Handheld gamers can now get hold of the Nintendo 3DS XL as the glasses-free 3D console goes on sale across Europe for £180. 

The Nintendo 3DS has been given the XL treatment with a bigger screen, more memory and a longer battery life.

The top display has been increased to 4.88-inches while the lower one is 4.18-inches. To accommodate the increase in display the Nintendo 3DS XL is obviously a bigger beast than its predecessor the Nintendo 3DS, though not as much as you may have thought.

The Nintendo 3DS XL's surface area is only 46 per cent bigger, meaning it should still sit and play comfortably in your hands.

Available in silver and black, red and black, and blue and black, the Nintendo 3DS XL’s battery life has been increased from five hours to six hours 30 minutes. 

Nintendo has also bumped up the SD card offering from 2GB to 4GB, which should prove particularly useful with more titles such as New Super Mario Bros. 2 (available from 17 August) being made available to download.

Nintendo will be hoping the 3DS XL proves a hit with gamers after releasing their financial results that showed the company had operated at a loss in its last quarter.

Have you played with the Nintendo 3DS XL? Let us know what you think in the comments below...