» MANUFACTURER: Nintendo » YEAR: 2006 » COST: £99.99 (launch), £20+ (today, boxed), £15+ (today, unboxed)
Fine and functional though it was, it always felt like the original model of the DS never fully satisfied Nintendo, at least in terms of its looks. The system’s final design wasn’t ready for its public unveiling at E3 2004, and was confirmed just a few months ahead of launch. As a result, a new model was announced in January 2006, just 14 months into the platform’s lifespan – the earliest point at which Nintendo had redesigned one of its consoles. The DS Lite launched in March in Japan and June in other territories.
The DS Lite is slightly smaller and lighter than the original model, with brighter LCD backlights, with the only notable downside being the awkward way that Game Boy Advance cartridges protrude from the smaller chassis. The minimalist, glossy casing drew comparisons to the fashionable design of contemporary Apple products such as the iPod. The DS Lite was persistently sold out in Japan during 2006 and 2007 and became enormously successful, with sales of over 93 million units making it the most common model of the console.