Ergonomics: DS vs DS Lite

Marty81

Since they're both the same price, only the features can set them apart. I'm in the market for a DS and I'm wondering which one I should get to have the most pleasureable (:winky:) experience. From what I can tell, the DS lite's screen owns the regular DS's, but the DS has more comfortable start and select buttons (for games like the GBA castlevanias that use them a lot). The face buttons on both models are the same size, but the regular DS has them spaced out a little more - I don't know if this matters, but my thumbs are pretty large and the more spread out buttons might be good for me.

Decisions, decisions.

Anything I'm missing?

Also, weigh in with your own DS vs DS lite experiences.

aesir

I own a regular DS. I wish it were slightly smaller to as to better fit into my pocket. I can't comment on better button arragements.

musanman

Marty81 wrote:

Since they're both the same price, only the features can set them apart. I'm in the market for a DS and I'm wondering which one I should get to have the most pleasureable (:winky:) experience. From what I can tell, the DS lite's screen owns the regular DS's, but the DS has more comfortable start and select buttons (for games like the GBA castlevanias that use them a lot). The face buttons on both models are the same size, but the regular DS has them spaced out a little more - I don't know if this matters, but my thumbs are pretty large and the more spread out buttons might be good for me.

Decisions, decisions.

Anything I'm missing?

Also, weigh in with your own DS vs DS lite experiences.

Having not really used a DS much I am not the best source to compare, but I can say the DS Lite is sexy as hell. The regular DS is rather clunky and to me didn't fit in my hands how I feel it should. The DS Lite is about perfect for me when the control schemes are normal, but it does cramp me up something terrible playing MPH.

Lindsay Lohan

I've had both, just got rid of my Phat, but still have the wife's. The Lite is a ton better ergonomically. The two factors that make me say so are the stylus, which is a ton better, and the better overall balance of the Lite. The DS Phat has a definate top heavy feeling, whereas I find the Lite to sit confortably without the feeling that the top screen is trying to tip the system over.

Lite all the way!

xzzy

I am unable to play Metroid Hunters and Mario Hoops because of the design of the DS Lite. I've never used a DS Phat to compare if it's any better.

After about 5 minutes my hands cramp up and it becomes painful to play. It's mostly a problem of having to support the DS with one hand and use buttons at the same time, while the other hand does stylus work. For touch screen only games, like Trauma Center, it's just fine.


For anything else, the DS Lite is leagues improved over the Phat. The screen is a million times brighter, which is such a nice feature you shouldn't even consider getting a Phat.. unless you live in a cave with no lights.

apotheos

Nobody should consider the original DS unless you are getting an extremely steep price cut on it.

leaf

Doesn't the GBA port on the lite stick out when you have a game in it though? I prefer my phat over the lite for that, plus mine is red.

Lunker

xzzy wrote:

I am unable to play Metroid Hunters and Mario Hoops because of the design of the DS Lite. I've never used a DS Phat to compare if it's any better.

After about 5 minutes my hands cramp up and it becomes painful to play. It's mostly a problem of having to support the DS with one hand and use buttons at the same time, while the other hand does stylus work. For touch screen only games, like Trauma Center, it's just fine.


For anything else, the DS Lite is leagues improved over the Phat. The screen is a million times brighter, which is such a nice feature you shouldn't even consider getting a Phat.. unless you live in a cave with no lights.

Ah, Metroid Claw. That happens with the Phat, too -- even worse, IMO, but YMMV. The only good way to play that game is to play with the DS on a table or other surface and have one side hanging off the edge.

Really, the one singular positive to the DS Phat design is having the Power button protected by the clamshell design. With the Lite, I've closed it to put into sleep mode but then accidentally turned it off if the Power button on the side catches on my pocket or bag or whatever. It is inferior to the Lite in every single other aspect.

leaf wrote:

Doesn't the GBA port on the lite stick out when you have a game in it though? I prefer my phat over the lite for that, plus mine is red.

