The unofficial PSP add-on comes to Nintendo DS, bringing 4GB of media playing capacity
Recently, Datel released a 4GB hard drive for the PlayStation Portable. Now, a version for Nintendo DS is in the pipeline. The MAX Media Player uses a DS card to load the player software and an oversized GBA cart, which wraps around the back of the DS and contains a microdrive, to store media. Like the PSP version, the microdrive is 4GB in size.
The MAX Media Player software will feature a file browser and includes support for MP3 audio, video, and JPEG images. Also mentioned is the ability to “activate executable programs." Whether this refers to homebrew applications is unknown.
The unit is powered by the GBA port, so no extra batteries are required. Files can be transferred to the HDD unit from PCs over a USB connection. Media Manager software is supplied, which will re-encode video and resize images in order to make them work with MAX Media Player. The HDD unit supports USB 2.0 for faster transfer speeds.
Similar to their GameCube discs, Datel likely reverse engineered the game system to produce their own DS cards, releasing what will be the first third-party solution to not require pass-through hacks. In the UK, MAX Media Player is set to release at £129, though the price for the US will likely be comparatively cheaper. Currently, Datel expects to release the device around the end of March.
