Rumor: Nintendo to release DSi with larger screen in Japan

Nintendo usually waits a couple years before changing the hardware on its handheld devices but it just may break tradition this time around. According to a report from Nikkei news service (via a quick NeoGaf translation of a blog post), Nintendo will release a new DSi in Japan this year (2009) with a screen that is approximately 4 inches. The screen on the current DSi is 3.25 inches.

Overall it’s not a major difference in appearance but Nintendo is going after a different consumer demographic. This new strategy is directed towards older would be gamers who would probably find the larger screen easier to interact with.

Besides this slight cosmetic change, everything else about the DSi will remain the same. It will have no additional processing power or a higher quality camera. Best of all the price will remain at the standard price of 18900 yen (around $200). No one is sure if the new DSi will make its way to other countries outside Japan.

Since Nintendo hasn’t officially announced this new version of the DSi we going to throw this into the rumor category. We will update if some more light is shown on this story.

Read [Kotaku] Also Read [Zerg Watch]