Well, yes, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the better battery life, smaller form factor, brighter screens and general improved comfort for the sake of one-quarter of a GBA game. :P

reddog

My girlfriend bought me the DS Lite for Christmas. I've played the DS as well when it first came out. The lite just feels right. The DSphat does feel top heavy where as the lite feels sturdy and comfy. I haven't had any problems as of yet with the start/select buttons. The only thing bad I can say is that my hand begins to cramp up after long sessions of Tetris.

Inquisitor

Herby wrote:

I've had both, just got rid of my Phat, but still have the wife's. The Lite is a ton better ergonomically. The two factors that make me say so are the stylus, which is a ton better, and the better overall balance of the Lite. The DS Phat has a definate top heavy feeling, whereas I find the Lite to sit confortably without the feeling that the top screen is trying to tip the system over.

Lite all the way!

I just upgraded from the default stylus on my DS phat to a Rakuna Touch Pen. It's a full sized stylus designed for the DS phat. I'd definately recomend anyone with a phat to get one of these because playing my DS just got 10x as comfortable.

I will admit that I am envious of my friends new DS lites, but honestly looking a little "cooler" isn't reason enough for me to upgrade. The screen on the original is bright enough, and the thing weighs to little for me to notice any sort of weight balance issue *shrugs*

So, the conclusion is this: If you already have a ds phat, shell out the $8 for a decent stylus instead of shelling out cash for a lite. If you don't own a DS, just go for the lite.

bombardier

Playing stuff like Ouendan and EBA, I'd say the Lite has a bit of a gameplay advantage with the brighter screen (it still amazes me how much better it is) since you can see stuff so much more easiily. The larger stylus, especially if you get a replacement heavier metal one is so much nicer.

Lunker

Inquisitor wrote:

I will admit that I am envious of my friends new DS lites, but honestly looking a little "cooler" isn't reason enough for me to upgrade. The screen on the original is bright enough, and the thing weighs to little for me to notice any sort of weight balance issue *shrugs*

So, the conclusion is this: If you already have a ds phat, shell out the $8 for a decent stylus instead of shelling out cash for a lite. If you don't own a DS, just go for the lite.

I'll admit that the Lite is sexy, but screen brightness and color richness alone is worth the upgrade. I still have my DS Fats around, and booting up a game in both is like night and day. The colors are so much richer and clearer on the Lite that it's not even funny. It's as drastic as the difference between the new and old model SPs.

Not to mention improved battery life (which is important for everyone) and the ergonomics and smaller form factor (not as important for everyone, but very, very important for me, as I walk around NYC all the time).

I might suggest the DS Fats for a younger child, though ... it's hard to beat that tank feeling. Mine has seen many a battle scar. It's part of the reason why I can't bear to part with it.

cj iwakura

I have a Teal DS and wouldn't part with it for anything. GBA games fit better in it than in the Lite, too.

I mostly just prefer the Teal color though.

deadonthestreet

The screen on the original DS kinda sucks. But the D pad on it is way better than the Lite's.

The Lite is just a far superior machine all around. Except the D pad. I also greatly prefer the original DS's buttons.

But still. Lite. Yeah. Way better.

DekuStick

When I got my DS Lite I compared it to my Phat. The Lite's buttons are a lot nicer, the screens are way better, the sexy scale is blown and it's smaller So I rounded up my Phat, Kirby Canvas Curse and Wario Ware Touched and just gave em away to a friend who hadn't had the DS experience yet. There was no way I was going back to my Phat. The only thing I can say about the Phat is that I prefer the L and R buttons. I often find myself fucking up long jumps in Mario 64. This never happened on the Phat.

Marty81

I hadn't known about the top-heaviness of the phat. Thanks for that info

Any comments about the face button differences?

deadonthestreet

The DS ones are hard, click, and are responsive, while the ones on the Lite are softer and have more play to them.

bombardier

Also, I don't like how smooth the Lite is. It can get hard to hold if you hands sweat a bit during tense games.

