Pachter: 3DS XL "not all that compelling," Vita "too expensive"

Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter has told VG247 he's not especially bullish that Nintendo's extra large 3DS model, releasing in Europe this weekend, will buoy overall figures.

Speaking with VG247's Dave Cook, Pachter said he doesn't believe XL is going to be a saving grace for dedicated handhelds in general.

"The larger [3DS] format is not all that compelling for the consumer,"he said, "and although I think the XL will help sales, I don't think that the impact will revive weak sales of handhelds overall."

The analyst added that he's not confident Vita will bolster handheld sales either, at least until more software's released.

"Vita's too expensive for most, priced pretty much the same as the PS3 everywhere. While I think the Vita is a good value and a great device, when compared to the PS3 it's pretty expensive.

"Also, there is not much of a library of Vita games, so sales will probably be slow until we see more content."

Nintendo reported today that 3DS has sold 19 million to date, with 52.81 million games sold since the handheld released last spring.

Sony will report the latest Vita sales figures in its Q1 FY12 financial report on August 2.

3DS XL releases in Europe on Saturday, in Japan on Sunday and in the US on August 19.