DSi Enjoys Fourth-Biggest Launch In UK

The launch of the Nintendo DSi on Friday, April 3rd has become the fourth biggest hardware debut ever in the UK. Although conflicting figures for the first two days of sale have appeared online, chart compiler GfK-ChartTrack has confirmed to Gamasutra that the new portable sold 92,000 units over the course of Friday and Saturday. With the handheld enjoying high levels of pre-orders, the DSi launch was behind only that of the PSP, PlayStation 3 and Wii in the UK. As a result, it outsold the original Nintendo DS and the DS Lite upon their respective debuts. Speaking to Gamasutra, GfK-ChartTrack’s Chris Poole commented: "For a console that has already been around for some time, the launch figures are very impressive. Especially given the lack of new software released at retail." Although new software title Rhythm Heaven is being heavily promoted alongside the DSi in North America, the game is not due for release in Europe (as Rhythm Paradise) until May 1st. No new Nintendo-published DS titles were released at the same time as the DSi in Europe, with no increased support from third party publisher either. In the same manner as the DS Lite, the new DSi is fully backwards compatible with the previous iterations of the hardware. As well as improving on features such as screen size and brightness, the new model includes two 0.3 megapixel cameras and a SD slot for downloadable titles and music playback.