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DS surfs Web in July...in Japan

Opera Web browser will be released in Japan on July 24, US release unknown; cartridge will be sold online for 3,800 yen ($33).

Back in February, Nintendo made a few announcements detailing how the Nintendo DS was moving beyond being a simple gaming machine. Voice over IP has been added, a TV tuner has been promised, and a Web browser from Opera Software was said to be in the works.

Dual-screened Web-browsing madness.

Dual-screened Web-browsing madness.

On its Web site today, Opera confirmed that browsing the Internet on the DS will happen on July 24. The Web-surfing tool will be available in Japan first and will sell online for 3,800 yen ($33).

Previously, Opera announced that the browser would be a DS cartridge and allow surfing on both of the handheld's screens. Using the stylus and handwriting-recognition software, DS owners can input text by writing, rather than use a simulated keypad like the PlayStation Portable does.

Opera today also revealed that the Web browser will come with a memory expansion pack, though it's unclear how it will be implemented.

Nintendo and Opera have not yet announced details of a US or American release. It is also unclear as to whether or not the Japanese Web browser will work in other countries' DSes. Nintendo was not immediately available for comment. More details are expected on July 24.

227 Comments

  • WhiteMew

    Posted Jul 5, 2006 2:48 pm GMT

    Its an useful add-on for a game machine, great job!!!

  • overachiever92

    Posted Jul 3, 2006 12:54 am GMT

    Well, for once, SONY did something worth copying.

  • volumesoxxs

    Posted Jul 2, 2006 10:25 pm GMT

    Sounds awesome, I hope it comes out in the U.S soon

  • azieser

    Posted Jul 2, 2006 1:58 pm GMT

    Have fun finding 2" square web sites to surf!!

  • shannon_25

    Posted Jul 1, 2006 1:17 pm GMT

    This has got to be the coolest thing ever! hmm, i wonder if you can use instant messengers on it too...

  • Barzenak_40

    Posted Jun 29, 2006 3:36 pm GMT

    I have to say I want it just so I can sit outside and check my stuff.... I don't have a laptop but even without it I really love my little DS.

    PSP is cool looking but I bought a handheld for the games and the DS has some good ones. PSP has a few too but I could not cough up the cost. Be better off just picking up a PS2 for that cashola.

  • darksaber91

    Posted Jun 27, 2006 8:57 pm GMT

    everyone always comments on how new ways to get online are destined to become gateways to porn. I can't shake the feeling that these are the people who are the most excited...

  • darksaber91

    Posted Jun 27, 2006 8:53 pm GMT

    wow, thank god I just got a ds lite(loving it too). My friend just sold his old ds and got a psp(then his parents took his internet away until he boosts his grades.

  • rafaelszpo

    Posted Jun 27, 2006 7:32 am GMT

    AMAZING!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I WANT IT!!! NOW!!! =D

  • Y2H3

    Posted Jun 26, 2006 1:40 pm GMT

    everyone is saying that the psp had it for free??? what are you talking about psp is around £170.00 - £200.00!!!! The DS Lite is ££99.99 plus web browser that makes a grand total of about £120.00, thats £80.00 cheaper duh!!!!!!!!!!

  • gill9221

    Posted Jun 25, 2006 10:59 am GMT

    E-mail, Ebay, and myspace on my DS? Oh my... I will be picking this up! ...assuming we get it.

  • Clone_Dad

    Posted Jun 23, 2006 8:47 pm GMT

    actually, now that I think about it, it is a better idea to make the users have to buy extra features. the DS was low priced, and if they included extra features, that would raise the price. nintendo wanted to make something primarilary for games, and they did. now, if YOU WANT IT, you can buy the extra non-gaming features.

    don't listen to me...i don't know anything...

  • puablo

    Posted Jun 23, 2006 7:37 am GMT

    I'll buy it. It would be handy to have a portable WiFi web browser in my pocket, even if it isn't very full featured. That was one of the few things that left me on the fence between the PSP and the DS, ultimately I went DS because I felt games were more important. Like the PSP, it would have been nice if this was built-in, but I also support the argument that it's more sensible to pay $129 for a game system and buy the web browser separately.

  • yanks1112

    Posted Jun 23, 2006 7:34 am GMT

    OMG

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jun 23, 2006 6:58 am GMT

    SWEET!!!!!!! come on ninty.....release in US!!!!!

