Thank you all for watching the video! I really hope you enjoyed it! If you found the video useful/helpful/entertaining, give it a LIKE:) Also, consider SUBSCRIBING to the channel to stay up to date with all my future content by clicking the following link: bit.ly/3bw08kk Cheers!
Yes, it does. Just need to make sure you re-insert the digitizer ribbon cable back. If you want the glass screen lens then you will lose touch functionality. Hope this helps! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions so, if you don't need/care about touch functionality (the GBA didn't have that, correct), you can just drop the digitizer screen? I understand the directional pad will still work to set time and such,right? My question is 1) do you then need a glass screen like you installed or can you just use the digitizer screen with it not plugged in? 2) Will the system run WITHOUT a digitizer plugged in? I ask this specifically because I have two DS lite candidates for this mod. One has a bad P3 connector (the top screen one) which I cannot source a replacement anywhere and the other has a bad P6 connector (the digitizer) and power switch (I have a replacement though). I can source a P6 connector but they are pricey. If I can get away with not needing it, that would be great.
@Lillie Exists i mean the video is stupid and spending so much to do it. Breaking off is dumb too but more so i meant video bcz of the cost. You may as well disassemble and do it properly make it look good
Plus, you dont have to do everything (like he mentioned). My only cost is going to be the resistor, and probably a clear acrylic rod for the top. Also there comes a point where repair is either cost prohibitive or difficult. I have 2 macro candidates right now, one with a bad digitizer connector and one wit a broken upper screen connector that is impossible to source.
just ordered these parts from boxeypixel: macro shell $54 glass screen $9.90 330 ohm resistors $2 and from ifixit: switch speaker $9.99 total including tax and shipping $87.66 figured I'd add this in case anyone wanted an updated cost.
It's hardly a cheap mod though. Almost $90 in parts alone? FunnyPlaying's DSi screen kit for the AGB GBA currently costs $30 and a GBA can play every GB game too...
why would you do this mod even if ur top screen or the shell was broken a new shell or top screen replacement is like a 20 dollars and u still have a dsl with 2 screens that can run ds games without missing a top screen
Hello Macho Nacho! I just used this mod tutorial on my very first mod. I have to say, it is very easy to do. My father and I did it together and we had a blast, great way to spend a day. I will be using your other videos as tutorials for some more mods, looking forward to turning this into a fun hobby. Keep up the great work!
Just finished this project up. Even with using this video as a guide, I ran into the exact same issue with the screen. Popped it back open, worked the ribbon cable in some more, and now it runs like a dream!
Macho Nacho Productions I ordered a red face plate and finished modding my DS last night! Could not be happier with the result, thanks again for your walkthrough 👍
Here's the before: drive.google.com/file/d/1r_j1bANQzpen9z3bBVObbGL0dhjYFU6N/view?usp=sharing and after: drive.google.com/file/d/1L1NxpvFGZhS3rOIC-KrpSvoNxlI5FzXp/view?usp=sharing drive.google.com/file/d/1nlCSS2FI4JLuyRfSATTJP-U7OPcJS4qJ/view?usp=sharing
Made one myself and really love it! Boxy pixel has updated the design to no longer need the 3D printed screen holders. Considering building a second so I can swap in and out while one is charging.
@@MachoNachoProductions Thanks! Your video was instrumental in helping me make mine. Best of luck with the channel I’m always interested in seeing what your next project is. Do you think you’ll do a GBA SP Unhinged video?
Just came across this channel as I love watching stuff like this, how in the world do you not have more views and subs? I just love how sleek and clean everything came together in the end, it almost looked factory new.
The boxy pixel front cases are very beautiful, but they have some drawbacks. First, no room for buttons X and Y, which are useful for emulators and various homebrew. Second, no holes for stereo speakers at front, it would be posssible to do that with smaller speakers, like a cellphone ones.
Thank you @samjam! It’s definitely a great way to bring new life to a broken DS Lite! If you ever have any questions about the mod, let me know! Cheers!
