The Nintendo DS was Nintendo’s first dual-screen console, launching in 2004.
Nintendo released the system in North America on November 21, 2004, followed by Japan on December 2 and Europe in March 2005. Its name refers to “Developer’s System” and “Dual Screen.” The lower display was touch-sensitive and included a stylus, while the upper screen generally presented the main game view or supporting information.
The DS was not Nintendo’s first handheld with two screens in a broad historical sense: Nintendo had already released dual-screen Game & Watch products in the 1980s. However, the Nintendo DS was the company’s first major cartridge-based handheld console built around the dual-screen concept. It also introduced local wireless play and later supported online services.
The Nintendo 3DS followed in 2011 and retained the two-screen layout, adding glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. It is therefore a successor, not the original Nintendo dual-screen console.