Almost like clockwork, Nintendo seems to revise their handheld hardware about every two years. You see this in the jump from GBA to GBA SP to GBA Micro, and from DS to DS Lite. So is it more than just rumor or speculation when one of Japan's newspapers seemingly gets a scoop on Nintendo's next revision of the DS Lite?

Link

This rumored new redesign features:

- larger screens
- a camera (integrates into gameplay, apparently)
- music playback
- improved Wifi range and compatibility
- the ability to exchange information with the Wii (supposedly via SD card)
- due out by year's end in Japan.

One thing that isn't clear is whether or not this is just a better DS, or some kind of successor. With the DS Lite still selling REALLY well, it doesn't make sense to release either... but with handhelds like the PSP and iPhone, you can kind of imagine why Nintendo might add this kind of feature list.

So, anybody keen for a new DS?

My DS Lite has been put to a lot of great use... and it's still in great shape. As much as I technically don't need a new DS, I'd kind of like to get this. I kind of doubt I'd use it to play music, but the larger screens sound nice and the camera could be cool if they put it to creative uses . Hopefully they don't lauch it in White only.

My little black guy has got a badly busted hinge, I'm hoping it doesn't break further or the screen will go out or something. I don't want to have to buy a new one, although they're getting cheaper now. I'm sure it's out of warranty... it might be worth calling Nintendo about though, maybe they will still replace it?

Anyway, good news if they put out a new one, that means the old ones will be even cheaper if I need to replace my DS Lite :)

Well, if rumors also state that the new one will be sold at 20,000 yen (about $190) so it may be fairly affordable to get the new one. Of course, I couldn't tell you exactly what they would charge in the UK.

In the USA, DS Lite repairs don't typically go over $40.

Wow... I was at Gamestop asking about the trade in offer they have (bring in the original and functioning Nintendo DS and I get a DS lit for $50 less the usual purchase price) and they slip the rumor to me about this new DS. According to what they told me the new DS iteration may no longer be able to play any GBA games; there could be an adapter that will allow you to use rumble packs and other things that go into the GBA slot. The screen might be as big as the one used on the I-Phone, etc...

Still, it's just rumor so I wouldn't go placing bets at the track just yet... :)

Hawk
- improved Wifi range and compatibility

For this reason, I will buy one.
No matter how much they cost.

I've still got the original DS and am happy with it. I'd really only consider the upgrade if the camera function is used fairly substantially, or if the Wii connectivity has some sort of really cool effect I can't think of off the top of my head.

Inkmonkey
or if the Wii connectivity has some sort of really cool effect I can't think of off the top of my head.

Like playing virtual console games on DS? Because I'd certainly go for that.

Well, Nintendo officially announced the DSi, and not too surprising it's just a minor update of the DS. No GBA port, but it now sports an SD card slot and is thinner than the DS Lite (although otherwise the same size). It doesn't play virtual console games, but will play games designed specifically to play on the DSi (appropriately named DSiWare).

Screens are a little bigger (3.25" instead of 3"), but nothing to really write home about. Rumors about the widescreen format, the screens being like the iPhone, or dual touch screens proved false. The camera is just a simple 3 megapixel still camera. Not that the DS hardware could handle augmented reality games, anyway. It does make me wonder what sort of game functionality the camera would serve, though. Apparently the enhanced Wii connectivity boils down to transferring pictures from the DSi to the Wii. It also has a second camera built into the hinge, which I'm guessing is probably a VGA camera designed more for web cam style functions.

Supposedly it will have a downloadable web browser. First word on the rumor mill is that it is free, but after Opera for the DS and the Wii, I wouldn't hold my breath for a free browser. It will play music and sound files, but only in the AAC format. I guess the iPod crowd will be happy about that, everyone will have to find programs to convert their files, I doubt the DSi comes with one.

All in all, it sounds more like they're trying to add some iPod functionality to the system than do anything to enhance gaming. For those interested, here is the official website [nintendo.co.jp].

The cameras are actually .3 megapixel, or 640x480. It certainly won't replace anybody's Nikon, but like you mentioned, we'll have to see how they tie it into gameplay.

I can imagine the DSiWare service becoming like a Virtual Console for the Gameboy line. There are definitely some old Gameboy and Gameboy Color games I'd like to get my hands on. But the very idea of downloadable apps for the DSi is kind of exciting to me, since it could lead to some useful PDA-like programs.

I've seen that it will play AAC files, but I haven't heard that it doesn't play other filetypes. IGN says it plays MP3s, but I think they're kind of jumping the gun, because they say both screens are touch screens and no other website agrees. One thing that confuses me is that you can apparently change the pitch and speed of your music with the touch screen. Why would I do that?

A chart I saw shows that the DSi has slightly shorter battery life than the DS Lite. I'll bet you can attribute that to the larger screens.