Love your vids! One small production suggestion: try increasing your lighting levels a bit during your build shots. It can be a little dark and harder to see the details of what you are doing at times. An extra little led light panel or two to fill in some general area light might help that stuff pop and make it clearer as you work, and you already have some of the best and easiest to follow diy shots. Thanks for your efforts, I know that putting videos like this together is a ton of work.
@@MachoNachoProductions I would say the same for the talking shots, even. I'd love to be able to see ya a bit better when you're talking in the intros. Love the videos man!! Keep it up 🔥💕
I’m actually a little ticked off cuz I threw away a perfectly good ds cuz the top screen broke and I got a new one online then realized while putting it back together, getting the wire through the hinge is rocket science. Wish I would have found this video earlier.
"Easy to follow" the guide was very clear indeed! But uh.... I don't think most people, myself included, have a soldering iron. Was so excited to do this too....
@@MachoNachoProductions I was thinking about making a review of the Boxy Pixel Shell and posting it on my channel. Would you mind if I directed people to your tutorial if they're interested in making their own?
Thanks for that tip at the end! I was super frustrated that I couldn't get the system to turn on and yeah the ribbon just wasn't pushed in far enough. I was worried about putting too much pressure on it since those things are so sensitive, but I got it all the way in and now it's perfect!
I just started my macro build and thank you for pointing out the screen not being plugged in all the way. I felt like I soldered the resister on fine and instead of redoing it I came and watched this video.
Awesome! Glad to hear the video was helpful! Yeah, that ribbon cable was a bit tricky, it needed more force to insert than I thought. Would love to see how it turns out. If you have an Instagram account post a pic of your finished macro and tag me. Cheers and good luck with the build!
@@MachoNachoProductions www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/i36zvs/first_gameboy_macro/? I also didn't order a switch speaker. Slipped my mind. Had to take out the stylus slot until that comes. Also I didn't cut off the connector for the second screen. Was there a point to that?
@@Madblaster6 Removing the connector creates more space for the speaker . Depending on where you want to put the speaker you may or may not have to remove that connector.
This Tutorial Video.... Is Underrated, love how all the Steps is recorded in such a High Quality, so you can actually see what happen (Others that i've seen, not only they didn't have high quality, they didn't even bother to get close up shots on some of the important steps) specially with those ribbon cable The only downside its 30 minutes video, but for me its normal, cause it's a tutorial video
Thank you @Mr. Z! So happy you enjoyed the video! And thank you for the kind words! I agree it was pretty long, I just really wanted to make it as detailed and informative as possible! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions Excuse me, i have a DS problem, and you might be able solve it. So it started when i tested a new DS Top screen (speaker not soldered), it works fine at first, the image is showing, the color is fine, everything is good. Then i pick up my phone to see what time is it, suddenly the image was shaking, and the color was distorted, i didn't know why so i turned it off and plug it back in to make sure, but its still the same i've tried To plug it back in a different motherboard, but the result is the same, i don't know what to do
Hmm that is interesting. I’ve never seen an issue like that unfortunately. My only guess is that it’s a defective top screen. Sorry I can be if further help. Cheers and best of luck dude!
@@MachoNachoProductions Ohhh okay, thanks for the time to Answer my questions, i really appreciate it 😁😁 And Im sucribing for future DS Lite related Content 👍
@@MachoNachoProductions Maybe, but it would be glorious! The only one with a different orientation I've seem so far is this: i.redd.it/va4ncm7vc1m31.jpg but still is not ideal. imgur.com/a/SQheRqh It would be the endgame for Megaman Zero and Mario games =)
Maybe I'm just a noob but when you power on your new GB Macro after doing this mod you need to set the default screen to the lower screen. My screen worked fine but once I put a GBA cart in, the lower screen would just go black but there was sound. After trouble shooting for an hour or so I tried the settings and found how to set the default screen. I never owned any type of DS before this so this may be common knowledge but just in case you experience the same thing I did, hopefully you find this comment.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m sure there are some out there that will find this information useful as I did not really mention it in the video. Thanks again! Cheers!
