Nintendo announces DSi

Nintendo announces the DSi in Tokyo.

(Credit: Kotaku)

Update: More news and better pictures available here.

The rumors were true: Nintendo has announced a new DS, dubbed the DSi. The company unveiled the new DS model at a press conference in Japan.

Early specs:

• The unit is said to resemble the existing DS Lite, but is 12 percent thinner, thanks to the absence of a Game Boy cartridge slot.
• The twin screens are a bit larger--3.25 inches versus 3 inches.
• 3-megapixel camera
• SD-card slot
• Downloadable games: Download games from a "DSi Shop" over Wi-Fi, and save them to the SD card. The games are called "DSi Ware" (a la Wii Ware), and are available for 200, 500, or 800 points.
• Availability: It'll hit November 1 in Japan for ?18,900 (approximately $179), in black and white versions.

Nintendo has scheduled an event Thursday in San Francisco, which will undoubtedly be the DSi's North American unveiling. Daniel Terdiman of CNET News will have complete coverage of that event, at which time we should get more specific details on the latest generation of Nintendo's gaming handheld.

(Source: Famitsu via translation on Kotaku)