Nintendo has unveiled a new DS handheld
featuring twin digital cameras, MP3 music playback, bigger screens and a
built-in web browser.
The screens on the Nintendo DSi are
3.25-inches - 17 per cent bigger than the current DS Lite - and the new unit is
also slightly thinner than its predecessor.
Nintendo has added a SD memory card slot so
users can store photos (taken at 640 x 480 resolution) and download games. A new online shop will offer both free demos and downloadble games to purchase. A second digital camera can be found on the
inside hinge of the unit, which presumably will be utilised for gaming
functions.
The DSi will feature built-in software for listening
to digital music and manipulating your photos, and your images can be
transferred to Wii for viewing on your television. The new model's audio capabilities have
also been improved, but the cartridge slot for playing Game Boy Advance titles
has been removed to make the machine more compact.
New DS games announced include Fire Emblem:
Shadow Dragon, Mario and Luigi RPG 3 and Rhythm Heaven.
The Nintendo DS has been an extraordinarily
successful product for the Japanese giant, selling over 80 million units around
the world, including 1.4 million in Australia. The DS has continued Nintendo's domination
of the handheld market, which it has owned since the original Game Boy was
introduced in 1989.
The most significant challenger to
Nintendo's dominance of the handheld business has been Sony's PSP, first
released in late 2004. Sony has sold over 35 million PSP consoles worldwide,
including 460,000 in Australia, but it has not enjoyed the same software support
from third-party publishers as the rampant DS. A revised PSP called the
PSP-3000 with an improved LCD screen and built-in microphone will be released
later this month.
The DSi will make its Japanese debut on
November 1, priced at 18,900 Yen ($230), with black and white models available.
It is expected to be released in Australia around Easter 2009 but no price has
yet been revealed.