When the Nintendo DS was first released in 2004, no one was ready for it. While there were plenty of first adopters and fans picking it up immediately, it’s hard to say if even Nintendo knew how it would go on to sell 154 million units, and become one of the most successful systems of all time.
To give further context, the Game Boy Advance sold 81 million in the era right before it, and the Nintendo 3DS sold 75 million. It’s a huge gulf, and the dual screens of the DS enamored everyone for more than seven years, well into the lifecycle of the initially struggling 3DS. Now, 22 years later, you can grab new hardware that continues the legacy of portables, thanks to confirmation from X.
In a fairly big announcement, retro hardware manufacturer Anbernic is creating a new system: RG DS Plus. It’s clearly modeled after the Nintendo DS (which Anbernic’s site describes as a “dual-screen handheld”). The interface is Linux-based and allows for screen swapping and lower-screen touch controls. It also has 76 baked-in shader options, instant saves, microphone support, a real-time clock, and cheat code support. It’s a juiced-up DS with all the original bells and whistles, plus some modern conveniences.
Here’s a full breakdown of the screen quality from Anbernic themselves: “Compared with the RG DS’s dual 4.0-inch 640 × 480 screens, RG DS Plus moves to dual 4.3-inch 1024 × 768 displays. The 0.3-inch increase provides about 15.6% more screen area. Using a 256 × 192 native reference, 640 × 480 corresponds to 2.5× by resolution, while 1024 × 768 is an exact 4× integer scale in both directions, helping the original pixel structure remain clean across the larger screens.”
There are more advancements, too. The hinge is redesigned and allows for multiple viewing angles, which is crucial to comfort on the DS. There’s also a tease of a capacitive stylus that slots right into the side of the system. Three colors will be offered on the first run of the DS Plus, including Matte Black, Coral Pink, and Metallic Blue; all of which mirror classic DS SKUs.
For reference, the original Anbernic RG DS is sold for $99.99 for the base model, and comes in Black & Crimson Red, Turquoise Blue, and Polar White. We can expect the Plus to cost a little more.
No matter how well the RG DS Plus sells, the Nintendo DS won’t just go down in history as one of the best handhelds of all time; it’ll also celebrate a massive win on top of the hardware charts for years to come. It’s secured as the third-most successful gaming system of all time, just below the PlayStation 2 and the original Switch.
- Date Founded
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September 23, 1889
- CEO
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Satoru Iwata
- Subsidiaries
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Nintendo EPD, Nintendo SPD, Nintendo EAD
- Consoles
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Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch Lite
- Services
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Nintendo Switch Online