Although Nintendo officials say they are quite happy with the sales figures for their dual-screened Nintendo DS, with 14 million sales since the November 2005 launch, competition from Sony and the PSP may have forced a redesign. The DS's new look was unveiled today.

The DS Lite is about sixty percent of the size of the older DS and has shed 20 percent of its original weight as well. The system is scheduled to launch in Japan in March for a cost of 16,800 yen ($145 in converted US dollars.) That makes the system slightly more expensive than the current DS on the market, though no US or European release date has been announced. It is speculated that the US launch may coincide with the E3 trade show in May according to one source at Nintendo that did not want to be named.

The screen size of the new DS remains unchanged, but gone is the ungainly clamshell look in favour of a more sleek modern case which puts it more on par with the PSP's layout. The unit being shown is bright white, though options for other paint styles may be forthcoming.