DS owners in Japan will soon be able to surf the web on their double screened handheld with the announcement that the Opera web browser is to be made available in the territory. A release date for the application, which will be provided on a DS card, is yet to be confirmed along with a price.

Similar web browsing functionality is already accessible on the DS' rival, the Sony PSP, though gamers will at least be able to at least enter web addresses into the DS faster thanks to its touch screen and virtual keyboard a la PDAs. Judging by one promotional image the web pages themselves will be displayed across the two screens of the DS with one screen appearing to show a resized version and the top screen showing a full size version.

Announcing the development of the Opera browser for Nintendo DS, Scott Hedrick, Executive Vice President, Opera Software said, "The incredibly popular Nintendo DS is already Wi-Fi enabled to support real-time gaming, so adding Web browsing capabilities was a natural evolution for this device...Gaming devices are growing more advanced and a great Web experience is becoming a product differentiator for gaming manufacturers. Opera is excited to work with Nintendo to deliver a unique dual screen, full Internet experience on Nintendo DS."

"Within just five seconds of turning on the system, the Nintendo DS is already fully operational. This makes it the ideal device to enable people to swiftly obtain the latest information from the internet, wherever they are," says Masaru Shimomura, Deputy General Manager of Nintendo's R & D Department. "Opera exceeded our expectations with its user friendly interface, quick access to all your favorite sites, ease of use and, most importantly, in making the best use of the Nintendo DS system's unique double screens and touch screen features. Opera is an important partner for Nintendo in our efforts to further expand the users of the Nintendo DS."

With its Wi-Fi capabilities beginning to be taken advantage of in game, it was perhaps inevitable that the DS would eventually have browsing capabilities, though when the same can be said for DS systems outside of Japan has yet to be confirmed.

We'll have more news shortly...