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DS Lite redesign revealed plus two new colours

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation
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DS

While Nintendo originally refused to admit that a new, streamlined, DS Lite was going to be announced, now that it has, it can’t stop giving out new information.

First up are the two colours in addition to the basic white (or as Nintendo calls it, Pure White) that it will be available in. These are Ice Blue and Enamel Navy - or light blue and dark blue to the rest of the world.

Some new images of DS Lite have also been released. These show more details of the redesign; the stylus holder has been moved from the back to a neat hole on the right hand side of the console, and there's a new power button in the form of a proper power switch.

As we already knew, the start and select buttons have been moved, too. They are now round in shape and situated on the bottom-right of the touchscreen. This has created space for the A, B, X, Y action buttons to be moved up slightly. They also look to be more rubbery in feel rather than the present hard plastic.

Two elements that haven’t been shifted are the headphone socket and the volume slider. Both remain on the front of the DS Lite, although their designs have been tweaked with the headphone socket being recessed. The volume slider, previously the cheapest-feeling bit of the DS, has been given a makeover, too, and looks like it will provide more fine tuning between loud and quiet.

The final touch appears to be a plug which will fit into the big GBA cartridge slot in the front of the DS Lite. This will stop any dust getting into the slot and generally make the DS Lite seem a bit more cool and well-made.

Perhaps the most interesting image, however, is the one which shows someone holding DS Lite like a book, or one of Nintendo’s old Game & Watch handhelds, while using the stylus on the touchscreen. No games to date have used the DS in this way, but maybe Nintendo is hinting that that will change in the future...

Due for release in Japan on the 2nd March, Nintendo is yet to reveal when the DS Lite will be launched in Europe.

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.