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[Me_Marcadet]

I was convinced I've won the lottery with my N3DSXL, no loose hinge, no tint, not dead pixel, perfect buttons and sticks, but this topic made me paranoid.

Judging by the picture, I think it's a TN display.
I'm still very impressed with the improvement over OG 3DS XL and it's a good screen. I was convinced I got a good display before taking those pics. I think people shouldn't worry over this issue. But maybe if I was put in front of true IPS display 3DS I will be floored even more and wouldn't play on my 3ds anymore...

 

[Yrael]

I was convinced I've won the lottery with my N3DSXL, no loose hinge, no tint, not dead pixel, perfect buttons and sticks, but this topic made me paranoid.

Judging by the picture, I think it's a TN display.
I'm still very impressed with the improvement over OG 3DS XL and it's a good screen. I was convinced I got a good display before taking those pics. I think people shouldn't worry over this issue. But maybe if I was put in front of true IPS display 3DS I will be floored even more and wouldn't play on my 3ds anymore...
*pics*

I think yours is the same as mine, yeah.
I'm in the same boat - it actually is still a good screen unless viewed from the sides, and if it wasn't for this topic I wouldn't have known anything was wrong, so I don't know if it's worth replacing (even if I could do it without losing any money, which I probably could).

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Welp being paranoid now and would like someone else to confirm what screen I have

I believe its the IPS screen.

 

[Skyfireblaze]

So wait, could the new 3DS have a IPS screen or are these strictly TN? o.o

 

[Me_Marcadet]

I took more pics !

less of a sharp angle, the screen still look fine :



Vertical angles :



Top and bottom screen face-off :








iRAWRasaurus, it's hard to tell in your pics. You should use a better reference picture and apply more sharp angle.

I hope someone with a confirmed IPS display could post some reference pictures.

 

[eighty(one)]

Which lottery did I draw from?

 

[Yrael]

Which lottery did I draw from?

Looks like an IPS screen to me.

iRAWRasaurus, I *think* yours is IPS as well but it's harder to tell.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

Old XL versus NEW XL. At first I thought I got another TN, now im not so sure. Some of the pics are much more striking than mine.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

I took more pics !

less of a sharp angle, the screen still look fine :

Vertical angles :

Top and bottom screen face-off :


iRAWRasaurus, it's hard to tell in your pics. You should use a better reference picture and apply more sharp angle.

I hope someone with a confirmed IPS display could post some reference pictures.

Personally it looks like the TN screen as shown in the OP.

Which lottery did I draw from?

That looks like the IPS screen to me.

Looks like an IPS screen to me.

iRAWRasaurus, I *think* yours is IPS as well but it's harder to tell.

Thanks I can upload more pictures later at another time. I believe its an IPS screen but the more I think about it I get paranoid

 

[big_z]

If you're going to post pictures asking which screen you got please try and match the angle of the comparison picture. Turn off the wifi so it says disabled and snap your picture.

Something I've been wondering is why you can't calibrate displays on devices like handhelds, phones, tablets, etc.

theres no need for it as most products these days have screens that are calibrated in factory. theres always a slight variation among screens but its so low that if you were to blindly ask people if they saw a difference they probably wouldn't notice. its a non-factor.

Nintendo on the other hand sources low quality screens and skips calibration to further cut costs. To them if the screen turns on its good enough. Allowing the user to adjust settings, even with an eshop app, would help but it will never happen as it goes against nintendos ideals of keeping things simple and user friendly.

Is it better to wait for better chances at the lottery or do you guys think they'll phase the IPS panels out?

waiting doesn't guarantee an ips 3dsxl. when the 3ds launched it used decent panels. then around the price cut the panels were changed to much cheaper ones. since TN panels are cheaper to manufacture and Nintendo loves pennies I would imagine the TN panel n3dsxl's becoming more common in the future.

I wouldn't want to be one of those gamers who's constantly exchanging his system in a quest to get an absolutely perfect in every way system... that's just sad to me.

it wouldn't be a problem with quality control. hell if Nintendo sold units directly from them properly calibrated and guaranteed dead pixel free I would gladly pay a $20 premium for that service.

 

[Thoraxes]

See if you can guess which is the New 3DS and which is the Old 3DS. I took em all with brightness 5, no autobrightness on the N3DS, and power-saving off.

 

[K.Sabot]

What is this whole lottery thing about? I thought it was just the N3DS and N3DSXL had different screens.

edit: went back through the pages i missed, that's pretty poopy. I think I have type b.

yellow tint ayyy

at least it functions and has no dead pixels I guess.

 

[Me_Marcadet]

I wonder how the types of screen fare against each other in conventional viewing angle.
I don't mind the crapy viewing angle, but I would be pissed if the IPS panels also perform better in gameplay condition.

Someone should do a proper comparison.

