Nintendo 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro is a must-have accessory for gamers

The Verge is pretty spot-on when it comes to early tech reviews, so when it says that it’s an “improvement over the original”, you’d better sit up and take notice. Here’s what we think.

Now that’s a beefy add-on

We spent some time with the 3DS XL, an enormous version of Nintendo’s 3DS and came away dying for a second thumbpad. Luckily, our prayers have been answered in the form of the Circle Pad Pro, an add-on that snaps to the back of the 3DS XL, turning it into a dual-thumbpad device as it shoehorns a PS3-like control scheme into our lives.

Another analogue stick was always a must. Why the 3DS couldn’t have been built with one by default is a mystery to us. One issue though. Namely that the stylus cannot be removed from the 3DS XL once the Circle Pad Pro has been clipped on. Serious oversight or a grand plan from Nintendo? We err to the former. as for price and release date, Nintendo hasn’t let us in on its secrets. Our guess, it’ll be released alongside a AAA-title in 2013.

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