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Nintendo DS-i confirmed, arriving in 2009!

Posted by Al Warmington on Thu 2 Oct 2008

Internet whistle blowers were almost spot on

In a press conference held just a short while ago, Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata put an end to ongoing speculation by officially unveiling a brand new DS handheld console.

The Nintendo DS-i features many of the upgrades that were rumoured earlier in the week, but with some subtle twists:

For starters, the DS-i features a pair of cameras. They are 0.3 megapixel resolution; one is located on the inside and one on the outside.

Both screens are larger too. They have grown from 3.0" to 3.25".

An extra SD card slot has been added, which is compatible with the Wii Photo Channel. It can also be used to play MP3s on the go.

Sony has been hinting at a dedicated PSP store for its handheld for ages, but it carries on fannying about, Nintendo may well beat it to the punch. The DS-i will get access to a dedicated Nintendo DS Store, which will be selling "Nintendo DS Ware", presumably nearly identical to the current WiiWare service.

And finally, there will be a web browser built into the device itself. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it's the same Opera one.

So these are some fairly sweeping upgrades, and all without turning the DS into a bloated lump of Fisher Price plastic. However, there has been a price to pay for hanging on to that svelte figure: the poor old GBA port has been retired. It's a shame, of course, but we really doubt we'll miss it now.

Timings are still fairly loose, but Japan is expect to get its mitts on the new model on November 1st. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will have to wait until sometime in early 2009 for their version.

Related Links

- DS2 rumours hint at camera

- Apparently the dual-touchscreen rumour was false

Source: (via MTV)