I think people really shouldn't feel bad if they got a TN display. Seriously, I'm very anal about screen quality (I upgraded two times with the psp just for improved screen quality), and my impressions before reading this thread were very positive. The improved screen quality entirely justified the upgrade and made me enjoy my games way more. I've spend nearly a hundred hours on the handheld since release, always with 3d on.

The only true downside seems to be less stable 3d at strong angle. Some people praised the perfect 3d at every angle, and it is clearly not the case on the TN display. I still can play on the bus without the 3d effect breaking wich was impossible with the OG xl.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

To the people posting pictures and asking questions as to which panels you have... Why ask? The fact that you have to ask means that nothing stuck out enough to bother you, so why not just leave it at that and continue being happy with what you have? What's the benefit of being told you got the poorer version if you weren't even able to notice it on your own?

 

[xDUMPWEEDx]

I have a TN screen on my red NXL. Also a slight yellowish tint. The bottom and top screens look pretty much the exact same.

 

[Yrael]

To the people posting pictures and asking questions as to which panels you have... Why ask? The fact that you have to ask means that nothing stuck out enough to bother you, so why not just leave it at that and continue being happy with what you have? What's the benefit of being told you got the poorer version if you weren't even able to notice it on your own?

Yeah I guess there isn't much point in asking if you're happy enough that you'd never want to swap your n3DS XL for another one. That said, there's plentiful supply of the MM n3DS XL in my region, so I may be able to get one with the IPS panel and sell the one I currently have to someone else who wants it. The only real issue is, well, effort.

(I'm one of the few who may actually be pernickety enough about screen quality to bother seeking out an IPS, but still, I do wish Nintendo would have better quality control on their products. The calibration issue - pissy-yellow screens - is actually a much worse one than this.)

 

[Madao]

my MM N3DS XL seems to be type A since the picture doesn't look too different from the most extreme angles.

it's a shame the regular N3DS doesn't have these screens.

 

[Koren]

That said, there's plentiful supply of the MM n3DS XL in my region

What? Where do you live?

Here, my preorder has been cancelled, and the only one I founs in shop was sold for 350€ (and in less than 24h)

 

[jemiola]

IPS is not necessarily better. It has much better viewing angles and more vibrant colors, but mine crushes blacks. This is really visible in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Mario Kart 7 (garage screen).

Furthermore, there is significant downside compared to TN - IPS has terrible dithering!

Static dithering, clearly visible on this screen (open in your 3DS browser):
http://i.imgur.com/9OIEDuk.jpg

And some form of FRC, visible in many games, but easy to see during slow scrolling of Miiverse and observing white background.

Don't feel bad if you got TN and your 3DS is perfect otherwise!

 

[xDUMPWEEDx]

The screen issue is like if Ford put a V6 instead of a V8 into random Mustang GT's in order to cut costs while hoping that the buyers don't realize it when they drive off the lot.

Buyer: Can you open the hood up so I can see if this GT that I'm buying is a V6 or a V8?
Car salesman: Nope

 

[LamerDeluxe]

Nice! Thanks for this detailed post. In other words, the lottery applies to the regular n3DS as well.

I think so too, maybe different factories use different display. It is easy to check, best to do it in the store when you're buying one.

EDIT: Guys, the easiest way to check if your display is IPS is to check the diagonal viewing angle. Look at your display at a large angle from the corners, if it washes out almost completely its an IPS display.
EDIT2: Just checking the IPS panel on my tablet, it hardly washes out at any angle, while my IPS monitors behave the same as my N3DS display. So it might even be that Nintendo is using different qualities of IPS displays.
EDIT3: My HTC One phone's display also doesn't wash out at any angle.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

To the people posting pictures and asking questions as to which panels you have... Why ask? The fact that you have to ask means that nothing stuck out enough to bother you, so why not just leave it at that and continue being happy with what you have? What's the benefit of being told you got the poorer version if you weren't even able to notice it on your own?

Prob cause I am OCD once it has been brought to my attention, which this thread has done if I did have the TN screen, I will prob manage to send it in for another n3dsxl or however that works.

 

[Yrael]

What? Where do you live?

Here, my preorder has been cancelled, and the only one I founs in shop was sold for 350€ (and in less than 24h)

Australia. A second shipment of new MM3DSXL units arrived this month.

IPS is not necessarily better. It has much better viewing angles and more vibrant colors, but mine crushes blacks. This is really visible in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Mario Kart 7 (garage screen).

Furthermore, there is significant downside compared to TN - IPS has terrible dithering!

Static dithering, clearly visible on this screen (open in your 3DS browser):
http://i.imgur.com/9OIEDuk.jpg

And some form of FRC, visible in many games, but easy to see during slow scrolling of Miiverse and observing white background.

Don't feel bad if you got TN and your 3DS is perfect otherwise!

