Iwata reveals Japanese plans for DS' Wi-Fi

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has unveiled new plans for the DS's Wi-Fi capability, confirming that the handheld will connect wirelessly to the next-gen Revolution console.

Speaking to Japanese website Game Watch, Iwata announced that 1000 new Wi-Fi hot spots are being set up across Japan to support the new DS online service.

The service will be free to use, and DS owners will not be required to purchase any extra hardware. Nor will there be any need to adjust software configurations or enter a user ID and password to connect.

However, those who want to go online at home will need to adjust their settings - but Iwata says this won't be too tricky, especially if a router approved by Nintendo is used.

He went on to confirm that the DS will be able to communicate wirelessly with the Nintendo Revolution, but did not reveal details of how this will benefit users.

Although Nintendo will not charge a fee to use the online service, third-party publishers will have the option to do so for certain games - so there could be monthly subscriptions for online RPGs, or a charge for downloading additional content.

There's no word yet on a launch date for the online service, but Iwata has previously suggested that it will go live by the end of the year. An official announcement is expected at Nintendo's pre-E3 conference on May 17.