  • Clone_Dad

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:26 pm GMT

    ive read through alot of this topic, and i'm geting tired of people trying to compare the DS to the PSP. It's like trying to compare skittles to m&m's; It just depends on your taste. Lets face it, they are both great handhelds. alot of the people comparing the two are the ones who own the one they say pwns the other. it really doesnt make much sense to me...

    but i DO think $33 is a bit high...i think they should have done 20...but thats my opinion. I'm still buying it.
    goodbye.

  • Shingo

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 5:24 pm GMT

    You're a funny one Mr. Surrete

  • YUNGlink

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 5:02 pm GMT

    People need to stop complaining about the price when it comes out. Either they cough up the money for it, or they live without. Second, everyone needs to stop arguing back and forth about copying one another, if someone has already made the point you wanted, you don't need to post it too... anyway, I'm gonna get this when it comes to US.

  • rta

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 4:03 pm GMT

    this thing is gonna be sweet. real sweet hear me! super sweet!!!!!!!!!! super dooooooper sweeeeet!!!!!!!!

  • xanst

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 3:35 pm GMT

    --I thought nintendo was into the whole gaming only thing. who's copying who now.--

    Uh, Opera, apparently. They are making it.

  • lilazn_boi

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 3:16 pm GMT

    sweet!!!

  • chrisvenn

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 2:45 pm GMT

    I want this

  • payforaday

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 2:02 pm GMT

    Wow people are actually gonna pay the price of a game to browse on a 3 inch screen? N Fanboy logic I geuss.

  • Ices100

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 12:39 pm GMT

    What's this coping crap im hearing why anyone would argu over something so imature at this is beyond me, but there's no way id trade my real internet experience on my pc for either of them. There's actually on thing the psp can never copy, and that's the Success of the nintendo ds.

  • killer_z99

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 12:21 pm GMT

    people actually thing 33 or 35 bucks is a lot of money,omg,are they cheap or what.

  • pwnr

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 12:01 pm GMT

    It'll take forever to download pages.

    Just use a cell phone.

  • meimnobody

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 11:20 am GMT

    The DS doesn't need a router all it needs is a hotspot. The issue is you have to provide the connection but wifi is becomming more and more common. Airports, hotels, trams, coffe shops etc all are becoming wifi hotspots.

  • Nightfire117

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:58 am GMT

    this better come to the states or im gonna kick Reggie in the balls

  • Shiroi_Ookami

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:37 am GMT

    This is great news! First a media player Hard Drive, now a web browser. The DS is really going to corner the handheld market. Its ok though for Sony Fanboys... you still have the PSP's one claim to fame: GTA:LCS. Until they come out with a touchscreen GTA people will still be buying your little handheld. (-;

  • skyvader

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:25 am GMT

    I am suprised they dont offer this as a firmware update that could be gotten from download stations. Much like demos but instead of temp storage it becomes perm. The cart for memory expansion is a sweet idea as i hate it when i get those stupid out of memory screens on the psp.

    They will need to address a big issue regarding security. If the cart holds the browser and memory expansion then it could also hold cached pages of information like sites and maybe even password. If you lose your browser cart then your info could be read on another ds. As a way to prevent your data from being read on another ds, they could use a similar type of security like what sega did with phantasy star online for the dreamcast.

    I can remember trying to play that game online and it tells me this game and code have already been registered by another user (it was a used copy) and would not work online. They can make the cart create a key that stays in the ds firmware which binds that cart to the ds it was originally inserted and setup for. Hopefully it will be a 512mb cart at least for vieweing video and audio from the web.

  • mr_squibble

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:05 am GMT

    Sounds interesting. If I had a hotspot consistently near me, then I would defintely try this when it comes to the USA. The stylus should make typing information into the web browser much more user friendly than the cumbersome PSP D-pad. We'll see how well the Big N handles the memory issue seeing as Sony skipped that part.

  • EvanO_O

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 10:05 am GMT

    I think the memory cartidge thing will be a GBA cartridge or something.

    Opera will no doubt shove DS lites ouyt the window. I wonder if Japanese people will use it for the wrong reasons?

  • Mr_Bazooka

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 9:53 am GMT

    FIRST POST!

