Nintendo is releasing a Circle Pad Pro expansion for the 3DS XL later this year, according to Japanese industry magazine, Famitsu.

Nintendo is releasing a Circle Pad Pro expansion for the 3DS XL later this year, according to Japanese industry magazine, Famitsu.

The 3DS XL – a bigger version of the 3DS with a significantly larger screen – was announced last week during a Nintendo press conference. The handheld console, modelled similarly to the current 3DS, comes with only one circle pad. The Circle Pad Pro expansion is an attachable unit that adds another circle pad to the device, in the same way that it adds a second circle pad to the 3DS.

The Q&A published in Famitsu details the Circle Pad Pro as being planned for 2012, but no specific release date was provided.

The above image shows the Circle Pad Pro attached to a standard 3DS.