This actually makes me feel a little better about the situation.

 

[LamerDeluxe]

IPS is not necessarily better. It has much better viewing angles and more vibrant colors, but mine crushes blacks. This is really visible in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Mario Kart 7 (garage screen).

Furthermore, there is significant downside compared to TN - IPS has terrible dithering!

Static dithering, clearly visible on this screen (open in your 3DS browser):
http://i.imgur.com/9OIEDuk.jpg

And some form of FRC, visible in many games, but easy to see during slow scrolling of Miiverse and observing white background.

Don't feel bad if you got TN and your 3DS is perfect otherwise!

Isn't that dynamic dithering to compensate for cheaper 6-bit IPS displays? My monitors do the same thing (though my TN monitors also did this).

 

[jemiola]

Yes, probably. I have extensively compared IPS and TN models of New 3DS XL and TN model does not have this form of dithering. It's really visible on IPS one.

 

[Mistle]

I noticed the IPS screen straight away when getting mine, the viewing angles are much better.

But holy shit, this can vary among the nXLs? That's really, really poor. Explains why a minority claim the stable 3D sucks- the viewing angle can't handle it.
I wonder if this is the case for the original Aus/JP models?

I have a slight colour difference between screens but I've learn to live with it.

 

[PixelPolish]

So wait, if I get it right, all the regular N3DS units use the Type B screen? Well this is absolutely faaaaantastic :/

 

[shouamabane]

I have an NA N3DS XL and a JP N3DS. The US system has a better top screen. The contrast and color saturation are better.

 

[LamerDeluxe]

I don't think any of the displayed images are TN displays. This is what TN does with vertical angles:

I think they are different types of IPS displays. Looking at the Wiki there are different generations of IPS displays, with the latest ones having improved contrast, also at angles.
Which leaves the question, are there any regular N3DS versions with the better contrast displays?

 

[jemiola]

I don't think any of the displayed images are TN displays.

Actually, you may be right. This is also true of previous 3DS models. None of them got colors inverted at extreme angles, even the oldest one, screen just becomes whiter.

I've just tested DS Lite and there it's clearly TN display - colors invert when viewed from upward.

But maybe there is some TN variant that doesn't invert colors?

 

[Yrael]

Perhaps the title of the thread should be changed to reflect the fact that getting IPS/TN is still basically a game of chance.

 

[Koren]

Australia. A second shipment of new MM3DSXL units arrived this month.

Interesting... I don't think they resupplied Europe, but I should watch the stocks, just in case. Thanks...

 

[m0t0k1]

Perhaps the title of the thread should be changed to reflect the fact that getting IPS/TN is still basically a game of chance.

Alright updated the OP a bit with some info from the thread. If you got a new name change suggestion for a better name i'll PM a mod with the question to update the thread title.

 

[gogogow]

I don't think any of the displayed images are TN displays. This is what TN does with vertical angles:

I think they are different types of IPS displays. Looking at the Wiki there are different generations of IPS displays, with the latest ones having improved contrast, also at angles.
Which leaves the question, are there any regular N3DS versions with the better contrast displays?

I actually think the old 3DS' are using MVA panels, just not so good ones. They are very similar to the panels Sony used for the Xperia SP, Z and Z1 (and for their lower end series), the panels get extremely bright and/or yellow-ish when viewed from an angle.

Xperia SP:

 

[McSpidey]

I can confirm I've seen new 3dsXLs with both poor angle and good angle screens.

The one with poor viewing angles also had poorer 3D face tracking for me.

 

[LamerDeluxe]

Actually, you may be right. This is also true of previous 3DS models. None of them got colors inverted at extreme angles, even the oldest one, screen just becomes whiter.

I've just tested DS Lite and there it's clearly TN display - colors invert when viewed from upward.

But maybe there is some TN variant that doesn't invert colors?

I haven't found anything about TN displays that don't have the color-shift problem.

I actually think the old 3DS' are using MVA panels, just not so good ones. They are very similar to the panels Sony used for the Xperia SP, Z and Z1 (and for their lower end series), the panels get extremely bright and/or yellow-ish when viewed from an angle.

My wife had the XPeria-Z and the colors did indeed shift when looking at an angle. Didn't notice this on my OG3DS, I'd have to check. Maybe even the original 3DS had a variation of displays, I always thought mine looked really good.

What I've read about PVA (newer version of MVA) is that it has almost perfect viewing angles but relatively slow response times.

 

[big_z]

IPS is not necessarily better. It has much better viewing angles and more vibrant colors, but mine crushes blacks. This is really visible in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Mario Kart 7 (garage screen).

Furthermore, there is significant downside compared to TN - IPS has terrible dithering!

Static dithering, clearly visible on this screen (open in your 3DS browser):
http://i.imgur.com/9OIEDuk.jpg

And some form of FRC, visible in many games, but easy to see during slow scrolling of Miiverse and observing white background.

