GAMES DEVICE firm Nintendo is launching its bigger Dsi XL tomorrow with a wider viewing angle and a screen size that's 93 per cent larger than the DS Lite.

According to Nintendo the Dsi XL comes in two colours, wine red and dark brown, with a matte finish underneath, no doubt to stop it from sliding out from under sweaty palms during intense gameplay sessions. It also has an Opera web browser, WiFi and a chunky stylus.

In a bid to secure punters, Nintendo has loaded Nintendo Dsiware software: A Little Bit, Dr Kawashima's Brain Training, and Arts Edition and Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function. Nintendo has also gone a step further to draw potential customers to its online store. The first time you hook your Dsi XL to the store Nintendo is giving away 1,000 Nintendo Dsi Points. The points can be exchanged for games and applications from the Nintendo Dsiware range. The offer is only valid until 31 March 2010.

What we didn't hear from Nintendo in the UK was how the new handheld's e-reader functionality would be supported by content providers. We reported in February that Nintendo was jumping on the e-reader bandwagon, offering a downloadable selection of 100 classic books through its Wii channels. There was no mention of a similar deal in the UK. µ