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Modded 3DS

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Sooooo I Modded My Old 3DS

So I got the itch again to do something wild and for this project, I wanted to mod my Old 3DS. What I did was first modify it to have CFW (Custom FirmWare), then I hardware modded it to utilize a Capture Card so that I could stream the screens to my PC using a direct connection via USB cable. The details that went into how I did both modifications are described in this guide. Keep in mind this is for an Old 3DS. If you are looking at this as a guide, then I strongly encourage you to do more research before you begin. This post is NOT a guide on how to do it, just me sharing my experience. If however, you found this helpful or otherwise enjoy these types of wacky things that I do, then I encourage you to read some other blog posts.

Software Modding

The first thing I did was add CFW to my Old 3DS. I wanted to play GBA games and stuff natively using the console since I really enjoyed playing with it, but felt no desire to pick it up in recent years.

All the instructions and are seen here. The basic instructions are:

  1. Check and verify which console you need and download/purchase required materials. Know basic terminology for computers like "root", "directory", "zip", "extract", "GitHub", "file extension", and more.
  2. Install the required programs.
  3. Run the script to exploit and install the CFW.
  4. Finalize the installation like syncing time data, etc.

I also added another program to boot from, open_agb_firm. This other program allows me to run GBA games "using the 3DS hardware" Because it requires a fresh boot, this means that I have to enter the boot menu Luma3DS chainloader and then select open_agb_firm, i.e. a restart of the console and a button press while it is starting. Using this process I re-installed some old games that were purchased from the Nintendo E-Shop as well as some old games that I also owned and wanted to play on my 3DS (like Pokemon FireRed).

I have a 128 GB SD card to hold all the game data, save data, and screenshots from other programs like the Rosalina menu. It holds all the data extremely well and I have approached the full data capacity, but after compression and playing through + deleting some games I have a bit of space left. Of course, to use the 128 GB SD card for the 3DS required formatting it to be FAT32 which is not normally possible natively on Windows 10. Consequently, I downloaded a smaller program with a GUI that does just that.

With the power of ingenuity, the internet, and the many folks who have made helpful guides, I was successful in modding my 3DS to have CFW. But that wasn't enough.

Hardware Modding

Occasionally, I like to share my gameplay with my friends and on Twitch. The only option to do that without a mod would be to share it over WI-FI, which would be laggy, and extremely difficult given I have an Old 3DS and not a new one. I also wanted to replace the Circle Pad since the one that I had originally tore off. Additionally, I wanted to replace the battery since it was losing charge extremely quickly.

With that, I set out to obtain the proper hardware piece I would need, which could be found here. It came from Japan, which meant that I had to pay for shipping overseas (I live in LA). I have prior experience with soldering and electronics so I figured I would be decently capable of modifying the case. I followed a couple guides and eventually branched off and did my own thing.

Guides:

The basic instructions are as follows:

  1. Dismantle the 3DS all the way to the motherboard.
  2. Solder on the new hardware piece.
  3. Cut out the plastic so that the new port fits nicely through the case.
  4. Reassemble the 3DS.
  5. Plug and Play with 3DS connected to the PC for streaming video output.

While the 3DS was disassembled, I also installed the new circle pad, which was relatively simple. All it took was spinning it around until it came off and spinning the replacement into place. When I was done putting the stuff together and needed the final case cover, I put the replacement battery. EZPZ!

Images & Videos

Here are images and videos taken of the process from start to finish Imgur Link.

Thoughts and Reflections

Overall this was a fantastic project that I had a lot of fun with. I really enjoyed being able to take something that I didn't use as much for several reasons (Circle pad messed up, and unsure of how to obtain old 3DS games) and make it more appealing as an option to play games. I highly recommend the Software Modding process to those who are experienced with doing file management stuff, but it is definitely something a beginner can pick up. As for the Hardware Modding process, I highly DON'T RECOMMEND people to do that without proper soldering experience. Also, you definitely need the proper tools for doing the cutting of the plastic. I used a hot X-Acto Knife to cut it because I didn't have a Dremel and that was a massive pain in the ass. 0/10 Don't Recommend.

If you are interested in talking about this more deeply, or employ my services then send me an email about it. Please make the Subject Line "3DS Mod" or something easily visible to discern it in my inbox.

There is another reason for doing this modification that will be explained in another blog post towards the end of the year. Stay tuned for that because it will be exciting! If you read the whole thing then thank you!