Nintendo DS Lite live shots!

Psst, hey! You, yeah you kid. Wanna see a Nintendo DS Lite? Like, a real DS Lite? Ok, you can look, but don't touch. Click on for some more live shots of the Lite -- mockup no more.

[will pillar @ Feb 8th 2006 4:20PM]

Looks ok, wont beat the PSP in my league though, lol, I think a lot of fanboys will be deeply annoyed they've got the old ones. lol. :)

[Denver @ Feb 8th 2006 4:26PM]

Looks cheaper than I thought it would, but better than the last one looks.

[Slippy @ Feb 8th 2006 4:27PM]

I agree.. It certainly won't beat the PSP in terms of design, but it'll be slim enough to shed away that whole "bulky" image.

[Dignan17 @ Feb 8th 2006 4:28PM]

Finally! I was astonished by the first one. I didn't think Nintendo could make such an ugly thing in this day and age. Just a glance at the headphone/volume side of the device shows that they've redeemed themselves.

Mario Kart, here I come!

[marshall @ Feb 8th 2006 4:30PM]

ALRIGHT!!! an even smaller birth control carrying case... lol

[Kei @ Feb 8th 2006 4:32PM]

i was hoping the buttons would be transparent like.

[Oliver @ Feb 8th 2006 4:34PM]

Don't want to bring down the wrath of the fanboys, but I had this deep urge to sputter this out...

Looks a lot like a baby iBook. =)

[yet another Matt @ Feb 8th 2006 4:42PM]

is it me or does it look like really cheap and nasty plasitc? or even a little bit grubby? Assuming it isnt actually grubby

[delerious @ Feb 8th 2006 4:42PM]

When is DSpeak coming out? That's all I want.

[Mark Nutter @ Feb 8th 2006 4:43PM]

I don't know about you, but it looks kind of dirty? What's with the off-white color? On last picture on the bottom shows about 3 different shades of white for different parts of the device. Man I hope that gets fixed before they release this sucker.

[Babylonian @ Feb 8th 2006 4:43PM]

Sexy.

[Kevin @ Feb 8th 2006 4:43PM]

Some things i'm curious about...

The hinge - the DS hinge automatically snaps to a few locations. This one looks like it can go to any angle you like. confirm on this?

wireless reception - I live in a fairly big house and my room is a good ways away from the access point. My iBook receives the signal just fine, but I can't say the same for my DS. Better or worse on this one?

GBA slot - looks like there's some kind of placeholder in the GBA slot in these pictures. Is that just to preserve its look? is that going to be included with the DSL?

the buttons - are they bigger? or do they just look bigger because the DSL is smaller?

-Kevin

[Sleaze @ Feb 8th 2006 4:43PM]

I want it in black.

[Babylonian @ Feb 8th 2006 4:44PM]

Sexy.

I especially like the horizontal stylus-holder on the back, which oddly, nobody has pointed out yet.

[Scott @ Feb 8th 2006 4:46PM]

Where's the power button?...

[Dale @ Feb 8th 2006 4:47PM]

Wow . . . chitzy. Is it really that off-white milky color? It lookes like aged, cheap plastic.

The trim around the screen looks to be poorly fit and they still have those sloppy-looking square fillers by where they screw the top together.

My current gen seems fine still.

[doubtful @ Feb 8th 2006 4:48PM]

Hmm, can't find the power button? Am I just blind?

[matt @ Feb 8th 2006 4:51PM]

is it just me, or do the colors seems to change? i mean look at the pic with the front and back- what gives?

[i037 @ Feb 8th 2006 4:51PM]

Thos are some pretty bad pictures. Unlike the glamour shots were use to seeing from an unreleased Nintendo product.

Where did the pics come from?

[NeoWolf @ Feb 8th 2006 4:52PM]

Well, I'm actually not that impressed anymore. The conceptual design looked a lot nicer.

[loban @ Feb 8th 2006 4:52PM]

i hope everyone realizes these are really bad photos of the DS Lite. Bad lighting, bad paint job. it's obviously still a test/prototype version. Or at the very least the photos look like they were taken with a cell phone camera while it was sitting on a lab bench somewhere.

the DS Lite will look slick with a nice glossy shiny white paint job when if you buy one, i promise. man, these pics are terrible.

[Richard Mukalian @ Feb 8th 2006 4:54PM]

On the back theres a label that says slot2 and above it theres what seems to be a plastic cover for something, any idea what that is? also, where is the stylus stored?

[ben @ Nov 15th 2006 11:53AM]

the place where theres a white cover is where the gba games go and there is a slot at back for the styles

[Tarek @ Feb 8th 2006 4:54PM]

Also looks like the charger socket on top is different; is _could_ conceivably (hopefully!) be a USB mini-A socket...

[John Q. @ Feb 8th 2006 4:54PM]

Kevin:
According to the announcements, all the insides will be the same, so no on the expanded WiFi range.
GBA slot is definitely still in. What you see there is a "plug" included with the Lite that goes into the front to preserve the smooth look.
I can't imagine the hinge would be changed, but there hasn't been any official info about it.
And finally, to some previous posters: Obviously, the lighting of the pictures isn't perfect. Don't expect the real units in yellowy plastic. I'll bet these will look quite nice.

[Alex @ Feb 8th 2006 4:56PM]

i'm wondering if they could make it even thinner/smaller if they got rid of the GBA support...

[mrk @ Feb 8th 2006 4:56PM]

New charging connector? Booooo. Now I can't use my USB charger. Also... looks nice. Look how thin the bitch is! If you use the DS card slot as a comparison... it looks to be only about 70% as thick o_O.