I think you can count on the web browser being free. It was free for the Wii for quite some time, and even when they started charging it was a measley $5. But I'll bet it requires use of the SD card. I heard the previous DS Opera broswer was somewhat hampered by storage space limitations.

All in all I'm looking forward to the DSi. It sounds like there are a lot of neat things going into it, and if it follows the DS Lite, it'll be even cheaper in the USA than it is in Japan. There are still several unknowns about it, but Nintendo might clarify those things when they do their press event in San Fransisco tomorrow.

(By the way, there have been a lot of other cool things anounced, like a pile of promising Wii games, such as Wii Punch-Out and Sin & Punishment 2, but I guess that's for another thread)

All I can say is, holy crap! I was telling a friend yesterday that I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubted this thing was real, but if it was, it'd be the first DS I'd get that had nothing to do with the old one breaking. In my eyes, DS has all of the best games, but I bring my PSP to work because it's the one with an MP3 player; so to have the DS have all that, PLUS a camera and VC-ish DLs (Hopefully for NES, SNES, Genesis, etc. games as well as Game Boy, GBC, and GBA)... I'm pretty sure I just crapped myself. No GBA slot, sure, but dare I say all this extra fun stuff makes it worth it.

Looking forward to it!

I've seen that it will play AAC files, but I haven't heard that it doesn't play other filetypes. IGN says it plays MP3s, but I think they're kind of jumping the gun, because they say both screens are touch screens and no other website agrees.

On the website I linked to, it states sound files will have to be in the aac format. I don't know where IGN got their information, but Nintendo doesn't seem to be in agreement. It does seem to have some section dedicated to 8-bit sound as well, but I'm not sure what file format that will use. IGN is probably going off of the earlier mistranslations from the conference. Most of that stuff has been debunked at this point. There is definitely nothing new that would make it so that a current DS owner would HAVE to buy the system again to play newer games.

One thing that confuses me is that you can apparently change the pitch and speed of your music with the touch screen. Why would I do that?

It's a cute gimmick that people will play with for five minutes before they get bored of it. It's not like this would be the first useless feature Nintendo built into a system. Look at Pictochat.

A chart I saw shows that the DSi has slightly shorter battery life than the DS Lite.

Kotaku seems to be suggesting it's more than just slightly shorter with battery times ranging from 2/3 to 1/2 of what the DS lite is capable of. That's a pretty big hit for a system that you can't swap out the battery on.

I think you can count on the web browser being free.

Considering you have to download it through the download shop, I really doubt it.

In my eyes, DS has all of the best games, but I bring my PSP to work because it's the one with an MP3 player; so to have the DS have all that, PLUS a camera and VC-ish DLs (Hopefully for NES, SNES, Genesis, etc. games as well as Game Boy, GBC, and GBA)

Don't get ahead of yourself. Nintendo has not announced any sort of BC style game support for the system. Everything they've said thus far has suggested only original titles for the system through a download service, with no mention of built in emulators. Also, I'd like to see the music thing in action. I could really see Nintendo pull some stupid shit where the music player doesn't work when the system is closed, which would make the system far less useful as a PMP.

So, they just finished the American press conference just now and it doesn't really provide much more info than we already got from the Japanese one.

- Two cameras, and inner and outer one
- You can record up to 10 seconds of sound and manipulate it like a Talkboy
- Hitting USA in 2009
- All camera and sound software comes preloaded
- Sound is actually louder than the DS Lite's speakers

They announced some other interesting non-DS stuff, including some US release announcements for some games I'm pretty excited for.

isukun
Don't get ahead of yourself. Nintendo has not announced any sort of BC style game support for the system. Everything they've said thus far has suggested only original titles for the system through a download service, with no mention of built in emulators. Also, I'd like to see the music thing in action. I could really see Nintendo pull some stupid shit where the music player doesn't work when the system is closed, which would make the system far less useful as a PMP.

It's true Nintendo hasn't announced a DSi virutal console, but I'd be tremendously shocked if they didn't. The Wii's VC is pretty successful. It's not hard to emulate a Game Boy. My 486 did that.

Given the fact that certain DS games (like Animal Crossing) can exchange data and communicate all while closed in your pocket, I think it's a safe bet that you can listen to music while it's shut. I'd be more worried about the music player being inconvenient or something, like not being able to make playlists. I'm sure it'll lack all sorts of features that your standard iPod has, but that doesn't concern me. I have no plans to use the DSi as my music player.

Hopefully they're more durable. I'm getting tired of have to hold the screen up because the bloody git has to be so damn brittle.

Hawk
- larger screens
- a camera (integrates into gameplay, apparently)
- music playback
- improved Wifi range and compatibility
- the ability to exchange information with the Wii (supposedly via SD card)
- due out by year's end in Japan.

and can be used as a phone. :P