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Larger DSi coming to Japan next month, US next year
- October 29, 2009 12:29 PM PST
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A new model of the DSi was announced earlier today in Japan (where it will be called the DSi LL), and confirmed for Europe and the US (where it will be called the DSi XL) that will boast a larger screen and a bigger stylus.
Nintendo will launch a new version of its handheld DS next month with a larger screen, it said Thursday.
The Nintendo DSi LL will go on sale in Japan on Nov. 21 for 20,000 Yen ($220), which is only slightly more than it charges for the current version of the DS. The system will come in three colors--Wine Red (shown above), Dark Brown, and Natural White, and come pre-loaded with three DSiWare programs--an electronic dictionary and two brain-training games, according to VG247. The device will go on sale overseas in the first quarter of next year, a company spokesman said.
Each of the screens on the new DS (the DS has dual screens) is 4.2-inches in size, a large increase over the the 3.25-inch screens on the DSi and the 3-inch screens of the DS Lite. However despite their greater size the resolution remains the same so games will appear larger but not sharper.
To accommodate the new screens the device will be slightly larger and about 50 percent heavier. It will measure 16 centimeters by 9cms by 2cms and weigh 314 grams.
At 3 hours battery life will be equivalent to the DS Lite but a half hour longer than the DSi.
Earlier Thursday Nintendo said sales of the DS during the April to September period, which is the first half of its fiscal year, were down 15 percent on the same period last year at 11.7 million units. Overall the company saw sales drop 35 percent and net profit crash 52 percent as sales of the hit Wii console also slowed.
Editor's note/ UPDATE: VG247 has received confirmation that a European launch of the system is confirmed, and we've recieved the following comment from Nintendo, coming from the financial annnouncement:
"A new iteration of the Nintendo DSi system will be introduced in Japan on November 21, 2009. To be known as Nintendo DSi LL in Japan, and as Nintendo DSi XL in North America and Europe, it will offer a screen 93% larger than the current Nintendo DS Lite with a better view angle, an additional longer touch screen stylus, and preinstalled Nintendo DSiWare software. The new version will arrive in North America and Europe in the first quarter of calendar year 2010."
We've included more images below, but you can go to the Japanese Nintendo DSiLL site to check out comparisons of the various DS models, look at the screen sizes side-by-side, and view the new colors.
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- Oct 29 2009 at 10:24:02:AM PST
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The biggest people in the world are Americans, the land where BIG IS BETTER is the US, and Nintendo doesn't release it here.
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they'll never beat the ps-protable or neather the ps-triple since ps-double became the best sellin console
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Oscar847 wrote:
they'll never beat the ps-protable or neather the ps-triple since ps-double became the best sellin console
What!?
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Toneman wrote:
50% heavier? Damn... now the elderly won't be able to lift it!
LOL... It's probably close to the weight of the original DS, whatever that was.
miamifinfan wrote:
The biggest people in the world are Americans, the land where BIG IS BETTER is the US, and Nintendo doesn't release it here.
True, but it seems like they've (Sony and Nintendo) mainly focused on making handhelds and consoles smaller.
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Oscar847 wrote:
they'll never beat the ps-protable or neather the ps-triple since ps-double became the best sellin console
What the hell are you talking about you fucking moron?
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I don't know how I feel about playing my DS games on a "stretched out" screen; the resolution is going to stay the same, so I predict a lot of fuzziness added to past games. Hmmm...
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AndyBurt wrote:
I don't know how I feel about playing my DS games on a "stretched out" screen; the resolution is going to stay the same, so I predict a lot of fuzziness added to past games. Hmmm...
I feel the exact same way... Even when I upgraded to the DSi, I could notice a slight difference in how my games looked. Especially with games that aren't graphically impressive (Sorry DS, you have quite a few of them), Like Disgaea, which plays great, but looks absolutely terrible... I can't imagine what Disgaea would look like on the DS(i)LL eeeeek. But who's to say that games that do look fantastic might look when stretched to this size, like Knights in the Nightmare... or Castlevania OEE... Either way, it's a new DSi, and chances are when I see it in person I'll just have to have it. Thanks for taking more of my money Nintendo! haha...
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damn that is bigger gonna look pretty crappy too unless it comes with updated graphics so at this rate the next DS will have Dual 720P 10in screens
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Damn it i just bought a DSi! what is this? Apple? you just gonna keep releasing bigger and better shit every year nintendo? GODDAMMIT!
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