Rumor: New DS may include dual touch screens, one widescreen

As if responding to Sony’s redesigned PSP, rumors are circulating that Nintendo is working on a redesign of the DS. Sales of Nintendo’s handheld system continue to show remarkable market stability in the US and Japan and Nintendo obviously wants to keep that trend going by giving the DS a face lift. IGN got its hands on leaked information that suggest more than just another small and lighter design.

Between April and May 2009, Nintendo will allegedly introduce a new DS that incorporates widescreen technology into one of the screens. At the same time, both screens are rumored to become touch-enabled. I’m imagining Nintendo would also bring out a new game featuring one of its triple-A characters (likely a Mario game) and possibly more titles that use motion controls. Unfortunately this is all speculation at the moment.

Nintendo has a history of redesigning handhelds. The Gameboy Advance came out in 2001 and saw its first redesign in 2003, followed by a second in 2005. Similarly the original Nintendo DS launched in 2004 followed by the DS Lite in 2006. This means Nintendo has introduced new versions of its handhelds every two years since 2001. By my count it has been over two years since the DS Lite so, if history repeats itself, these rumors may hold extra merit.

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