Nintendo DSi system software
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and operating system for the Nintendo DSi handheld video game console and its XL variant. Released alongside the console in Japan on November 1, 2008, and later worldwide in April 2009, the system software represented Nintendo's first implementation of downloadable content and comprehensive online services on a handheld platform. Updates were downloaded via the system's internet connection, allowing Nintendo to add features, patch security vulnerabilities, and block unauthorized software. The software introduced a redesigned touchscreen-based interface, built-in multimedia applications including dual cameras and audio recording, and the Nintendo DSi Shop for purchasing downloadable games and applications. Support for the system software concluded with version 1.4.5, released on December 11, 2012, and the DSi Shop was discontinued on March 31, 2017.
Development
Development of the Nintendo DSi system software began in late 2006 under the direction of Masato Kuwahara of Nintendo's Development Engineering Department, working on an accelerated schedule that required a concept proposal by December 2006 and finalized chipset specifications by February 2007. The development team faced the unique challenge of creating a platform that could justify individual ownership rather than household sharing, as Nintendo's research indicated Japanese households typically shared one Nintendo DS console among family members. This led to the "My DS" personalization concept, emphasizing individual customization through cameras, audio recording, and downloadable content.The software architecture required balancing backward compatibility with the extensive Nintendo DS library while introducing DSi-exclusive features. Unlike previous Nintendo handhelds, the DSi implemented a channel-based menu system similar to the Wii console, featuring 39 customizable slots for applications and games that could be rearranged by dragging icons across the touchscreen. During development, the team initially considered designs that included dual game card slots for switching between cartridges, but this concept was abandoned after lukewarm internal reception due to the increased system size it would have required.
User interface and navigation
The Nintendo DSi introduced a substantially redesigned user interface compared to the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite. The system displays applications as a horizontal row of icons across the bottom touchscreen, navigated by sliding the stylus or using the directional pad. The top screen displays either user-captured photographs or application-specific information. Users can access the camera function at any time from the home menu by pressing the shoulder buttons, with captured images immediately displayed on the top screen.The system's power button functions as a soft reset when the console is active, returning users to the home menu without closing the running software. This represented a departure from previous Nintendo handhelds where the power button served only to turn the system on or off. The interface supports customization through user-selected photographs and allows reorganization of application icons through drag-and-drop manipulation.
Built-in applications
DSi Camera
The DSi Camera application utilizes the console's dual VGA cameras—one facing outward for standard photography and one facing inward for self-portraits. Nintendo deliberately chose VGA resolution cameras rather than higher-resolution options, citing cost considerations, faster response times, and the physical constraints of fitting larger camera modules within the console's slim profile. The application includes twelve real-time filters and effects that can be applied during image capture or to previously saved photographs, including distortion effects, color modifications, and decorative frames.Facebook integration was added through the version 1.4 system update released in August 2009, enabling users to upload photographs directly to their Facebook profiles from the DSi. Images uploaded through this feature were automatically organized into an album titled "Nintendo DSi Pictures" on the user's Facebook account. This feature required users to authenticate via Facebook Connect during the initial setup, with the option to save login credentials for subsequent uploads. The Facebook upload functionality was later discontinued along with other online DSi services. The application cannot read image files not generated by the DSi itself, limiting compatibility to photographs taken with the built-in cameras.
DSi Sound
The DSi Sound application serves as both an audio recorder and music player, representing the first Nintendo handheld to include built-in music playback support. The application is divided into two primary modes: voice recording and music playback. The recording mode allows users to capture up to 18 audio clips with a maximum length of 10 seconds each. Recorded clips can be manipulated through various playback options including reverse playback, variable speed adjustment, pitch modification via a two-dimensional graph interface, and A-B repeat functionality for isolating specific segments.The application includes twelve audio effects that can transform recorded sounds, along with themed equalizers and voice modulators that can make recordings sound robotic, high-pitched, or similar to various animals. These audio manipulation tools were later utilized in Toy Story 3: The Video Game, which remains the only commercially released DSi-enhanced game to implement the console's audio modulator engine. The music playback mode supports audio files stored on SD cards in AAC, MPEG-4, Apple Lossless, and 3GP formats. The MP3 format is not supported, a limitation criticized by IGN, which noted the difficulty of transferring media files compared to Sony's PlayStation Portable due to the absence of a USB port on the DSi.
Users must remove the SD card and connect it directly to a computer to transfer audio files. Version 1.4 addressed an issue where sound effects triggered by the L and R shoulder buttons did not respect the music volume setting, synchronizing them with the system's volume controls. The application provides a library of pre-loaded sound effects that can be inserted into recordings or overlaid onto music files using the shoulder buttons.
PictoChat and Download Play
is a local wireless communication application inherited from previous Nintendo DS models, allowing up to sixteen users within wireless range to exchange text messages and drawings. The application supports handwritten text input via the touchscreen and stylus, with messages transmitted to all users in the same chat room. Download Play enables single-cartridge multiplayer gaming by transmitting game data wirelessly from one console with a game cartridge to other nearby consoles without cartridges, supporting up to eight players for compatible titles.Internet connectivity and online services
The Nintendo DSi marked a significant evolution in Nintendo's approach to handheld online services, implementing comprehensive network connectivity as a core system feature rather than a peripheral addition. Unlike the original Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite, which offered limited wireless capabilities primarily for multiplayer gaming, the DSi integrated downloadable content, firmware updates, and online purchases as fundamental aspects of the user experience, similar to the Wii and Sony's PlayStation Portable.Wireless security
The system supports WEP, WPA, and WPA2 wireless security protocols. The enhanced WPA and WPA2 support is available only to software specifically designed for the DSi, as these encryption standards were not supported by the original Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite hardware. Games and applications developed for earlier DS models can only utilize WEP encryption when connecting to wireless networks. This dual-mode wireless capability ensures backward compatibility while providing enhanced security for DSi-specific software.System updates
System updates could be accessed through the System Settings menu located on page four of the interface, where users could manually check for and download available updates. Updates were mandatory for accessing certain DSi Shop features and for playing newer DSi-enhanced game cartridges. Each firmware update included all changes from previous versions, implementing a cumulative update model.Nintendo DSi Shop
The Nintendo DSi Shop launched with the version 1.1 system update in November 2008, serving as the Nintendo DS counterpart to the Wii Shop Channel. The shop featured a blocky interface with music reminiscent of the Wii shopping experience, allowing users to browse and purchase DSiWare titles using Nintendo DSi Points. Users could link their Club Nintendo accounts to track purchase rewards and accumulated points. The interface provided options to add DSi Points through credit card purchases or redeemable point cards, access a DSi Shop manual, and browse available software organized by categories.The DSi Shop remained active for purchasing software until March 31, 2017, representing approximately eight years of operation. Nintendo cited the transition of customers to the Nintendo 3DS family and Nintendo eShop as the primary reason for discontinuing the service. The ability to redeem Nintendo DSi Points Cards ceased on September 30, 2016, while software purchases remained available until the March 31, 2017 shutdown. Following this date, users retained limited access to redownload previously purchased content and to download the Nintendo DSi Transfer Tool for migrating DSiWare to Nintendo 3DS consoles. Most DSiWare titles continued to be available through the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS systems until the eShop's own closure on March 27, 2023.