Coming this April - Nintendo DSi

It's already the best-selling handheld console in history, but the Nintendo DS still isn't resting on its laurels. It's in line for its third facelift, which U.S. consumers will finally see this coming April.

The revamped version -- dubbed the "DSi" -- is slightly thinner and has larger screens than the original DS, but its most noticeable change is Nintendo's addition of two cameras: one inside, pointing towards the player, and one outside, positioned rather like a cellphone camera. Inside the case, the console's hardware is upgraded with faster processors and extra memory. It'll also accept a SD memory card for saving pictures or storing music.



Along with upgraded networking features like better wireless support and a free web browser, the DSi will also be able to go online to a Nintendo store similar to the Wii's Shop Channel. Gamers will be able to use it to purchase games for download to the DSi's internal memory -- much like the bigger consoles can already do, in fact.

Releasing on April 5 for $170, the new DS will be $40 more expensive than the current DS model, but still matches or beats both its competitors, the Sony PSP, which is also $170, and the iPod Touch, which starts at $230. Regular games for the DSi will still cost around $30; a bit cheaper than most PSP titles, but considerably more expensive than iPod Touch games which, while typically much simpler, seldom venture above the $10 mark.


So price aside, how does the software selection up? The DSi will be able to play all past DS game, but unlike earlier DS models, it won't be able to play older Game Boy Advance titles. Future games will likely take advantage of the machine's camera, but there's nothing on the market just yet that supports it. The DS has a considerably broader (and arguably better) selection of games than either the PSP or the iPod Touch, and thanks to its enormous install base, its future as a viable gaming platform is unchallenged.

But will the DSi's media-friendly upgrades make it a legit challenger the PSP or iPod Touch's more advanced capabilities? Don't hold your breath. Either of those machines is still going to be a better bet if you want a one-gadget-fits-all machine that'll let you play music, watch movies, and browse the Internet.

However, the games-first focus of the DS line has only benefited it. Already home to massive-selling, unique franchises like Brain Age, Pokemon, and Nintendogs, the next few months hold yet more promising releases like Rockstar's all-new Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. And we're really curious to find out what Nintendo, ever ready to come up with inventive control systems, can do with that camera. If you want in on the action, you're going to need one.

-(from an online article by Mike Smith)