I had a black DS Lite as a kid that I somehow managed to break the hinge of (as well as the ribbon cable to the top screen). If I can find that thing again (and if it wasn't thrown out at some point), I'm definitely tempted to give this mod a shot and give it a new lease on life.
God, I would love nothing more than a CNC case for my video-out modded ds lite. One with space for a bigger battery, the tv out mod and the wifi antenna/mic.
I paid someone online to make me an aluminum faceplate and also a plastic one. The aluminum one looked amazing but there was some unforseen clearance issues and busted my modded lite. Keep that in mind lol to closely inspect them. It wasn't a boxy pixel part btw
I agree that the DS Lite would make for a great Gameboy Macro but I prefer the phat since the GBA cartridge is flush with the system. I though this mod could fix that but it seems you're using a ez flash omega with the smaller case. I wish they made a case for the phat as well too because it looks so clean. May make one too once I pick up a solder since the one I bought has a bad paint job and no speaker holes so it comes off muffled. I really do like using it though.
Four ways that would improve this mod dramatically: 1. Using a 3-D printer bracket that slots/screws into place to hold the LCD rather than having to hot glue those 2 small pieces of plastic (hot glue is trash) 2. A matching custom metal backplate in place of the back plastic DS shell 3. A custom battery door to hold a massive battery spanning the entire back of the console (back metal wouldn't need the stylus holder as the console is no longer touch capable) 4. An actual light pipe rather than using hot glue (again, fuck hot glue) That would make this mod the dream
I discovered your channel today and it's Amazing. The visual is molto bene, you do High Quality vidéo than many huge YTbers don't do, it's awesome. I've got a question about the GBA Macro, did you going to make a video about the DS Tank (or OG DS) mod transform it into a GBA ? I think that can be a good idea. Hype for the next content 🤘
Thank you @Ace Bunny!! I am so happy you are enjoying the channel! I am definitely planning to make a video for the Game Boy Macro mod using the OG DS! It should be a fun mod! Cheers!
If they ever do a full body shell for the GB.Macro that hides the DS cart slot along with custom buttons id be totally interested in a mod like this Also knocked it out of the park, im totally subbed to you now, your vid quality is amazing
I gotta be honest. When I 1st booted up a gba game in the dslite (which was about 2011 as my girlfriend bought one to replace her old ds) I was absolutely gobsmacked. I think if you wanna use 100% official nintendo hardware, this is the way to go for gba.
Novice solderer here and trying to solder those tiny ass resistors scare the hell outa me. I just know I'm going to lose one or two or all, I bought two sets.
Let’s say, completely hypothetically, someone was really bad at soldering and they burnt out the ground pin doing the speaker. Where would I, I mean he, put the ground wire.
Yep, this mod is a bit involved with some of the soldering required. Thankfully there are a lot of great kits/mods out there for all the game boy consoles! Cheers dude!
@@MachoNachoProductions My apologies! Got the wrong end of the stick thanks for clearing that up! Saw the word affiliate before the links for boxy pixel and assumed that was a declaration of affiliation, I'll edit my comment :)
I really wanna make one of these. for some reason, it really bugs me that the games don't take up the full screen, but other than that, it seems super cool 😁
Love this mod, I just dont get why you would go through all of that effort to decrease the functionality of a perfectly good DS lite, it can play gameboy games perfectly fine without having to lose all of that functionality.
@@desposyy agreed but most of the damage on a consol like that would be the part use for the mod however if the top screen is busted I do see the appeal. Dont get me wrong I love the look amd purpose of this mod
I totally agree! I usually would do this to only a damaged DS Lite. The main reason I did this mod to this unit is when I bought the DS Lite, it was advertised as for parts/repair, however, it was perfectly working and I was planning to do this video. I do agree it was a bit wasteful.
Yeah, out of all the mods that can be done to all the consoles available, cutting off a perfectly good DS Lite is just sacrilegious in a way. All I can think of when seeing a GB Macro mod popping up is "Thanks, I hate it."
@@nizamrahman4665 I actualy agree, the ds lite in my opinion is the best consol by Nintendo because it is so versatile. The mod should only be done when the consol is beyond normal repair.
