DSi LL hits Japan Nov. 21, DS sales top 113 millionNew Nintendo handheld confirmed, will sport 4.2" screens and larger stylus, cost ¥20,000 ($220.50); 11.7 million units of DS hardware sold in last six months.
Two days after it dismissed a Nikkei newswire article as speculative, Nintendo has confirmed a new version of its DSi handheld will go on sale in Japan this year.
As had been reported, the new DSi LL will sport two screens measuring 4.25" inches in diagonal diameter, far larger than the current DSi's 3.25" screens or the DS Lite's 3" screens. The DSi LL's screens will even be larger than the single screen of the Sony PSP-3000, which measures in at four inches. Despite the larger screens, the DSi LL's battery life will be a half-hour longer than that of the DSi, matching the DS Lite's 3 hours.

As shown on Nintendo Japan's official Web site, the handheld will also sport both a regular and easier-to-hold stylus shaped like a rounded pen. The handheld will go on sale in Japan on November 21 for a cost of ¥20,000 ($220.50), and will be available in three colors: Wine Red (pictured), Dark Brown, and Natural White.

No US or EU release plans for the DSi LL have yet been announced. However, the handheld is the fourth version of DS hardware in as many years, following the original DS (2004-2005), the DS Lite (2006), and the DSi (2008-2009). As part of an earnings report today, Nintendo announced that as of September 30, it had sold 113.48 million units of DS hardware, with 11.7 million units sold in the six months from April to September. The portable remains the best-selling platform in the US, selling 524,200 units during the NPD Group's September 2009 reporting period.
The DSi's introduction will raise some issues with the US' 2.2 million DSi owners who have bought games from the DSi store. According to reports, DSiWare games are not transferable to another handheld, meaning they would have to be repurchased on any new DSi. The larger screens, however, will have greater appeal to demographics with poor eyesight, such as the elderly.
DSi LL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
4.2" screen, TFT color liquid crystal (260,000 colors) Width 161.0mm
Length 91.4mm
Thickness 21.2mm
Stylus length: 96.0mm
Large stylus length: 129.3mm
Weight: 314g
Battery life: Approximately 3 hours
--DS card slot
--SD memory card slot
--AC adapter
--Stereo headphone/Microphone connected terminal
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