[Dan Bach @ Feb 8th 2006 4:57PM]

Why is the "Nintendo" sticker on the back backwards while the "Nintendo DS" is the right way?

[Tobor is Robot spelled backwards @ Feb 8th 2006 4:58PM]

Sorry to burst your bubble there Tarek, but that is the same charger plug as the Game Boy Micro. They are just unifying the product lines.

[Slanter @ Feb 8th 2006 4:58PM]

I'm no fanboy, but why is it that NO OTHER company can design and produce hardware that is even half as refined as APPL seems to me able to? Are there no competant industrial designers outside of Cupertino?

I mean, seriously, this looks like a student-produced prototype, not a second-gen production model from the worlds-leading handheld gaming company.

I'm sure it functions fine, but I'm just talking asthetics and attention to detail here . . . . just too many mold lines, seams and sloppy fit. That stuff matters to me when it comes to things I drive, display in my house, or hold in my hands.

Ok. Rant mode off.

[NeoWolf @ Feb 8th 2006 4:59PM]

"On the back theres a label that says slot2 and above it theres what seems to be a plastic cover for something, any idea what that is? also, where is the stylus stored?"

The stylus is in the back, along the side. Slot 2 has the serial numbre above it. And to the right the battery housing.

[Isle @ Feb 8th 2006 4:59PM]

i think that port on the bottom one is the same as the GBA micro. does this mean the DSL can do MP gba games?

[Saranomaly @ Feb 8th 2006 5:00PM]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone who said it looks like cheap and/or old and grubby plastic. From the pictures, this does not look like something one would be anxious to pay ~$150 for.

[mrk @ Feb 8th 2006 5:02PM]

Oh, /there's/ the stylus holder.

[blue_boy @ Feb 8th 2006 5:04PM]

No one else not notice where the power button is? Also, the charger socket is different, that's not good I don't have a converter for my pre-ordered japanese unit (I was hoping it'd be the same socket so I can use my same charger).

[Stevie (aka Lord of Hair) @ Feb 8th 2006 5:07PM]

-the colour: It's just bad lighting okay, the paint job is fine, I assure You it's completly the some pretty white colour all over and that it was just bad lighting and or the camera used wasn't that great, does white look exactly the same shade in all the photos You've seen white things in, I think not
so don't worry, be happy and the plastic, weather it looks like'it'll snap in halve or whatever I'd say it's extreamly hard to figure this out with just a photo of the device
so yeh don't judge it till You've seen it in person , or someone relieable whos seen it in person has has told You what they think

and as previous posters have stated the stylus slot is on the back of the DSlite (right hand side in the middle)

also the power button, as many sources have stated is on the side of the DSlite, (one of the two sides that haven't been shown yet)

um yeh, looks great
-Stevie

[mrk @ Feb 8th 2006 5:08PM]

You don't need a converter if it's coming from Japan, bb.

[Mic2000 @ Feb 8th 2006 5:10PM]

People, pay attention, where the hack is that power button? Anybody wonderd about the idea that this could be a hoax? don't say that it is, but nintendo won't publish such bad images on the net, now would they?

[elle @ Feb 8th 2006 5:16PM]

The power button is probaby a slider switch on a side. The sides are not pictured.

[MrBlank @ Feb 8th 2006 5:18PM]

What about the screens? Are they as bright as the Gameboy SP? I was going to get a DS, but saw one on display next to the SP and the SP had the best looking screen - hands down. I bought the SP.

[Brian Emick @ Feb 8th 2006 5:19PM]

Man that thing looks slick. I want one now!

[JD @ Feb 8th 2006 5:24PM]

i want it in gloss black...maybe carbon

[seajay @ Feb 8th 2006 5:26PM]

they had these at a videogame store in saratoge springs, ny as demos. i played mariokart on it, they're pretty nice.

[morgan @ Feb 8th 2006 5:27PM]

While I am sure that is the final design it looks like it is not the final model (ie prototype model built using cheaper plastics). Using cheaper plastics is common in prototyping as it keeps the costs down. A lot of the prerelease equipment I get at work (not games console related I should add) is in gubby looking plastic but the final model is shinny and smooth. I would be very surprised if the DSlite was released with the plastic in the photo. Also the sticker on the top of the case makes me think it is a prototype of the final design. As does the "slot 2" being printed 3 times on the back.

[JGE @ Feb 8th 2006 5:27PM]

How sweet would an analog stick like the PSP's be? Seems to work better for my fat thumbs than the traditional Nintendo D-pad. Just my 2-cents.

[John @ Feb 8th 2006 5:29PM]

My 1998 Hoover looks better.

[Ryukun @ Feb 8th 2006 5:32PM]

Clearly bad lighting, I'm sure it will be white and glossy like planned, I haven't heard much about pushing the "Old-faded-crap" look.

[Princess Zelda @ Feb 8th 2006 5:34PM]

Perfect. That's what I wanted in the redesigned DS, I'll buy it now. Now, how much longer do I have to wait till it gets released in North America.
Maybe we'll see better photo's tomorrow when Reggie speaks at DICE.

[Sean @ Feb 8th 2006 5:37PM]

The plastic looks like its different colors because the lighting is different in each photo. If someone posts another "why is the plastic ten shads of dirty white" I may be forced to reach through yr computer and bitch slap you!

[Snuk the Great @ Feb 8th 2006 5:39PM]

Now just think shiney white, because it is going to be shiney white (this is just a prototype) and it looks a lot better then the original one :). But the best of it is and will remain the smaller size/less weight factor. I am surely going to get it when it release. Now I just have to decide if I am going to 'tune' my old one or sell it...