  • Wonderboy2790

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 9:44 am GMT

    THEDSKING
    I would'nt mind buying this because my cousin has a psp and he said in order to go online you will need some kinda connection peice to hook up onto a computer and the ds version is only 33 bucks for unlimited access no strings attached IN YOUR FACE PSP DS IS GOING TO BE ON TOP REAL SOON

    ^^ That made me laugh. The DS needs a wireless router to connect online as well.

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 9:26 am GMT

    but when's it coming out here?

  • anonymous3456

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 9:18 am GMT

    psp put a browser on a Handheld GAMING system and nintendo is copying that

  • boyblob

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 9:13 am GMT

    Yes Phazevariance but I still think nintendo should have included their own internet support into the system or some update. As for the Blu-Ray player in the PS3 you need it because al games will be in Blu-Ray format.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 8:25 am GMT

    boyblob said:
    "PSP= free internet
    DS= 33 bucks for small screen internet

    I think I'll just stick to playing games on the DS. And I thought Nintendo wanted to have everything cheap."



    Uh, if you bought a PSP for $200+ then you've already paid that $33 for the web browser. Also, I don't think the DS has a small screen because you have two screens to browse with, as opposed to the small screened PSP. And this isn't a who copied who thing, because web browsing is so common on any gadget that its only common sense to have it on a DS and PSP also. PLUS anyone who wants to surf the net should use a PC anyways. It's just better that way.

    Nintendo has it right selling features as add-ons because not everyone will use it, and on top of all that, Nintendo didn't make this, Opera did, so that $33 goes to them not Nintendo. Maybe Sony should 'copy' Nintendo's add-on idea and sell their PS3 with a regular DVD player in it and then have Blu-Ray as an expensive add-on, so people who don't care of HD movies can still buy the system for a cheaper price.

  • MONTE_BLK

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:56 am GMT

    I love it!!

  • THEDSKING

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:50 am GMT

    I would'nt mind buying this because my cousin has a psp and he said in order to go online you will need some kinda connection peice to hook up onto a computer and the ds version is only 33 bucks for unlimited access no strings attached IN YOUR FACE PSP DS IS GOING TO BE ON TOP REAL SOON

  • aramitz

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:50 am GMT

    $30 is nothing. I'm more concerned with the functionality considering most websites require shockwave/java/mp/cookies these days.

  • kilgorehalsig

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:46 am GMT

    offsprnvid24
    Tmacyao111 the ds is sells better then the psp if i want to play console games ill turn on my ps2.

    I am curious is not the DS portable. So exactly how are you going to play your PS2 any where other than at home or someone elses home. That seems to be the point of Portable. So while on the road where are you going to plug in your PS2 (hotel)? Are you going to drag the clunky cotroller around and find a tv to use it on? The statement makes no sense. The DS only sells better in Japan which has no relation to the US in sales. So if your point was the PSP games are just ports of many PS2 tilles I would agree. So is Mario 64 DS and endless GBA games. The text entry on the PSP sure sounds a lot like how my PC works. That is why I use bookmarks so I don't have to type as often. I do believe the PSP has bookmarks.

  • Omali

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:40 am GMT

    "To bad you have to pay to use it PSP came with it for free."

    Too bad the psp is also 130 dollars more than the DS. With the 35 dollar increase, the psp will still go for 100 dollars more

  • keinuveye

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:36 am GMT

    hahahaha. noobs think its copying. well you are making a post on this site so you are all hypocrites cause someone else did first.

    the internet is a free public commodity. you fanboys will be the next corporate monopolizers. Not Original. get over it.

  • keinuveye

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:32 am GMT

    go little DS, run! Quickly the MS $$ Monster portable machine is catching up! And look, oh, no, its got... anywhere online connection! don't be swallowed up by its ugly mouth!

  • michelle_moraes

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:28 am GMT

    I'm really looking forward to this!! Just got my DS Lite and I can't wait for this option to be avaiable!

  • Paul_TheGreat

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:21 am GMT

    Surfing on the web on a handheld is lame.

  • LordStriker911

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 7:04 am GMT

    dang, this built in opera thing has to be as good as normal opera, or else it will suck, and will this browser have flash or shockwaveor anything, and that new memory expansion, if thats new RAM, that would be sweet, oh well gotta keep dreaming

  • skitzocyko

    Posted Jun 22, 2006 6:49 am GMT

    hope it works

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