Nintendo will ship is DS Lite handheld console in light- and dark-blue hues in addition to the classic iPod white the videogames pioneer had already said the device will be decked out in when it debuts in Japan on 2 March.

As its name suggests, the DS Lite isn't as heavy as the current version, weighing 218g to the standard DS' 275g. It's smaller too: 13.3 x 7.4 x 2.2cm to 14.9 x 8.5 x 2.9cm. The DS Lite will retail for ¥16,800 ($146/£82), Nintendo said. The new version offers the same functionality - including twin displays, one of the touch-sensitive, and Wi-Fi networking - as the current DS.

The original DS launched in Japan on December 2, 2004. Since then, 5.7m of the handhelds have shipped worldwide, according to the Nintendo. The company has yet to say when the DS Lite will arrive in Europe or the US, or what colours it will ship in, though retail sources said, GamesIndustry.biz reports. ®