Bigger Nintendo DS? What

The artist formally known · October 28, 2009, 12:29:06 PM

http://www.destructoid.com/new-dsi-with-bigger-screen-to-hit-japan-this-year-153175.phtml
http://kotaku.com/5391387/what-would-the-ds-look-like-with-a-four-inch-screen

So weird. I thought they were trying to making things smaller not bigger.

QuoteFor those of you straining your eyes to see the Nintendo DSi's 3.25" screen, Nintendo hears your cries.

According to Japan's Nikkei post, Nintendo will be releasing a Nintendo DSi with a 4" screen in Japan later this year. The functionality, according to the paper, will remain identical to the current DSi... the screen will just be a bigger. The price will also remain the same, at 18900 yen.

No word on if this will completely replace the current 3.25"-screened model, or if the new version will hit retail outside of Japan.

My take: There may be more we don't know about this new model yet, but isn't a bit soon for this? The Nintendo DSi was released in Japan less than one year ago, and earlier this year in North America. I've yet to hear anyone complain about the size of the screen; it's actually .25" bigger than the original DS, which was 3 inches.

What do you think?

the shortest route to the sea · October 28, 2009, 02:14:46 PM

Since the physical size of the device isn't changing much, and the price is staying the same, it's a smart enough move. They can market it as "hearing the cries of the needy" and also funding the casuals with bad eyesight. There's an aesthetic switch; most non-gaming portable devices are moving toward having huuuuge screens, or screens only. By emulating that, Nintendo makes the DSi look a little bit more legitimate. By calling it a customization or another option, and not an overhaul like the DSi compared to the lite compared to the phat, and keeping the price the same, they're counting on the profit.

Again, smart enough move.

Cookie · October 28, 2009, 02:23:26 PM

Give me a whole new brand new hand held console, not a redesigned one. Q('_' Q)

StarPilot · October 28, 2009, 02:48:07 PM

You whipper snappers and your newfangled DSLites and DSis. My Mario Kart DS edition DS still works perfectly fine, albeit the touch screen is a bit scuffed up from playing Metroid Prime Hunters, SFCommand, and Phantom Hourglass.

Also, my DSPhat can actually have its backlight turned completely off to conserve battery power.