Don't feel bad if you got TN and your 3DS is perfect otherwise!

the black crush is normal as are blown whites. the 3ds has poor color range, if you open a grey scale test pattern youll notice a good portion of the range is solid at the top and bottom of the scale.

as for the scanline like dither/flicker I mentioned it in my original post in this thread. I agree it does suck but it seems like very few people have noticed it. I think most would be happier with better viewing angles and 3d experience that screen A provides but to each their own.

it would be interesting to see digital foundry or some tech site track both screen types and do a super in depth comparison.

 

[Yrael]

Alright updated the OP a bit with some info from the thread. If you got a new name change suggestion for a better name i'll PM a mod with the question to update the thread title.

Ah great, thanks! Perhaps the title should be something like "New 3DS XL top screen display comes in two types (IPS and non-IPS)" or "New 3DS/XL top screen displays: IPS or non-IPS?"

LamerDeluxe's post suggests that the regular new 3DS may also occasionally have IPS panels:

The display on my regular new 3DS looks more like an IPS display than a TN display. Vertical viewing angles show a slight loss of contrast, but not the extreme image degradation TN is known for with vertical viewing angles (colors shifting, almost inverting).

More than that, diagonal viewing angles are horrible and completely wash the image out, a typical trait of IPS displays, my IPS monitors do the exact same thing.

It does seem to have a bit of IPS glow as well (testing with Donkey Kong, white letters on a black background).

Blacks are not very deep, which is also typical for IPS displays.

Response time is pretty good, but I'm pretty sure this is an IPS display, not the best kind though.

EDIT: My N3DS display looks the same as in richisawesome's shots, check your diagonal viewing angles as well.
EDIT2: My N3DS viewing angles look exactly the same as on my IPS monitors, which are slightly worse actually.

 

[Easy_D]

So there's a chance I can get a shitty TN display in my N3DS when I get one? God dammit Nintendo. Shouldn't it be cheaper to just stick with one display rather than having TN and IPS and just dishing them out at random?

 

[parasky]

Yeah this is pretty interesting. My phone has either a TFT or Super LCD 2 display (European unlocked HTC desire 610 fyi) and my N3DSXL has slightly better viewing angles and is pretty much the same as the IPS screen as on my G Watch. I would personally swap for a TFT screen and get a higher resolution. Even WVGA would be a huge improvement, although game compatibility would be questionable.

 

[WillyFive]

So there's a chance I can get a shitty TN display in my N3DS when I get one? God dammit Nintendo. Shouldn't it be cheaper to just stick with one display rather than having TN and IPS and just dishing them out at random?

Not when there aren't enough to go around to meet the shipment required.

 

[Sinfamy]

Is there something wrong with the power LED?
Its red no matter what.

 

[Jarmel]

So on my MM XL New, the viewing angles are vastly better compared to my old 3DS. There's less loss of contrast at extreme angles.

So I don't know whether that makes mine an IPS version or if they just upgraded the TFT models across the board.

 

[gogogow]

So on my MM XL New, the viewing angles are vastly better compared to my old 3DS. There's less loss of contrast at extreme angles.

So I don't know whether that makes mine an IPS version or if they just upgraded the TFT models across the board.

TFT models? TFT could mean anything from TN to IPS and everything in between.

 

[Jarmel]

TFT models? TFT could mean anything from TN to IPS and everything in between.

Sorry meant TN. Early in the morning.

 

[old manatee]

Wow. That's fucked up.

 

[m0t0k1]

Ah great, thanks! Perhaps the title should be something like "New 3DS XL top screen display comes in two types (IPS and non-IPS)" or "New 3DS/XL top screen displays: IPS or non-IPS?"

LamerDeluxe's post suggests that the regular new 3DS may also occasionally have IPS panels:

Alright requested for the second title you suggest since we are not certain about which ones do and which ones don't contain the better screen. Thanks for that quote from Lamer i missed that quote sorry about that Lamer also added that to the OP. So it does not matter any more in my decision for the ips screen since it just a lottery on both the regular and XL? Hmmm i like faceplate guess i need to rethink again which ones to buy. Once again thanks for all the input guys helping me with my decision.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

Type A and Type B? That doesnt make sense... except if being a region thing, like JP vs NA models.
However, I believe that in a way to see distorted colours you would have to look at it in some very strange angle, that may not happen at all while playing. Not Saying IPS is not better of course, but I think that may not be a big deal.

 

[……forgetit]

Mine is definitely IPS, noticed it the second I turned it on and compared it yo there's XLs I wine big time

 

[marc^o^]

If not for this thread, I wouldn't have noticed, but my new 3DS XL is indeed more luminous than my new 3DS. Here are some shots I took that show it:

XL on the back:

XL on the front:

Both were set on max luminosity.