With Nintendo constantly updating their consoles and handhelds like this I can’t help but wonder if the comparison of Nintendo being the gaming industry’s Apple is sound. There were some rumors of Nintendo making a new DSi this week, I didn’t think much of them as rumors are a dime a dozen. Well early this morning they announced a new DSi model called the DSi XL(or DSi LL in Japan).
The new DSi WILL cost more than the current DSi but that model will not be discontinued. The new DSi, scheduled for release in Japan November 21s and first quarter 2010 in Europe and America, will feature much of the same features as the current DSi but bigger. Namely what’s bigger is the screen. two 4.2 inch touch screens as opposed to the 3.2 inch screen available on the current DSi.
Beyond that little will be different. The unit comes with three built in DSiWare games pre-installed, two styli (one small the other pen sized) and a longer lasting battery than the current DSi model. The supersized handheld will be released in 3 colors, Dark Brown, Wine Red and Natural white. The reasoning for this new model is that Nintendo’s consumers requested a bigger screen, and this is the new model with the screen.
Not incredibly interested in the model all together, but visually it looks almost exactly the same as the current DSi, just bigger. If you want a DSi and don’t have one, perhaps wait for this to come out. For the time being I’ll stick with my DS Lite, unless they decide to make Virtual Console games playable on the DSi, then they’ve got my attention.