Lindsay Lohan

I actually liked the clicky dpad a bit better, but the Lite is such a better package overall it's forgettable. I would hit a used game shop, see if they have both and try them for a minute. If you see Super Princess Peach on both, there's no way you'll consider the Phat - the colors are so much better it's crazy.

Inquisitor

I've held my DS phat side by side with friends lites and while you could plainly see that there's was brighter the colors just looked washed out to me. Then again, I perfer a darker palette most of the time anyway. I always play in well lit conditions so, it hasn't been a real issue.

I didn't know the lite had a better battery life, that's a definite sell point there. If the battery on my DS phat ever dies, or it breaks for whatever reason I'll definately replace it with a lite over fixing it.

Edit: Just thought of a question. How is the lite for games you have to hold sideways? Brain Age is played that way, and it's pretty comfy with my phat. And it looks like that awesome upcoming detective game Hotel Dusk is gonna play sideways too.

skippydumptruck

I have had both, and both of them make my thumbs ache (my left especially) if I play for very long. I don't think I have overlarge hands, maybe it's just the way I hold the thing. I'd say you should go with the Lite, myself, but only because I slip it into my pocket when I take it out of the house.

EggyToast

Why not buy one of each?

I have a black ds phat, which is one of the reasons I've held out on getting a lite. The lite is an upgrade in pretty much every sense of the word, so I'm considering getting one for my wife (despite her protests that she doesn't want one, she played phoenix wright like crazy over our xmas vacation).

I prefer the clicky buttons on the ds, but if I had an extra hundred bucks to drop on something I already own, I'd go buy a lite just to have 2. The occasional multiplayer opportunities would be enough for me, but yeah, I wouldn't buy 2 phats -- I would get a lite and probably use it more frequently than the phat.

Inquisitor

EggyToast wrote:

Why not buy one of each?

Uh....

cause that's a total waste of money?

Capt Howdy

I own a phat, and honestly, don't have a single problem with it. I have played the white lite, and found the buttons a little too close together. However, I played the black lite and the buttons seemed better spaced. I don't know if that was my imagination or not though.

My advice is to try them out before buying one.

MegaMan001

I don't know if this fits into "ergonomics", but the GBA cartridge sticks out like a mother fucker from the DS lite. So if that is of any consequence to fitting in your pocket or what have you, it may be an important consideration.

Lunker

MegaMan001 wrote:

I don't know if this fits into "ergonomics", but the GBA cartridge sticks out like a mother fucker from the DS lite. So if that is of any consequence to fitting in your pocket or what have you, it may be an important consideration.

And by "mother fucker," he means "about one quarter of an inch," which is roughly the width of a strand of fettuccine.

Maybe one-third of an inch.

Lindsay Lohan

I will admit, the protruding GBA game thing is enough to keep me from keeping a game in the system at all times, like I used to do with my Phattie. However, I just ordered a slick little game wallet to hold 2 stylii, 6 DS and 2 GBA games, which will make it so I can still keep a few GBA games handy.

Houk

Lunker wrote:

MegaMan001 wrote:

I don't know if this fits into "ergonomics", but the GBA cartridge sticks out like a mother fucker from the DS lite. So if that is of any consequence to fitting in your pocket or what have you, it may be an important consideration.

And by "mother fucker," he means "about one quarter of an inch," which is roughly the width of a strand of fettuccine.

Maybe one-third of an inch.

i dunno what kind of awesome model you have, but the metroid pinball rumble pack sticks out a hell of a lot farther than a third of an inch from my lite.

MinionOfCthulhu

The only advantage the DS has over the Lite is the louder speakers. Everything else about it is lacking compared to the Lite.

Target Practice

apotheos wrote:

Nobody should consider the original DS unless you are getting an extremely steep price cut on it.

Truth. The DS Lite is superior in every way to the original.

Marty81

I have my SP for GBA games (and I need to keep it to play old gameboy and GBcolor games on), so no worries there.

