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Nintendo DS Lite Revealed - DS

Believe it or not, Nintendo has redesigned its successful DS platform (for the first time - who knows if we'll see another redesign like the SP). Introducing the Nintendo DS Lite, which is 42% smaller and 21% lighter. Its screens are now backlit (like the new GBAs) with four brightness settings for customisation and conservation of battery when necessary.

There are a few cosmetic changes too. There's a new hinge design with the power and charging light on the right hand side. The microphone now sits below the top screen and the speakers are more centred. The Start and Select keys have shifted from the top of the lower flap to the bottom. The Power button is now on the side, and all the keys are now white and grey. Plus, there's a DS logo on the top, and the stylus slides in sideways. All in all, the new design (including buttons and D-pad) bears a remarkable resemblance to the Nintendo Revolution controller.

The screens, from the screenshots we've seen, seem to be the same size as the original, but the system is now more compact around them. All in all, the DS Lite measures up to be 13.3cm wide by 7.39cm tall by 2.15cm thick (as opposed to 14.87cm x 8.47cm x 3cm in the original). It's also shed 57 grams, down to 218g from 275g.

Nintendo of Japan, who announced the system, have set a release for the 3rd of March 2006, with a price of 16,800 yen (US$144 or AUD$192). They also revealed it will be released internationally, around winter (southern hemisphere) 2006, and will launch with three colours (white being the first, the other two unknown). I'll place a bet that Nintendo Australia sets the price at AUD$200, with the DS Classic taking a price dive to $180.

The DS has sold over 5,700,000 units in Japan in the 13 months of release, and over 14.4 million internationally. Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, hopes that the Lite version will propel sales of the system to over 10 million in the region. So, if you like your portable systems more pocketable, you've got two good options coming up - the cheaper DS Classic and DS Lite.

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