DSi Coming To US On April 4th??? News

Word on the web is that Nintendo's next upgrade to its hugely successful line of DS handheld consoles, the DSi, could be headed for an April 4th release with a $179.99 (approx. £125) price tag.

Multiple sources close to Nintendo have apparently relayed this information to IGN, noting that the handheld will come to the US market in the first half of the year, with Nintendo of America allegedly relaying to its partners that April (most likely April 4th) is the planned launch window.

The supposed $179.99 cost would price the DSi at $50 more expensive than the current stateside RRP of $129.99 for the DS Lite.

Even though the direct conversion of this projected US price to UK currency would be about £125, British gamers should assume a more expensive price tag for the handheld once it reaches European shores. After all, the DS Lite will currently set you back around £100 at UK outlets and electronic products are typically cheaper in the US than the UK.

Nintendo of Europe has previously stated that it's aiming to launch the DSi in the region during the spring of 2009. Given that the DS Lite was released near simultaneously in the US and UK, then an April release for the DSi in Europe seems probable if these rumours are accurate.

The DSi will feature a variety of memory solutions for the handheld, including an SD card slot and internal memory, while the stand-out feature on the SKU is a built-in camera. Additionally, a DSiWare service will provide users with downloadable games and content in a similar vein to the WiiWare hub currently available on Nintendo's home console.