subject: The R4 Dsi [print this page] The R4 Dsi is like some sort of gaming TARDIS in that its actually a lot roomier inside than you might think. The screens are bigger than the displays on previous DSi SKUs, enlarged from three inches to 3.25, almost totally filling the chassis. Powering this larger display is a bundle of new hardware too, including a whopping 16MB of RAM, which is four times more than previous models and a small amount of storage capacity. Its a shame that the extra memory doesnt appear to improve in-game performance though, mainly because the R4 Dsi is a closed platform and games are designed explicitly for its individual configuration. We played a few games on the DS and DSi and saw no performance increase, though we did take the chance to confirm that single and multi-cart play is still possible between the Ds and R4 Dsi.
Another small tweak is that Nintendo R4 Dsi product has devoted some time for improving the feedback offered by the shoulder buttons, which now protrude a little more from the shell and give a very definite click when pressed. R4 Dsi volume control has been updated, compensates on the left-hand exterior of the shell and turned into a simple elevator switch rather than a slider, just like on the ipod.
The most important button alteration however is the power button, which has been moved to below the pad. Unlike the previous R4 Dsi models which had to be completely shut off in order to access the main menu, tapping this will drop gamers back to the boot menu without restarting to power down you need to hold the button down. Far more interesting than any of this though is the addition of two cameras to the R4 Dsi, both of which tie into some rather fun little software thats included in the DSi firmware.
