When it went on sale in Japan last November, the DSi proved quite popular. In its first two days at retail, the dual-camera- and Web-browser-equipped portable sold more than 170,000 units. In its first month on sale in the island nation–where DS ownership rates are even higher than in the US–more than 535,000 units of the handheld were purchased.

Today comes word that the DSi has proved as popular in the West. Speaking at a Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan lunch in Tokyo, attended by NPR, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that the handheld sold more than 600,000 units in 48 hours in North America and Europe. The device went on sale in the EU on April 3 and in the US on April 5 and sold 300,000 units in its first two days on the market in each territory.

Unveiled last October, the DSi is 12 percent thinner than the DS Lite, with screens 17 percent larger than those of its predecessor. Though it doesn’t have a Game Boy Advance slot, it boasts two cameras–an outward-facing 0.3 megapixel one and a lower-resolution one for self-portraits–and an SD card slot for multimedia storage. The third redesign of the 100-million-unit handheld also sports a built-in Internet browser, which will let users directly download games from a new online store. The DSi retails for $169.99 in the US and for £149.99 in the UK.

For a closer look at the DSi, check out GameSpot’s unboxing video feature below:

Check out the source at GameSpot