Nintendo DS official specifications revealed

TOKYO--At a press conference today in Japan, Nintendo announced the official Japanese launch date and pricing for the Nintendo DS. The machine will be priced at 15,000 yen ($137)--about 50 percent more than the 9,800 yen ($89) Game Boy Advance--on December 2. Nintendo's unexpected announcement came only hours before Sony opened its press conference, which caused many to speculate that the surprise timing was a calculated maneuver.

The announcement also revealed an updated specifications chart for the DS, which has now disclosed a few new points about the system. The Pictochat text and drawing software that was shown at E3 will come preinstalled in the DS hardware, which means that you can communicate with other nearby DS owners without the need for any cartridge. The handheld will feature a virtual surround sound system as well, and what’s more, the machine lets you choose between six different languages.

Nintendo DS Specifications

Size / Weight (when folded)
Height: 84.7mm
Width: 148.7mm
Thickness: 28.9mm
Weight: 275g (including battery & stylus)

Display
Top Screen:
3 inch color TFT with backlight
256x192 pixel resolution, .24mm dot pitch
260,000 color display

Bottom Screen:
3 inch color TFT with backlight
256x192 pixel resolution, .24mm dot pitch
260,000 color display
Transparent analog resistive touch panel

Main controls
Directional pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons, Start/Select buttons
Touch panel
Internal microphone (voice recognition possible with software)

Input/Output
DS cartridge slot
GBA cartridge slot
Stereo headphone jack
Microphone jack

Wireless capabilities
IEEE802.11 and Nintendo propriety protocol 2 format
Radiowave distance: 10 - 30 meters depending on environment
Multiplayer game possible with one cartridge
Voice chatting with the internal microphone while playing over Internet is possible

CPU ARM9 and ARM7 (With new graphic engine)

Sound Internal stereo speaker (virtual surround sound possible with software)

Other features
Internal Clock w/alarm
Touch-panel calibration
PictoChat preinstalled (Text and graphic drawing application that can be used to communicate with up to 16 users via wireless capability)

Configurable settings
Startup mode switching
Language: Japanese, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
Screen selectable when playing GBA games (top or bottom screen)
User Information display

Power and Battery
Internal Lithium battery (Runs approximately 6-10 hours on full recharge, depending on application)
Full recharge time: 4 hours
Power management systems, such as sleep mode, included
Comes with AC adapter