There's a high pitched whine from 1:03 to 6:29 that makes it pretty hard to listen to the video during that time. I've never processed audio, but I imagine its fairly straightforward for a computer to chop off the top end of the pitch range, there isn't any useful information up there anyway. Even if it doesn't work that way, being a sine wave it should be able to be fourier'ed out
Thank you for the heads up Jake! This is one of my earlier videos and I haven’t begun to process sound yet (my ears aren’t what they used to be and I can’t hear the high pitch sound). Once people began to let me know about the audio I tried to remedy it. Can you watch one of my newer videos and see if the issue is resolved. I’ve heard from several folks that it is. Thanks again! Cheers!
Next time, try turning a DS Lite into a Nintendo Switch Lite Mini, complete with the DS card slot replaced with the switch card slot and the Game Pak slot replaced with a MicroSD card slot.
That could be a neat challenge! Since it doesn’t have the GBA slot, one could use and r4 cart to play games! Cheers Dalton and thank you for watching my videos!
Great video, it really helps to give us a sense of how things works and helps us to feel more confident doing our mods :) planning to create a SNESmacro with the boxy pixel face plate by drilling the 2 additionals buttons, do you have an advice doing this ? (I sent an email to boxy to know if they could have a 4 buttons versions, but sadly no answer). Take care !
Thanks dude!! Haha, it is complex, and the soldering isn't the easiest, but I am sure you can do it with practice! Best of luck dude! and feel free to ask me any questions if you are planning to do this mod!
I should have done this with my ds with a cracked hinge. Instead i did a case replacement and broke a capacitor and now it wont charge. Now i need to buy and soldering iron and a new capacitor
Dang, that shit painful to hear. Every time I open up my PSP and Nintendo, I’m always praying I won’t break some shit because my hands are really shaky.
Great video! Really well done. I am having the same problem mentioned in previous posts about battery life being tanked to 3.5 hours after the mod. The weird thing is that the battery life doubles if I plug in a headset. I figure there must be some sort of voltage consumption of the speaker when not playing anything. In my tests I have the volume turned to 0. I am interested in hearing what you think!
Thank you Michael! I really appreciate it! It’s strange that is an issue. I’m going to have to look into it. Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience! I should run my own test and see how it compares with a stock DS. Cheers!
Great question. I don’t know for sure but since GBA games are mono (all GBA consoles have only one speaker) I think the DS splits the mono signal onto 2 speakers. This mod only pulls one channel. There isn’t any conversion to mono being done as far as I know. I hope this helps, this is really just my guess. Cheers!
Great question WizWizrd! the main difference is brightness and image size. The IPS for the GBA has a larger display area than the DS Lite and the screen can get brighter as well. I would say the DS Lite screen has a more retro look since you can see the pixels more, but I think both are great options to play GBA games. Are you planning on doing a Game Boy Macro mod? I hope that answers your questions! Cheers buddy!
I would do this if GBA games didn’t look so awful on my DS Lite. The screen seems to have a massive ghosting issues, and that might not be a problem with some games, but the Sonic Advance games are my favorite GBA titles and Sonic running so fast causes the ghosting to be distractingly bad
Love the video and saw that you sold this on ebay haha, I built 2 so far I have the same issue with both. If I press on the screen top right the pixel warp over the flex amp. I checked my soldering and it looks fine. Is it normal? Did I do something wrong?
Love the content! I like that you include the total cost of the mod. Do you think you can include some info on the sound quality/performance in your videos? For this mod, you're going from 2 speakers to 1 (switch) speaker and I'm wondering if there's a noticeable difference. Installing rechargeable battery packs, backlit screens, etc can potentially affect the speaker and/or headphone jack (hums, buzzing), so it'd be cool to know if you experience any of that.
Great suggestion, Ryan! Thank you! I’ll look to include that information in future videos. To answer your question about the Macro, I’d say that going to one speaker does reduce the sound a bit. Although the gameboy advance consoles only have one speaker normally, the single switch speaker does seem to be a bit softer in sound compared to regular gba systems. Cheers!
