As
expected, Nintendo has announced the new DSi at its Fall presentation in Japan. The device features a
dual touchscreen layout almost identical to the DS Lite, though the company is calling it a "third platform," which means it's complementing the existing system, not necessarily replacing it. Looks-wise there's not much different happening, but it's some 12 percent thinner -- partly because it omits the GBA cartridge slot. The displays are slightly larger, at 3.25 inches apiece, and there's an external three megapixel camera as well as a front-facing camera located on the inside hinge. The DSi has an SD slot and internal storage -- we're not sure how much at the moment -- but photos can be taken directly to the Wii Photo Channel on the card. Nintendo's also launching an online "DSi Shop," which will sell content directly over WiFi, including a free browser app and "DS Ware" game -- and the company will offer free wireless connectivity at "Nintendo Zone" hotspots located in Japanese McDonalds. The shop will take the newly-renamed Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), 1000 of which will come free with the handheld until March 2010, and content will be priced in 200 / 500 / 800 point brackets. The DSi will come in white or black finishes, and will cost ¥18,900 ($178) when it launches in Japan on November 1st -- the rest of us will have to wait until next year.
Update: We've added the official Japanese DSi site link,
check it out! Our brothers at Joystiq have done a comprehensive spec-check of the DSi compared to the PSP-3000 and iPhone / iPod touch. Be sure and
take a gander. You can also watch Nintendo's DSi demo video after the break, and trust us, it rules.
Update 2: Joystiq is liveblogging Nintendo's San Francisco media event.
posted October 2nd 2008 12:44AM
woot?
3 Mega pixel camera
bigger screen
Video Chat
i'd say Woot!!
Hey, ya that does look pretty cool. I haven't had a hand held gaming system since my gameboy I got in 5th grade... Which was well ya a long time ago
i still don't know why you would want/need two screens. all the best games ever made used one screen. give me one large widescreen display up top, and dual analog on the bottom. pure win.
/imo
why do people low rank others for having an opinion? i wasn't trolling or saying the DS sucks. it's a nice handheld, i just think there a better one could be made. (imo)
No back compat, no woot (not that I'd buy one anyway)
Larger screen but no bump up in resolution??
They need to increase the resolution .. and make the screen wider dammit.
Please update the content..
No dual touch screen
0.3MP camera
Not worth it IMO. A 0.3MP picture will look awful on a decent TV.
SD slot is nice, would make homebrew a cinch, but if it doesn't support GBA ROMS then i'm not interested.
.3MPx is standard SD, 640x480, which would look fine on a decent TV should the bitrate be high enough
I don't see what a TV has to do with this though, the DS screen res is well below VGA (it'll still probably look bad but that would be because of a bad lens rather than a low MPx)
@Cal
Why do you say there's no back compat? Details are scarce but it looks to me like it just plays DS games. Screen is same resolution, one touchscreen. Really, it's looking more like a DS Lite 2 than a "third platform" to me. I'm guessing that this was mostly a move to block out Slot 1 Card products to fight piracy. Which is why I'll stick to my DS Lite, thankyouverymuch.
Not bad.. wish the screen was a little more bigger.
woot? more like huge Yawn. The big N has more money than god herself, they could have done a bit more than yet another incremental upgrade.
There were chatting Mii's of Reggie and Iwata!
I presume part of the fun will be transferring pictures to your Wii?
So 640x480 doesn't lend itself too well to the ever prevalent HDTV, it just seems like they could have put the effort in with a 1MP or something.
However, this is all pointless if the sensor is awful..
People lower your comment because they disagree with it. That's what those + - are for. That's their opinion on your comment. Deal with it.
why...2....cameras? 1 would be cool, 2, overkill.
cool
fool
pool
drool
TOOL!
Need... more... info!!!!
I wonder if its SDHC compatible? God I cant wait till they hack this thing... 32GB of GBA roms. W00t!
I completely agree. I Also wonder if this means DS Lites get a software upgrade. I really really hope it does, because I'm to broke to upgrade.
hi 5!!!i need more info 2...
Details. This one-liner stuff is killing me!
Hey, at least they threw in a logo for the time being!
crap i just bought a DS too =/
Well, thank you for bring us the new DS!
and your username is "wako"
Coincidence?
fuck i bought a ds like two months ago. Whatever i want this one so ill buy it too.
Me too.
But new DSi could be pretty useless to me since I play games off R4 - and I'm not going buy DSi unless R4 would be declared compatible.
Also, they made DSi thinner than DS Lite. DS Lite was already hard on your hands because you do not have any grips on its surface. I expect it's going to be even more problematic - tiring for fingers - with DSi.
HAH! I knew I was smart to skip out on the DS Lite. :D This is my reward for sticking with my DS Phat Brick.
I still have a DS Phat so maybe I'll pick one of these up butI'dliketoknowifR4orsomethingsimil arworkswiththenewDSi.
Crap, I just bought a Pandora. :)
@ frogboy:
The Pandora will be great too, if not better.
u agree that a dsi rock?if u doo,hi 5!!!(loz)
Nintendo DSi !!! COOL !!
I want one! :-)
I want to see some Pictures... Is it going to have Gamecube graphics?
Lol with graphics like the GameCube, it wouldn't be very spectacular lol.
@Striker
If it had Gamecube graphics I would be thoroughly impressed.
The Wii barely has Gamecube graphics, do you think a portable that looks almost exactly the same as the DS is going to as well?
/sarcasm
lol, I guess I made it too subtle, reading that again made me realize that it sounded like a total Nintendo hater comment. I'm actually really interested in this BTW.
what is with all this low ranking going on?!
The new DS is kinda weak sauce and will not have better graphics than the ones before it, just bigger screens and a camera. If you like that then buy it?!?!?!!?!?
OK.. Peace-nasty
idk what's up with the low ranking either, a few valid comments are ranked low.
So far Nintendo hasn't wowed with graphics, instead they've relied on the playability of games. Which is dangerous territory, as games are so 'hit or miss'. My DS reminds me of my old NES/N64, which is mainly why I like it. Most of my games are NES or 64 reproductions.
@Striker
You're also getting low-ranked because you flanked your comments with 'lol'. To some people this is an instant low-rank.
what's up with this post-rank obsession?
ds needed more cowbell anyway
O rly?
I'm interested...
So... what can we expect? A common rail (finally!) and variable valve timings?
Err, yes? Both intake and exhaust using multiple cam lobes.
I love the new practice of posting the article before the material is ready, that way Engadget can ensure they put out the news before anyone else!
Greates avatar ever.
& a camera ey.