Nintendo just emailed us the following announcement of the redesign of the Nintendo DS (dual screen) handheld.
"Nintendo President Satoru Iwata today announced Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer version of the best-selling Nintendo DS™. Also featuring brighter screens, Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan in March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter.
Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales in Japan and around the world, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS the fastest-selling video game system there.
Nintendo will announce more information about the availability of Nintendo DS Lite in North America and other territories in the future."
Additional details can be found on Nintendo's Japanese site.
Japanese release date: March 2, 2006
Weight: 218g (compare to 275g for the current Nintendo DS)
Dimensions: 133mm x 73.9mm x 21.5mm
Higher-resolution images for you.
And closed:
[Update 2: added higher-res photos.]
[Update 3: added details from Japanese press release.)
_thumbnail.jpg "Prince of Persia: The Fallen King")
_thumbnail.jpg "Mega Man Star Force 2")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-26-2006 @ 3:49AM
norebonomis said...
/me screams
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1-26-2006 @ 3:51AM
TJ said...
Good thing I hold out on getting the white one from ebay. I almost bought it when they deny a redesign. lol any info on when it will be out?
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1-26-2006 @ 3:56AM
Kuhnaydeein said...
Where's the Power Button?
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1-26-2006 @ 3:58AM
Probot said...
Another site said it's been moved to the site, but that could have been speculation. I'm glad they moved it, too many accidental shutdowns for me.
Too bad my DS is brand new, or I'd consider getting this one.
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1-26-2006 @ 4:23AM
Ranma13 said...
I have to agree, I must scream also. Just bought a DS for Christmas, I hope this one doesn't come out too soon!
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1-26-2006 @ 4:42AM
Cyberclaws said...
If it's thinner, where's the GBA slot? No? No more rumble pak? But I guess for a brighter and higher screen resolution it will be worth it? I hope.
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1-26-2006 @ 5:22AM
Jay said...
"The all-knowing geniuses right here at DS Fanboy have already told you not to expect a new DS until next year. We said it wouldn't happen on Monday and we said it wouldn't happen at E3."
All knowing geniuses eh?
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1-26-2006 @ 5:31AM
Varian said...
There is a GBA slot. Other features not officially announced yet...
-Stylus will go in on the side.
-Power button is a switch you flick on the side.
-Will be launched in Japan in three colors. (White for sure. Other two have not been revealed.)
Also, I want the DS Fanboy to make a post that OFFICIALLY EATS IT when they post, "See? We enjoy being right. New DS won't come out next year" and then the next post is the re-designed DS.
Talk about egg on your face... :)
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1-26-2006 @ 6:24AM
helio said...
the d-pad side looks naked O_O
but the shell for my current ds broke
so im gald i dont have to buy a new "old" ds :)
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1-26-2006 @ 6:29AM
piff said...
i think its STUPID.
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1-26-2006 @ 6:53AM
edwin said...
It's very clever from Nintendo !
The DS have great games and now it is a gorgeuse
peace of hardware !
If they had new functions to the OS, like agenda,
notepad ... it will be the killer handheld gaming
device !
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1-26-2006 @ 7:18AM
metusalem said...
Famtisu.com reported that there will be 2 more colors other than white as well.
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1-26-2006 @ 7:19AM
Nick said...
I made a similar redesign a while ago and was pretty happy with how close it was. Not spot-on, but pretty good.
I posted a comparison on my blog:
http://tinyurl.com/7tmbm
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1-26-2006 @ 7:27AM
phl0w said...
Is it me or did they increase the gap between the displays even more (in relation to its new size of course)?
What I liked the most about the current design was its understatement. iPods and PSPs are most attractive to wannabe pickpockets in the tube. What if they mistake a closed NDS for an iPod. As a result two people would be disappointed, not just the victim :P
Please don't let the DS become just another accessory like iPods and PSPs...
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1-26-2006 @ 7:50AM
Tom said...
Definatly not as ambitious as their GBA redsigns (SP & Micro), but its cute I guess. Unless theres some other cool features with it that haven't been announced yet, I'll be fine with the red DS I got in the Mario Kart bundle.
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1-26-2006 @ 7:58AM
Ipsum said...
That looks wonderful, but the buttons are still too damn close. Someone contact Nintendo and tell them to do something about it ASAP.
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1-26-2006 @ 8:06AM
PodMonkeys said...
I'm definately getting one. With Animal Crossing in the mail, my DS is going to have to do a lot of time sharing between my kid and myself. Now if only it could come out sooner!
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1-26-2006 @ 8:11AM
zverg said...
OMG I'm so buying this. I just got my DS in November but this thing looks sweet.. as long as they release a charcoal model.
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1-26-2006 @ 8:11AM
DKNY said...
But---but if you're resting your right thumb on the buttons, then the odds of accidentally pausing with the thick part of your hand seem much higher in this design. Yech.
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1-26-2006 @ 9:10AM
Neko Tsukimi said...
Just as I guessed... The DS redesign looks JUST like the Revolution controller. I half expected it to be coming out of a milky substance when I first laid eyes on it. If it comes in pink, it's mine ASAP! I will have had my current pink DS for just a little under a year by the time it comes out. Most of all, I'm happy that they improved the screen since that was my only real complaint about the DS.
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