I've never done any mods like this and I'm a total noob when it comes to electric stuff. Could I technically take the top screen out of my DS and reuse it as bottom screen? I've got a broken DS Lite here but there the bottom touchscreen is smashed so I'm not sure.
Great question, unfortunately the ribbon cable for the top screen is incompatible with the bottom, so it wont work. Replacement screens for the DS are pretty cheap however. Check eBay for some listings on bottom screen replacements for the DS. I hope this helps. Best of luck! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions that is not technically correct. They both use the same connector, but their orientation of the ribbon cable would make it difficult to adapt.
Hey I got the PAM8302A Audio Amplifier listed on the kit parts rather than the speaker. Is there an instruction page of how to use it? If so, where can I find it? Thanks.
Is there a way to do this with just the DS Lite parts and not getting a separate face plate and speaker? (I assume the resistor will always be needed). I can't justify spending $60 on just one piece of this when the DS I'm using was only $15
Yes, it'll take a little more work however. Depending on how nice you want the final package to look you will need to use body filler and do quite a bit of sanding as well as paint prep and painting. It can be a very laborious task but you can achieve good results, you may also end up spending a little bit on those supplies. If you dont care too much how it looks you can simply remove the top half. The beauty of the faceplate is that you get good results with minimal effort. I hope this helps. Best of luck! Cheers!
For the price of the mod + you need to have the DS (I know they are dirt cheap, but still), I'd rather mod my original GBA to have an IPS screen or an AGS-101... Unless you play GBA games on your GBA macro using a flash card which are cheaper for NDS than for GBA...
I want to know if there’s a mod that allows you to switch between screens with the one screen I looked it up all I got is that you need to mess with the firmware any help please
Bonjour , très bonne vidéo , je voulais juste savoir si il était possible de mettre une autre coque arrière que celle de la ds lite merci d'avance pour vos réponses 👍
All of this just to be unable to play original gb and gbc games, and have gba cartridges sticking out. While I like the novelty of this I'd much rather just mod a better screen into an AGB gba...
I’m sure it could be desoldered with a hot air machine. It comes off fairly easily and cleanly with the flush cutters though. There are several options. Cheers Dan!!
Awesome! That is good to know! I have tested resident evil too and I think that game is primarily on the lower screen as well! It would be cool if there was a comprehensive list of games that only need the bottom screen. Cheers!
$54 per faceplate, it's a pretty dumb price, plus there's clearly some gap between the glass lens and the faceplate window, looks bad and dust will get inside the mobo for no reason
Is it possible to have stereo speakers with the mod? Btw, the glass screen doesn't seem to be a perfect fit. We can clearly see the metal case from the LCD screen all around it. That's not looking good.
Unfortunately, This mod only allows for 1 speaker. You can create more space in the rear of the console by removing the stylus holder and put another speaker there, but it wont be a true stereo setup. Hope this helps. Cheers!
You know what would be very very cool (ok... opinion is subjective), if you could use a Neo Geo Pocket Color microswitch (joystick) instead of the DPAD. What do you think?
@@MachoNachoProductions if you do it, let me know, I do not know nothing about soldering and wiring, just very interested, although you might not have enough space in the case to do that, I've just looked into the inside of my NGPC and the mechanism is quite tall
Thank you all for watching the video! I really hope you enjoyed it! If you found the video useful/helpful/entertaining, give it a LIKE:)
Also, consider SUBSCRIBING to the channel to stay up to date with all my future content by clicking the following link: bit.ly/3bw08kk
Cheers!
Hey Macho Nacho Productions you spelled Micro wrong
@@mariasiqueiros7063 just think about it it is not as small as the micro but is smaller than the advanced so the name firs perfectly
@Macho Nacho Productions, does the touch screen still work/ still have touch screen functionality?
