

A quick look at www.gamespot.com shows just four games scheduled for release between now and the end of June. Admittedly that is America, but they tend to get more games than Europe.

I don't think DS games will disappear from shops overnight, but there won't be many new ones appearing.

And with a reasonably new home console to support, I wonder how many resources Nintendo will have to support the DS. Point taken that they sometimes keep supporting their old hardware, although I seem to remember the Gameboy Color being abandoned once the Advance was released, but also I can't remember them having four on the go at once very often.

Also the GBA was supported for some time after the DS because Nintendo released a new version of it - the Micro.

But anyway.

The original Gameboy was released in 1989 and compatibility with those original game cartridges was available right up to the Gameboy Advance SP. The DS was the first Nintendo handheld which didn't play them and that was released in 2004. So support was available for 15 years! I wouldn't expect that to be the case with the DS, but the user base is so huge (over 150 million units worldwide) that I can't see them dropping support in the near future. It would be suicide for a company heavily invested in a tricky market right now.

Indeed, but few new games were released for it after the Gameboy Color's debut, and there would have been even fewer but for the unprecedented and unexpected success of Pokemon.

What do you mean "dropping support"? I have shown you that almost no new releases are planned. And they aren't in a tricky market - the 3DS is selling extremely well.

Semantics over the issue of support aside, the fact is that it's madness to buy a console with very few no games coming out for it, when you could buy one which plays all those games plus all the new ones coming out.

Well, it entirely depends on whether you want to buy brand new games or if you're happy with the thousands already out there. I guess my point was, it's not like you're going to have difficulty finding DS games to buy for at least a few years to come.

And if it's going to save arguments between children, then I don't see that it will be a problem buying a DSi right now. If anything it means that available games will be cheaper anyway!

The available games won't be cheaper - they will still be the same price whichever she buys. It's just that there won't be as many available games if she buys the 3DS.

Ok, I meant that if the 3DS is bought, the kids will be wanting to get the newer and more expensive games. If the DSi is bought, there's no choice but to buy the non 3DS games which will be cheaper. So the average price of the game range available will be lower.

Remember the OP is buying for children here. I wouldn't be making the same argument if it was an adult buying.

OP back! We have bought a DSi XL. It is 'wine red' and very lovely. It'll be fully compatible with DD's DS Lite for game swapping and multi-player games, which a 3DS with 3DS games would not be, and that was the primary consideration for us.

The discussion has been fascinating and I'm sure will inform others considering buying too.