What Changed from the Nintendo DS to the DS Lite?

In 2004, Nintendo released a hand-held game device that was an omen for the future release of the Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo DS is more than a new and improved version of the gameboy. It would be fair to say that Nintendo wasn’t thinking about conventional gaming when they made the DS. Every aspect of the DS from the double screen (something that hasn’t been done since their game and watch system) display down to the multiple control systems (traditional game pad, voice control, and touch screen), the DS was anything but traditional.

Two years later they have released a new and improved version of the DS and it is called the DS lite. Instead of making the DS lite more powerful (which is the norm when you release a new version), Nintendo opted to introduce certain improvements that made the DS lite a lot better compared to the DS.

To start it off, the DS lite is lighter and smaller compared to the DS by a large margin. Despite being smaller, it also packs a 1000mAh battery compared to the 850mAh of the DS that gives an extra 5 more hours of game-time in a single charge. That huge battery performance is due in part to the redesign of the DS lite’s processor. Though it is still as powerful as the DS, the smaller construction process allowed the processor to draw much less power. But it is still mind boggling how they managed to extend game time that much considering that they have replaced the screens to much brighter ones which are good when playing under direct sunlight.

Aside from the improvements made with regards to power and size, they have also made minor changes that they hoped would make gameplay more enjoyable. They moved a few keys around to make them more accessible and they have also reduced the size of the select and start keys since those keys aren’t used that often. The power button has turned into a slider, probably to reduce the chance of accidental presses. The mic which used to be at the bottom of the device has been moved to the hinge itself to make it a little bit easier to use.

It is now clear that Nintendo is a very solid company, opting to experiment and go unfamiliar paths to extend the usability of their devices. We can clearly say that the DS lite provided a lot of new improvements over the DS as a new version and we can expect the next versions to be better than te last.

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