Yes, it does. Just need to make sure you re-insert the digitizer ribbon cable back. If you want the glass screen lens then you will lose touch functionality. Hope this helps! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions so, if you don't need/care about touch functionality (the GBA didn't have that, correct), you can just drop the digitizer screen? I understand the directional pad will still work to set time and such,right? My question is 1) do you then need a glass screen like you installed or can you just use the digitizer screen with it not plugged in? 2) Will the system run WITHOUT a digitizer plugged in? I ask this specifically because I have two DS lite candidates for this mod. One has a bad P3 connector (the top screen one) which I cannot source a replacement anywhere and the other has a bad P6 connector (the digitizer) and power switch (I have a replacement though). I can source a P6 connector but they are pricey. If I can get away with not needing it, that would be great.
I was just gonna break off the top screen but this is 100 times better
Amber Ward I did that as a kid when the hinge was broken. It stopped working, so I must’ve snapped something. Good thing you didn’t tho. Haha
Or 100 times dumber. The cost is fucking retarded. What moron spends the money and does this?
@@DjStiv3 i think it's something you do when it's already broken
@Lillie Exists i mean the video is stupid and spending so much to do it. Breaking off is dumb too but more so i meant video bcz of the cost. You may as well disassemble and do it properly make it look good
Plus, you dont have to do everything (like he mentioned). My only cost is going to be the resistor, and probably a clear acrylic rod for the top. Also there comes a point where repair is either cost prohibitive or difficult. I have 2 macro candidates right now, one with a bad digitizer connector and one wit a broken upper screen connector that is impossible to source.
just ordered these parts from boxeypixel:
macro shell $54
glass screen $9.90
330 ohm resistors $2
and from ifixit:
switch speaker $9.99
total including
tax and shipping $87.66
figured I'd add this in case anyone wanted an updated cost.
It's hardly a cheap mod though. Almost $90 in parts alone? FunnyPlaying's DSi screen kit for the AGB GBA currently costs $30 and a GBA can play every GB game too...
why would you do this mod even if ur top screen or the shell was broken a new shell or top screen replacement is like a 20 dollars and u still have a dsl with 2 screens that can run ds games without missing a top screen
@@bojunchoi6354 it was something fun too do as my first project. also I have a bunch of ds's
@@onedeadsaint It's also the most pocket-able non-micro game boy at around 13mm thick. I can carry this and my wallet in the same pocket :D
I would do this mod if boxypixel included the faceplate + back shell to complete the look.
Hello Macho Nacho! I just used this mod tutorial on my very first mod. I have to say, it is very easy to do. My father and I did it together and we had a blast, great way to spend a day. I will be using your other videos as tutorials for some more mods, looking forward to turning this into a fun hobby. Keep up the great work!
ive been watching so many of these modding videos having never touched a screwdriver in my life and now I think I wanna try this it looks so fun!!!
You definitely should, it’s a lot of fun! But be careful, it’s very addicting, haha! Cheers!
Just finished this project up. Even with using this video as a guide, I ran into the exact same issue with the screen. Popped it back open, worked the ribbon cable in some more, and now it runs like a dream!
Great walkthrough! I’ve got a DS Lite with a cracked hinge, very tempted to turn it into a gameboy macro
Thanks Travis! It’s definitely a great way to breathe new life into the DS! I’d say go for it dude!
Macho Nacho Productions I ordered a red face plate and finished modding my DS last night! Could not be happier with the result, thanks again for your walkthrough 👍
Here's the before:
drive.google.com/file/d/1r_j1bANQzpen9z3bBVObbGL0dhjYFU6N/view?usp=sharing
and after:
drive.google.com/file/d/1L1NxpvFGZhS3rOIC-KrpSvoNxlI5FzXp/view?usp=sharing
drive.google.com/file/d/1nlCSS2FI4JLuyRfSATTJP-U7OPcJS4qJ/view?usp=sharing
That’s awesome Travis! So glad you found the video helpful!! Cheers!
Travis Nuttall doooo itttt
Made one myself and really love it! Boxy pixel has updated the design to no longer need the 3D printed screen holders. Considering building a second so I can swap in and out while one is charging.
Nice! I did hear he updated the design. May be time to make another too! Cheers Bradley!
@@MachoNachoProductions Thanks! Your video was instrumental in helping me make mine. Best of luck with the channel I’m always interested in seeing what your next project is. Do you think you’ll do a GBA SP Unhinged video?
