Here's What A Pokémon World Championships Nintendo DSi XL Is Worth Today

One does not simply buy a Pokémon World Championships Nintendo DSi XL brand new, and there's a good reason why it's worth a lot today. The Nintendo DSi XL is the fourth iteration of its successor, the DS. Otherwise known in Japan as the DSi LL, it was brought to North American shores in 2010 carrying a $189.99 price tag. As its name suggests, the DSi XL upsized almost everything about the original version, from its larger dual screens to its longer battery life. Although its base version wasn't particularly expensive, there was an exclusive variant that even the most avid collectors couldn't get their hands on.

This is where the Pokémon World Championships come in; a tournament where some of the most skilled players get to win rare, exclusive prizes. In 2012, the very best had to compete for a chance to actually be in the "Pokémon Black 2/White 2" games (via IGN). Two years prior to that, however, one of the top prizes was a special-edition yellow Nintendo DSi XL emblazoned with a custom hula-dancing Pikachu graphic. Only a few of these Hawaiian-themed DSi XLs are being sold online, and when one does appear, expect to pay at least four figures.

PWC Nintendo DSi XLs can easily cost thousands of dollars. An eBay listing of a 2010 PWC DSi XL in pristine condition was sold for an electrifying $12,500. According to its seller via the listing's cached version, these rare consoles were only given to the top players of the 2010 PWC tourney, and only 112 models were ever made. Sealed copies of rare Nintendo merch usually become the most expensive of collectibles, and this unit is no different. Apparently, this DSi XL was even sent to the Video Game Authorities (VGA) to be encased in an "archival quality" display case with matching serial numbers, too.

Apart from the rare variant's unique box art, custom-designed unit, and Pikachu-themed stylus, most of the package's contents were said to be the same as its regular retail version. While this particular model already fetched a high enough price, another eBay listing of a used Japanese DSi LL version went for as much as $3,799, which is about 20 times higher than the DSi XL's starting price. Sure, special Nintendo consoles can command ridiculously high prices, but this rare handheld device didn't even need any precious metals to increase its value.