Nintendo DSi & Nintendo DSi XL - Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL. For more specific information about specific features, visit the System Features section of this site.
- How do I browse the Internet? Can I block access to the Internet?
- What games can be played on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL?
- How do I play my music files on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL?
- How do I send and receive pictures?
- Can I use a Wii Points card to purchase points in the Nintendo DSi Shop?
- Is the system internationally compatible?
How do I browse the Internet? Can I block access to the Internet?
The Nintendo DSi Browser takes you online through your wireless home Internet connection or through any supported hotspot access point. (For most users, the Nintendo DSi Browser comes pre-installed. If your system does not have it, you can download it from the Nintendo DSi Shop).
If you have the Nintendo DSi Browser and you would like to restrict access to browsing the Internet, this can be done through the Parental Control settings of the system. Learn more.
What games can be played on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL?
The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL offer a variety of different types of games to play. This includes downloadable games as well as games sold at retail.
Games You Can Play on the system
DSiWare (downloadable software through Nintendo DSi Shop)
Nintendo DSi Exclusive Games (sold at retail)
Nintendo DS Games (games made for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite)
DS Download Play (game demos and game sharing with other Nintendo DS owners)
Related Topics:
Can I play Game Boy Advance games on my Nintendo DSi?
Will Game Boy games be available in the Nintendo DSi Shop?
DSiWare (downloadable software through Nintendo DSi Shop)
DSiWare includes games and applications you can download onto your system using the Nintendo DSi Shop. The Nintendo DSi system comes pre-installed with the Nintendo DSi Shop. With the Nintendo DSi Shop, you can redeem Nintendo DSi Points which allow you to download Nintendo DSi software to your system. This is similar to WiiWare titles on the Wii console.
Note: broadband Internet access required.
To learn more about DSiWare, including all you need to know about Nintendo DSi Points and the Nintendo DSi Shop, please click here.
Nintendo DSi Exclusive Games
New games are being developed that can be played only on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL. These exclusive games offer a new type of interactive gaming experience thanks to the unique features of the system (such as the Nintendo DSi Camera and Nintendo DSi Sound). Keep checking www.nintendo.com for more news about these games.
Nintendo DS Games (games made for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite)
The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL can also play most Nintendo DS games, which means hundreds of titles are available. Nintendo DS games that use the Game Boy Advance game card slot either won't play on the Nintendo DSi nor the Nintendo DSi XL, or won't have some features available during game play.
DS Download Play
With DS Download Play, you can download and play certain multiplayer games with other Nintendo DS users even if you have only one copy of a game. You can also send and receive demos of certain software titles. You can be the 'host' if you are the one with a game cartridge, or, you can be the 'receiver' when someone else has a game cartridge. Follow the instructions in the instruction booklet of DS Download Play-compatible games. For more information on DS Download Play, click here.
Can I play Game Boy Advance games on my Nintendo DSi?
There is no game slot for Game Boy Advance (GBA) games on the Nintendo DSi nor on the Nintendo DSi XL, which means you cannot play GBA games on your system.
Will Game Boy games be available in the Nintendo DSi Shop?
We are not planning on offering this at this point.
How do I play my music files on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSI XL?
In order to listen to songs on your system, you will first need to copy the songs you want to listen to onto a compatible SD or SDHC card. Keep in mind, not all songs are compatible with the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL. Some songs may be copy protected and will not work. The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL are compatible with AAC audio files with a filename extension of .m4a, .mp4, or .3gp.
More information you might find useful:
How to save music files to an SD Card
Finding music files on a PC or Mac
Converting music into compatible AAC audio files
Troubleshooting music file issues
- A compatible SD Card or SDHC Card. The Nintendo DSi is compatible with SD cards up to 2 GB and SDHC cards up to 32 GB.
- Compatible music files stored on a PC or MAC.
- An SD Card slot on the PC or MAC, or an SD Card reader/writer.
- Insert the SD card into the PC or Mac
- Open Windows Explorer (for PC) or Finder (for Mac) and select the drive being used by the SD Card to open it.
- Open another instance of Windows Explorer or Finder and navigate to where the music is stored.
- Highlight the desired file(s) and/or folders, copy them, and then paste them into the first instance of Windows Explorer or Finder to create copies on the SD Card.
- Name of the song
- Name of the folder the song is stored in
- Name of the artist (many programs automatically create a folder for the artist)
- Filename extensions (*.m4a *.mp4 or *.3gp)
How do I save music to an SD Card?
What You’ll Need:
What to Do:
Finding music files on a PC or Mac
If you don’t know where your music files are stored, try the following searches using Windows Explorer (for PC) or Finder (Mac).
Converting music into compatible AAC audio files
Music files that you want to play on your Nintendo DSi may or may not be copy protected. Music files that are copy protected can not be converted to compatible AAC files for play on the Nintendo DSi. Music files that are not copy protected can be converted to different formats using commercially available music file converters. Nintendo does not provide a process to convert music files. We don’t have any specific recommendations for which program to use; however, many are available to download from the Internet. Some websites will charge you for the download, while others may be free.
When researching which converter you might want to use, you will want to make sure the converter works with the file format you are currently using as well as the AAC format. For example, if your songs are currently in .mp3 format, you will want to find a program that can convert MP3 files to AAC.
How do I send and receive pictures?
Sending and receiving pictures is done through the Nintendo DSi Camera feature of the system. With Nintendo DSi Camera, you can take pictures using eleven different lenses that you can use to manipulate your pictures in fun and creative ways. You can also create slide shows, set your pictures as the "wallpaper" for the top screen of the system, and share your pictures with family and friends.
Please note, the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL allow you to share photos in 2 ways: over a local wireless connection within 65 feet of other Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL owners (more info), or by saving the photos to an SD Card. You cannot share photos over the Internet directly from the system. However, once a photo has been copied onto an SD Card, since SD Cards can be read by other devices, such as a home computer, they can be edited and uploaded to the Internet or printed without the permission of the photo's creator. For those interested, you can prevent the exchange of photos with the Parental Controls feature of the system.
Learn more about how to use the Nintendo DSi Camera
Learn more about Parental Controls
Can I use a Wii Points card to purchase points in the Nintendo DSi Shop?
Yes, if you have a Wii Points card that you have not used, this card can be used in the Nintendo DSi Shop to obtain points. Please note that points obtained in one Shop can not be transferred to the other. Once a Wii Points card is used to obtain Nintendo DSi Shop points, these points can only be used in the Nintendo DSi Shop.
Are the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL internationally compatible?
Because these systems utilize region encoding, international compatibility is limited.
DSi Ware games and other downloadable content
The Nintendo DSi Shop is specific to the region for which the system was manufactured. For example, a Japanese system can download DSi Ware games and other software only from the Nintendo DSi Shop for the Japanese region, regardless of where the system is being played.
Nintendo DSi exclusive game cards
Nintendo DSi game cards that are only compatible with Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL (and not Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite) are region locked. This means game cards manufactured for the U.S. market would not work in a system made for another country.
Nintendo DS / Nintendo DS Lite game cards
Older Nintendo DS and DS Lite software is region-free, so you can play most of that software on a Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL from any region. It's possible, however, that future Nintendo DS software will incorporate region encoding. In these instances, these games would not work in a system made for another country.
