The Nintendo DSi, the follow up to the DS Lite, was released recently, and sales have already gone through the roof. Nintendo has completely dominated the handheld console market in recent times, taking over the top spot from the PSP, and when sales of the new console managed to reach 92,000 in just two days of going on release it was clear that the latest incarnation was going to be a hit.

On the face of it, the DSi actually looks very similar to the previous version. However, one of the main differences to be found is the in-built camera, which is what the ‘i’ in the title stands for. Nintendo have cottoned onto the popularity of cameras in mobile phones, with the possibilities they offer for online social networking, and you can be sure that the camera will provide a great feature for a host of new and interesting games.

The console received huge pre-orders, so there were no surprises when it did so well in its opening 48 hours. In fact, the sales were so large that it has now become the fourth fastest-selling console in UK games market history. It also sold more units than all the other consoles combined over the opening weekend. The rather high £149.99 price mark has not stopped fans from snapping them up quickly, and it is unlikely that price will be a problem.

The DSi has larger screens than its predecessor, and it is also thinner to enable it to fit more easily in the pocket or bag. It can also record sounds, which is certain to prove one of its key features as more games are released.

The research was conducted by GfK-ChartTrack, and the DSi senior product manager, James Honeywell, said that the launch is “just the beginning” and that they will “try and maintain this positive start”. He also noted that DS Lite sales have also been positive.