The only used game store around here is gamestop, and the guys that work there are mostly cocks...I doubt any of them would let me try a used system before I bought it

bruin

Target Practice wrote:

apotheos wrote:

Nobody should consider the original DS unless you are getting an extremely steep price cut on it.

Truth. The DS Lite is superior in every way to the original.

Yeah, I've owned both and the Lite is definitely way better.

supersloth

I wasn't going to, but after using a lite I sold my phat almost immediately, it's just a better system.

Renzo

I tried out a friend's Lite a while back. It felt like I was going to break it, and I didn't like the squishy buttons. But the bright screen is sexy as hell.

cooljammer00

i like the DS Phat but I got it when it was new and full priced.

built like a tank, yadda yadda.

i sure would like a DS Lite if I could find one for free or cheap. or someone gave one to me.

pink is fine with me too, though i'm afraid to grease up that cool looking black one. i dont think any DS owner is afraid to show up somewhere with pink because it's a DS.

Nintendo. Giving us street cred since the summer of 2005 (when Kirby and Advance Wars, aka the start of the wallet rape, came out)

cooljammer00

so according to Wikipedia, they aren't making or selling the DS Phat anymore. does this mean we'll all be subjected to hinge breaks in the future when we are forced to buy Lites? I dont have one, but is the crack thing still a problem?

also, why are the Polar White DS Lites and DS Phats costing so much on Amazon? How much does a regular DS cost? Is it any less than the Lite?

Accualt

apotheos wrote:

Nobody should consider the original DS unless you are getting an extremely steep price cut on it.

I can't convince my wife to trade in her Phatty for a Lite (she wanted to until she saw the pink one, which looks more like salmon than pink). It pains me, physically pains me, to see her playing it.
If you have the chance to buy the Phatty for $100...don't do it, get the Lite. If it is $90 or less...I still probably wouldn't do it, knowing what I knows.

Vegan

Houk wrote:

Lunker wrote:

MegaMan001 wrote:

I don't know if this fits into "ergonomics", but the GBA cartridge sticks out like a mother fucker from the DS lite. So if that is of any consequence to fitting in your pocket or what have you, it may be an important consideration.

And by "mother fucker," he means "about one quarter of an inch," which is roughly the width of a strand of fettuccine.

Maybe one-third of an inch.

i dunno what kind of awesome model you have, but the metroid pinball rumble pack sticks out a hell of a lot farther than a third of an inch from my lite.

Well, duh, no shit.

bruin

cooljammer00 wrote:

so according to Wikipedia, they aren't making or selling the DS Phat anymore. does this mean we'll all be subjected to hinge breaks in the future when we are forced to buy Lites? I dont have one, but is the crack thing still a problem?

also, why are the Polar White DS Lites and DS Phats costing so much on Amazon? How much does a regular DS cost? Is it any less than the Lite?

The hinge break thing isn't a problem anymore, and if it happens Nintendo will replace your DS for free. New DSs and DS Lites should cost $130.

Darmak

Get the original DS Phat. I think it looks nicer and if you have large hands it fits better than the Lite (for me at any rate). The Lite does have a better screen, however, so if that's a major factor for you then I think that would be the one to get. It really doesn't matter either way, since you'll be playing awesome games on it no matter which one you choose. I don't think that you'll be disappointed with whichever you decide to purchase.

edit: I also think that regardless of what any of us say, you should probably try them both out (side by side preferably) and get a feel for them before you decide anything. One may sound better on paper but it could turn out you don't like it after the purchase is made.

bruin

Darmak wrote:

Get the original DS Phat. I think it looks nicer and if you have large hands it fits better than the Lite (for me at any rate). The Lite does have a better screen, however, so if that's a major factor for you then I think that would be the one to get. It really doesn't matter either way, since you'll be playing awesome games on it no matter which one you choose. I don't think that you'll be disappointed with whichever you decide to purchase.

You think

looks better than

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