Nintendo announces Nintendo DSi – Update


Nintendo DSi has been announced with new and improved features, and a shorter battery life. Let me tell you playing this system with the setting “brightness of 3 suns mode” is sure going to take a bite out of the battery on this system, play time stated to be 3 to 4 hours max. Hit the jump for specs and neat pictures.

Nintendo DSi

The Nintendo DSi features new and enlarged screens now at an impressive 3.25 inches, 17% bigger than the DS Lites. As for other additions to the console they have also improved the “audio capability” with some new speakers and audio playing software for Mp3’s and other various audio content. Along with the much rumored update of a built in camera featuring an awesome 3 mega pixel and one at VGA (640×480) camera. Which is pretty much a somewhat decent camera phone add on.

The DSi will also feature an addition content slot on the right side of the body, which will fit an SD card. Which makes it possible to save various content such as pictures taken by the console and the Mp3s to play on it. As well as giving aspiring hackers a way to pirate games. However, to much of everyone’s surprise the SD cards will bring way of down-loadable content for the system.

Along with the ability to download addition content the DSi has a built in browser since the removal of the GBA slot breaks the Opera browser released for the DS. The internal Opera browser is supposedly been worked on by Opera and Nintendo in an attempt to actually fine tune it for the best speeds possible. No word on how much Internal ram the DSi will have.

The pricing for said content ranges from Free, 200 points, 500 points and “Premium” or 800 points. Customers will get 1000 free points to spend at the DSi Shop that are good until March 2010.

Battery time on the system ranges depending on what brightness setting you are using on the hand held. Minimal brightness gets you the most bang for your buck at 14 hours. Low Brightness 8-12 Hours, Medium Brightness 6-9 Hours, High Brightness 4-6 hours, and finally the mentioned Maximum Brightness at 3-4 hours.

Since the DSi will be released on November 1 in Japan, and retailing for ?18,900 (about a $180). Chances are we will be seeing these DSi’s in the wild no later than December.


White and Matte Black DSi Handhelds

Content on the touch screen.

SD Card on the Side, Classy.

Quick Summary

Nintendo DSi
LCD screen size: 3.25 inches
LCD screens: active TFT color LCD (260,000 colors)
Hardware size: L: 137mm, H: 74.9mm, W: 18.9mm (stylus length: ~92mm)
Power source: Nintendo DSi AC Adapter, battery pack
Weight: ~214g (including the battery pack and stylus)
Battery charging time: ~2.5 hours
Battery charge length:
lowest brightness: ~9-14 hours
low brightness: ~8-12 hours
medium brightness: ~6-9 hours
high brightness: ~4-6 hours
highest brightness: ~3-4 hours
(This may vary from title to title.)
Playable titles: Nintendo DS software, Nintendo DSi software
Inputs: DS card slot, SD memory card slot, AC adapter port, stereo?headphone/microphone port
*GBA games and DS games requiring the GBA slot cannot be played

[DSi Site]

An artist from New York. Will has been writing, designing, and loving video games since he was young. He has traveled across the United States, and parts of Canada in order to learn more about the world of gaming. After visiting E3 for the first time in 2009, he has vowed to return there and show off a game of his own. In his spare time he tinkers with electronics, programming, and of course collecting video games.