June US debut for Nintendo DS Lite

Nintendo's redesigned handheld games console, the DS Lite, will go on sale in the US on 11 June, the company announced today. The new version will retail for $130, and will be available in a single colour: glossy white.

The DS Lite weighs in at 218g, less than 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 new version offers the same functionality as the current model, including twin displays, one of them touch-sensitive, and Wi-Fi networking. In Japan the DS Lite is being made available in light and dark blue, and since the white US version is described as "inaugural", it seems likely Nintendo will offer other colours in due course.

In February, Nintendo US marketing chief Reggie Fils-Aime was reported to have said the DS Lite would appear in the States in the summer, but the original DS would not be phased out immediately. Stocks will be run down, with the final box being sold between August and September, he said.

As yet, Nintendo has not said when the DS Lite will come to Europe. ®