DSi to launch in the US this April

By Ellie Gibson Published 18 February, 2009

It'll cost just under 170 "bucks".

Nintendo has announced that the next iteration of the DS will launch in the US on 5th April.

The Nintendo DSi will be priced at USD 169.99 (GBP 120 / EUR 135). Lucky Americans will be able to choose from blue or black versions.

"Ever since the arrival of the first Game Boy, consumers worldwide have turned to Nintendo for their portable gaming," said Cammie Dunaway, executive in charge of sapphires and emeralds at Nintendo of America.

"Nintendo DSi builds on Nintendo's commitment to bringing fun and creative entertainment to everyone, and will allow consumers to personalise and share their very own experiences.

"We're going to need a bigger safe," she did not add.

The DSi features a built-in camera and an SD card slot, amongst other new features, and has already been a big hit in Japan. A European price and date have yet to be announced, but expect some news soon.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • LazyDan #1 3 years ago

    170 'quid' then when it launches here in October or whatever ridiculous delay we go through.

  • Eraysor #2 3 years ago

    Age of Conan adverts? That game has been long dead.

    And I prefer my DS Lite thanks to the GBA slot and the fact I already have it :) Chrono Trigger is using up a considerable amount of my time.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 15:06

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    Hopefully Europe shortly after, I want to get my sister a DS for multiplayer Buil-a-Bear Workshop. I mean Manly Killing Game :S

    /loses last shred of respect from peers

  • sneetch #4 3 years ago

    @DFawkes
    /loses last shred of respect from peers

    Didn't that happen in August?

    2005, that is. ;)

  • rix0r #5 3 years ago

    We'll know the release date for this in Europe tomorrow at the latest.

  • Garulon #6 3 years ago

    So it's region-locked, costs more money, looks cheaper, and is missingfeatures!

    Sign me up!
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 15:14

  • Pirotic #7 3 years ago

    Shame the WPA support doesn't go back to pre-existing games :(

  • DanDickhead #8 3 years ago

    I just don't fancy one of these at all. The DS Lite sounds a far better option.

  • electrolite #9 3 years ago

    No matter how hard I try, I just cannot see the attraction of this one. I stuck with my PSP fat when that got 'upgraded' and I'll stick with my DS Lite over this. Bizarre.

  • DonnieDarko333 #10 3 years ago

    Europe announcement is probably tomorrow, and it'll cost £149.99 and come hopefully in a different coloured version with white! It'll launch in May 2009. Theres my guess!

  • Cappy #11 3 years ago

    Region locking? On a portable system?

    Just when you think things are going forwards and the platform holders are finally seeing sense along comes Nintendo to pull everything backwards again.

  • DanDickhead #12 3 years ago

    Region locking is the dumbest sh't ever

  • PinkSpider #13 3 years ago

    "And I prefer my DS Lite thanks to the GBA slot and the fact I already have it :) Chrono Trigger is using up a considerable amount of my time."
    Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI both slotted in at the same time is a sexy thing.*

    *may not be sexy.

  • Waffleaber #14 3 years ago

    Need a UK date. Not because I want one but because the price of a lite will drop, at least 2nd hand, so I can upgrade my original.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #15 3 years ago

    Isn't it only region-locked on web apps and stuff like that tho? So games that don't use those features are still multi-region?

  • Santino #16 3 years ago

    "Isn't it only region-locked on web apps and stuff like that tho? So games that don't use those features are still multi-region?"

    by all accounts yes, including such conclusive evidence as people playing pal games on a japanese dsi, but you shouldn't expect something like that to get in the way of a good old moan and bitch about a problem that doesnt exist when u have the joy of reading the eurogamer comment section!
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 17:06

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #17 3 years ago

    Ah, it all makes sense now... ;-)

  • insincere_dave #18 3 years ago

    If Eurogamer hadn't started spreading the misinformation about it being region locked there wouldn't be so much confusion now.

    Only online stuff is region locked just like all the home consoles / Steam.

    Any carts which are released are likely to be "enhanced for DSi" to allow use of the camera etc. just like was the case with GBC games which usually backwards compatible with the original GB.

    To summarise... stop complaining about stuff that isn't even true.

  • DanDickhead #19 3 years ago

    "Only online stuff is region locked just like all the home consoles / Steam"

    PS3 isn't region locked, but Wii and 360 are, yeah?

  • crickson #20 3 years ago

    The LBP DLC is region-locked on the PS3, although most things seem to be ok. I live in the US but use the UK PSN for reasons to boring to go into here.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 17:42

  • insincere_dave #21 3 years ago

    "PS3 isn't region locked, but Wii and 360 are, yeah? "

    I should have been more exact in my phrasing. The home consoles / Steam have the potential to region lock / pricing depending upon whether publishers have licensed content for specific regions etc.

  • Weezer #22 3 years ago

    Just had my drowned DS Lite fixed. I'd like the slightly snazzier screen, but I can happily live without a shit-res camera and teen-girl-friendly image-fiddling software.

  • Oh-Bollox #23 3 years ago

    Two touch screens! Woo hoo!

  • Daikon #24 3 years ago

    Oooooh! Instead of GBA compatibility I can have an SD card slot!
    How can I resist that?