Nintendo announced today that their highly anticipated handheld – the DSi, will be released in the US on April 5th 2009, for the retail price of $169.99. No date has yet been announced for Europe and Australia, but it’s rumoured for a Summer release. The DSi will be the third iteration of the handheld in the last five years and will be packed with more features than ever before. Many believe it will be a direct competitor to the iPod Touch, which has many resembling qualities. Apple’s product is a little pricier at $229, but has cheaper games on offer.
The system is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and has a slightly larger screen that measures 3.25 inches. It also has two 0.3 megapixel cameras, one on the external body and one on the internal hinge when the device is opened. The external one will mainly be used for sharing pictures over the internet, whilst the internal one will be utilized by game developers for a deeper interactive experience. It will also come with a voice recorder and a music player, which can be used to play around with your songs in a number of ways.
It comes with a built-in web browser that allows you to download games and software via Wi-Fi. There is also an external SD memory card slot for up to 2GB of storage, such as pictures, downloaded software, and AAC audio. Sadly, the Game Boy Advance (GBA) game cartridge slot has been removed to cater for these new features, as Nintendo wanted to improve the portability of their product without sacrificing durability.
The DSi is expected to go on and smash yet more records for Nintendo, who have a strong grip on the video game hardware market at the moment. The system shipped close to 300,000 copies in Japan in its first weekend and has gone from strength to strength since its release on November 1st. It will initially be available in black and blue.
Craig Bryan, NoobFeed
