Nintendo Supersizes DS with DSi LL

If you think Sony releases a lot of new models of the same thing every year, Nintendo Gameboy line certainly has to take the cake. In a surprise move, the company unveiled a new DSi model in Japan. The new design features bigger screens: both being “supersized” to 4.2”, up from the usual 3.25”. The entire system is much bigger as well. To give you an idea, Kotaku shows that it is slightly larger than a DVD case when unfolded. Despite the larger screens, the pixel count remains the same, which could present aliasing (jaggies along borders of 3d objects) issues.

Nintendo says the larger screens primarily benefit people who use the DSi for web browsing and music playback, as they show text better.

The system is due to be released in Japan on November 21st. It will be released in Europe and North America some time in Q1 2010. The system will be available in three colours: Dark Brown, Wine Red, and Natural White. It will sell for ¥20,000, which is approximately $235 CAD.

The price point is quite a bit higher than the regular DSi, which sells for a hefty $200 as is. This puts the DS in direct competition with the more powerful PSPGo, which has been harshly criticized for its high price.

What do you think? With TV top consoles selling for around the same price, are portables becoming far too expensive? Would you rather pay extra for the convenience?

Source: Kotaku