Nintendo Sells 100 Million DS vs. Sony PSP 50 Million

Nintendo has sold 100 million DS handhelds worldwide since the gadget's release in November 2004, making the device the quickest video-game console to reach that milestone.

The 100 millionth device was shipped as of March 6, Nintendo said. The total shipments include sales of Nintendo DS, DS Lite, and DSi, which is the latest iteration. The DSi has been available in Japan and is scheduled to be on U.S. store shelves April 5 for $170.

In comparison, Sony (NYSE: SNE), Nintendo's major rival in the portable gaming market, has shipped 50 million units of the PlayStation Portable since releasing the device in 2004.

The original DS launched with dual screens, a touch panel, and voice-recognition capabilities. The portable system's successor, DS Lite, was a slimmer model.

The DSi advances the franchise with two 0.3-megapixel cameras, one on the external body and the other pointing at the user when the device is flipped open. The outside camera is for taking and sharing pictures over the Web. Developers are expected to make use of the inside device to make games more interactive.

Other features include a voice recorder and music player and software filters and controls for altering voices or changing the tempo of songs. The system plays downloadable games from Nintendo's online store, as well as store-bought games. The DSi also can play the more than 850 titles made for the DS.

Once available in the United States, Nintendo's latest gadget could evolve into a competitor of the iPod Touch, which is also a gaming platform and music and video player. The iPod is more expensive with a starting price of $229, but games are cheaper on the Apple product.

As of Dec. 31, global shipments of 83 DS games have topped 1 million copies, according to Nintendo. Seven of those titles topped 10 million.

Sony PSP-3000: The display says it all

You may not see much of a difference between the new PSP and the old PSP Slim just by looking at it, but once you turn it on, you’ll notice the remarkable improvement in the display on the PSP-3000.

Famitsu’s got a side-by-side comparison, and I guess the pictures say it all. Brighter, more vivid and rich; it puts to shame the already impressive screen of the PSP-2000.

Aside from that, if you pay close attention, you’ll also notice that the PSP-3000 is a lot more rounded and has a redesigned UMD cover at the back.

Yeah, we wished that it had more to offer than minor cosmetic changes and a built-in mic, but the improved display is more than welcome. So if you’ve been holding back on getting a PSP, you definitely can’t go wrong with this new iteration as it is probably the best one among the current crop. The same as with all of you guys, we’re also waiting for details as to its local release and pricing.

Touchscreen PSP?

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A certain jube808 has launched a quixotic quest to add a myriad of features to the PSP that he believes should've been there from the start, including beefed up battery life, a better control pad, and touchscreen support. Think what you will of his aims, he certainly seems to have some hardware chops, as he's got a touchscreen up and running on the handheld. So far he's just got a proof of concept keyboard, which works with a finger or a stylus, but the hope is to provide full touchscreen support for homebrew gaming. Let us know how that goes, jube. Videos are after the break.