Further DS successor speculation rears its head just days before Nintendo present two major media conferences...

Rumours of a successor to the Nintendo DS have been rife for a while now, and with many predicting some major news from Nintendo next week, the speculation is coming to a frenzied head.

The latest reports seem to suggest that a new DS - to be understood as a true, 'next-gen' successor to the console, rather than an upgraded redesign - may be further along the line than first thought. The rumour mill would have us believe that development kits for a 'DS2' have already been made available to some companies, with Nintendo possibly even aiming to push the console out the door before the year's end.

Of course, there's little real weight behind these claims, but it begs the question of when exactly it will be appropriate for Nintendo to transfer the market onto a brand new handheld. Despite its launch five years ago, Nintendo DS is still the strongest-selling console across the globe, and with another solid year of software lined up, it looks doubtful that its success will let up any time soon.

Do you think it's time for a DS2 yet? Sound off in the comments...