Exploring Forgotten Consoles: DSi

As time goes on, more and more gaming consoles will be released and will only get better and better with each year. But as more consoles are released, we forget about the older gaming consoles that shaped how we game. In this mini-series, we'll be looking at some forgotten consoles that you probably had yourself! To start, we're looking at the Nintendo DSi. Sounds familiar? Let's take a look at the Nintendo DSi forgotten console.

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What is the purpose of the DSi?

The Nintendo DSi was released in 2008, only 4 years after the original DS was released worldwide. It was a foldable dual-screen handheld game console from Nintendo that looked identical to their iconic Nintendo DS but had a couple of improved changes. Firstly, the console had a camera installed into the back and front of it where users could take photos/videos and edit their photos using the console's applications. Software-wise, the DSi had more RAM and a faster CPU. Shortly after the release of the DSi, Nintendo released their larger version called the DSi XL, similar to the normal Nintendo DS XL and the future 3DS XL.

What does the i in DSi mean?

The name of the DSi is certainly something worth discussing. Many gamers were confused as to why the console was called the DSi, not just the DS2. The 'i' had various meanings.

• Person - The 'i' stands for Individual Person whilst also looking like a person figure to emphasise the console is for single-player gamers much like the original console. 
• Camera - The 'i' also had connotations to 'eyes' because it sounds the same. Obviously, the DSi had built in cameras which helped to further push this feature. 
• Nintendo Wii - The DSi was released 2 years after the Nintendo Wii, and during 2008 the Wii had started to take off and become big. Calling it the DSi game some links to the popular Wii console, encouraging people to look at the new DS. It's a great marketing strategy!

 

Was the DSi a failure?

The DSi and DSi XL met a very sudden and unexpected end. It was announced on September 30th, 2024, that the DSi would cease production worldwide immediately. This came as quite a shock to gamers because the DSi had been performing well, not as well as the original DS or the Nintendo Wii, but it was doing well enough to continue production. In 2010, the Dsi was considered one of the top-selling handheld platforms of all time with over 27 million units selling in its first fiscal year. By the end of its run, the DSi managed to get over 128 million units sold. 

The only reason we can think that Nintendo discontinued the DSi was because 10 days later in October 2014, Nintendo released their new 3DS console, an updated version of the 2011 edition. Could they have done this to focus sales entirely on the 3ds? We hope not because whilst the 3DS 2014 edition did well, the DSi still had much more potential. It'll certainly be a console that we miss.

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Conclusion:

With the success of the Nintendo DS and the growing success of the Nintendo Wii, plus the modernisation of the 3DS, the DSi was basically put on the back-burner of Nintendo's catalogue. This is why we believe the console became forgotten. It paved the way for the DS series with the camera feature and was left behind. Did you ever play on the Nintendo DSi? We'd love to know.