Nintendo: DSi likely for US by summer
updated 09:25 am EDT, Fri October 31, 2008
Nintendo DSi US by Summer
Nintendo today set expectations for the launch of the DSi in the US that suggest a summer or earlier release for the new take on the game console. Company president Satoru Iwata notes that individual regions have their own discretion as to when they release the dual-screen system but that a launch in fall would "probably be too late," steering any potential release outside of Japan towards the middle of the year.
The console producer is due to launch the DSi tomorrow in Japan but has previously said it has no plans for versions in North America or elsewhere until sometime in 2009, as the market pressure isn't as steep in the US and other countries, where the DS continues to easily outsell Sony's PSP. The DSi adds two cameras, SD storage and software for media playback as well as web browsing, but is otherwise only a minor update to the DS Lite and has little impact on the game features that are pushing US sales.
Worldwide, the DS Lite continues to outsell the PSP by a ratio of approximately two to one and gives Nintendo the relative luxury to update the DS lineup at will rather than regular updates. Sony has so far released two minor revisions to the PSP since it was introduced in 2004.