Thats great! Glad it was helpful! I absolutely will a unhinged gbasp video once mine come in! Stay tuned! Cheers!
Just came across this channel as I love watching stuff like this, how in the world do you not have more views and subs? I just love how sleek and clean everything came together in the end, it almost looked factory new.
Thank you Steve🙏! That means a lot dude. So glad you are enjoying the channel! Cheers buddy!
Fun fact: The lens covering an unused part of the screen is actually similar to what Nintendo did on the original 2DS.
Boooiiiii
1 - The Video Quality is just G R E A T
Aaaaand
2 - You tested the modded NDS with Final Fantasy Tactics, my boiiiii
Thanks @Anselme Sanou! Super happy you enjoyed the video! Also totally agree, Tactics, fantastic game!! Cheers!
The boxy pixel front cases are very beautiful, but they have some drawbacks. First, no room for buttons X and Y, which are useful for emulators and various homebrew. Second, no holes for stereo speakers at front, it would be posssible to do that with smaller speakers, like a cellphone ones.
This is awesome! If my ds lite hinge ever breaks then I’ll be sure to do this mod!
Thank you @samjam! It’s definitely a great way to bring new life to a broken DS Lite! If you ever have any questions about the mod, let me know! Cheers!
Love your vids! One small production suggestion: try increasing your lighting levels a bit during your build shots. It can be a little dark and harder to see the details of what you are doing at times. An extra little led light panel or two to fill in some general area light might help that stuff pop and make it clearer as you work, and you already have some of the best and easiest to follow diy shots. Thanks for your efforts, I know that putting videos like this together is a ton of work.
Great suggestion Paul! I'll look at getting some additional lighting! Always down to improve! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions I would say the same for the talking shots, even. I'd love to be able to see ya a bit better when you're talking in the intros. Love the videos man!! Keep it up 🔥💕
I’m actually a little ticked off cuz I threw away a perfectly good ds cuz the top screen broke and I got a new one online then realized while putting it back together, getting the wire through the hinge is rocket science. Wish I would have found this video earlier.
Sorry to hear that dude
My god, that was mindblowingly good. This deserves 100x more views
"Easy to follow" the guide was very clear indeed! But uh.... I don't think most people, myself included, have a soldering iron. Was so excited to do this too....
Just built mine today following this guide! Combined with an EZ Flash omega and an R4 card, this is by far the best way to play GBA/GBC in my opinion!
Awesome! I totally agree, I love using my Macro! Would love to see a photo, post on Instagram if you can and tag me! Cheers Christian!
@@MachoNachoProductions I was thinking about making a review of the Boxy Pixel Shell and posting it on my channel. Would you mind if I directed people to your tutorial if they're interested in making their own?
Thanks for that tip at the end! I was super frustrated that I couldn't get the system to turn on and yeah the ribbon just wasn't pushed in far enough.
I was worried about putting too much pressure on it since those things are so sensitive, but I got it all the way in and now it's perfect!
I just started my macro build and thank you for pointing out the screen not being plugged in all the way. I felt like I soldered the resister on fine and instead of redoing it I came and watched this video.
Awesome! Glad to hear the video was helpful! Yeah, that ribbon cable was a bit tricky, it needed more force to insert than I thought. Would love to see how it turns out. If you have an Instagram account post a pic of your finished macro and tag me. Cheers and good luck with the build!
@@MachoNachoProductions www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/i36zvs/first_gameboy_macro/?
I also didn't order a switch speaker. Slipped my mind. Had to take out the stylus slot until that comes. Also I didn't cut off the connector for the second screen. Was there a point to that?
@@Madblaster6 Removing the connector creates more space for the speaker . Depending on where you want to put the speaker you may or may not have to remove that connector.
Very clean build!
