What is the difference between Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS?

The NINTENDO DS is a handheld game console launched in 2004. Followed by the Nintendo DS Lite in 2006 and Nintendo DSi in 2009 (North America), the entire DS family has sold well over 100 million units worldwide. Here are comparisons on the newest and oldest members of the family under selected selling points.

Screen Brightness. The Nintendo DSi has 5 different backlight levels compared to the backlight on/off options found in the Nintendo DS menu.

Graphics. Compared to the NINTENDO DS, the DSi features 2 ARM processors (twice as fast as the DS processor) with 16MB RAM (four times as much as the DS). This permits a superior gaming experience.

Extended Battery Life. Both models have roughly the same battery capacity as both come with an 850mAh battery. The DS lasts 10 to 14 hours on the lowest battery setting similar to the Dsi’s 9 – 14 hours. The DS Lite possesses a larger battery of 1000mAh capacity lasting 15 to 19 hours on the lowest battery level.

DSi Shop. The DSi shop is an online marketplace where owners download games and applications free or for a fee. Owners pay for downloadable games using a Nintendo Gift Points Card. The DSi shop was first introduced on the Nintendo DSi and has become the strongest selling point of this console.

Twin Cameras. The DSi features two VGA cameras that can be integrated into gameplay or be used to take photographs. Pictures taken with the inside/outside cameras are saved in an SD card or uploaded to Facebook.

SD Cards. Unlike with previous models DSi owners can record photos, audio files and save downloaded software to a removable card in the SD slot. Supported file formats are AAC, .mp4, .m4a, and .3GP. The DSi supports up to 32GB.

Multimedia. It’s capable of playing music files even when the device is shut. Users can apply filters, adjust the pitch and playback. Voice recordings of up to 18 seconds may be recorded via the internal microphone and integrated into a song.

Wi-Fi. Although previous models had Wi-Fi capabilities, the Nintendo DSi takes it a step further with support for WEP, WPA (AES/TKIP) and WPA2 (AES/TKIP) wireless encryption.

Hot Swaps. Owners are able to perform hot swaps without turning off the device. The Nintendo DS and DS Lite required users to turn off their devices each time a different game was to be played.

Nintendo Points Prepaid Card. The Nintendo DS does not support upgradeable firmware and users cannot download applications from the online shop. The points card has been solely reserved for the NINTENDO Wii and Nintendo DSi.