New Nintendo DS with bigger screens on tap for Japan

Armed with a pair of jumbo-sized 4.2-inch displays, the DS LL will make its debut in Japan next month and overseas early next year.

Set for release in Japan on Nov. 21, the new DS will, understandably, be a bit bigger and heavier—6.3 by 3.5 by 0.8 inches, 11.1 ounces—than the DSi and DS Lite to fit the larger displays, which are almost twice the size of the Lite's dual 3-inch screens, according to PC World.

Kotaku chimes in that the DS LL will also ship with a pair of styluses: a shorter one and a larger, 5.1-inch version, making it a little easier to navigate all the new real estate.

Keep in mind that while the DS LL's twin displays are larger than on current DS models, they still have the same resolution—so, as PC World points out, don't expect your portable Mario to look any sharper than he did before.

The DS LL arrives almost a year after the DSi's Japanese debut—and remember, we here in the U.S. had to wait almost six months for the DSi (which itself came bigger, 3.25-inch screens, a slimmer case, and a pair of tiny cameras) to arrive in the States. A Nintendo rep told PC World that the DS LL will ship worldwide in the first quarter of 2010, so we may well have another six-month wait in store.

Last but not least, the price tag for the DS LL: 20,000 yen, which translates to about US$222, although that's not necessarily the sticker price we'll ultimately see in the U.S.

So, what do you think: Would you trade up for the DS LL and its 4.2-inch screens, even if the display resolution is still the same?

Related:
Nintendo to Launch DS With Larger Screen Next Month [PC World]