This Tutorial Video.... Is Underrated, love how all the Steps is recorded in such a High Quality, so you can actually see what happen (Others that i've seen, not only they didn't have high quality, they didn't even bother to get close up shots on some of the important steps) specially with those ribbon cable
The only downside its 30 minutes video, but for me its normal, cause it's a tutorial video
Thank you @Mr. Z! So happy you enjoyed the video! And thank you for the kind words! I agree it was pretty long, I just really wanted to make it as detailed and informative as possible! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions Excuse me, i have a DS problem, and you might be able solve it.
So it started when i tested a new DS Top screen (speaker not soldered), it works fine at first, the image is showing, the color is fine, everything is good.
Then i pick up my phone to see what time is it, suddenly the image was shaking, and the color was distorted, i didn't know why so i turned it off and plug it back in to make sure, but its still the same
i've tried To plug it back in a different motherboard, but the result is the same, i don't know what to do
Hmm that is interesting. I’ve never seen an issue like that unfortunately. My only guess is that it’s a defective top screen. Sorry I can be if further help. Cheers and best of luck dude!
@@MachoNachoProductions Ohhh okay, thanks for the time to Answer my questions, i really appreciate it 😁😁
And Im sucribing for future DS Lite related Content 👍
Thank you for subscribing! There will be DS content on the way! Cheers!
One of TH-cam's most EPIC intros ever!
Great video / explanation of the Macro build 👍
Thank you Obirux! Much appreciated! Cheers
Nice! Now do one with a better button orientation (B button on Y position and A button on the B position). You just need some wires on the traces.
That might be a tough one to do with the boxy pixel shell. I may look into that. Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions Maybe, but it would be glorious! The only one with a different orientation I've seem so far is this: i.redd.it/va4ncm7vc1m31.jpg but still is not ideal. imgur.com/a/SQheRqh
It would be the endgame for Megaman Zero and Mario games =)
This is the best guide i've ever seen,nice job man your video is so so so so clean!
thank you @Spectralus _ ! So glad you enjoyed the tutorial! Cheers!
Maybe I'm just a noob but when you power on your new GB Macro after doing this mod you need to set the default screen to the lower screen. My screen worked fine but once I put a GBA cart in, the lower screen would just go black but there was sound. After trouble shooting for an hour or so I tried the settings and found how to set the default screen. I never owned any type of DS before this so this may be common knowledge but just in case you experience the same thing I did, hopefully you find this comment.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m sure there are some out there that will find this information useful as I did not really mention it in the video. Thanks again! Cheers!
I had a black DS Lite as a kid that I somehow managed to break the hinge of (as well as the ribbon cable to the top screen). If I can find that thing again (and if it wasn't thrown out at some point), I'm definitely tempted to give this mod a shot and give it a new lease on life.
God, I would love nothing more than a CNC case for my video-out modded ds lite.
One with space for a bigger battery, the tv out mod and the wifi antenna/mic.
I paid someone online to make me an aluminum faceplate and also a plastic one. The aluminum one looked amazing but there was some unforseen clearance issues and busted my modded lite. Keep that in mind lol to closely inspect them. It wasn't a boxy pixel part btw
Thank you for the tip J L! Cheers!
Another epic vid my dude!!. Loved the editing & lighting.
Thank you bro 🙏!
@@MachoNachoProductions Your welcome bud!
Love the macOS flurry screensaver.
I agree that the DS Lite would make for a great Gameboy Macro but I prefer the phat since the GBA cartridge is flush with the system. I though this mod could fix that but it seems you're using a ez flash omega with the smaller case. I wish they made a case for the phat as well too because it looks so clean. May make one too once I pick up a solder since the one I bought has a bad paint job and no speaker holes so it comes off muffled. I really do like using it though.
I agree, it would be so cool if they made a shell for the Phat DS! Hopefully one day we'll get one! Best of luck! Cheers!
The gameboy macro. (ds lite) is the sleekest
The gameboy macro (og fat ds) is the most comfortable
Four ways that would improve this mod dramatically:
1. Using a 3-D printer bracket that slots/screws into place to hold the LCD rather than having to hot glue those 2 small pieces of plastic (hot glue is trash)
2. A matching custom metal backplate in place of the back plastic DS shell
3. A custom battery door to hold a massive battery spanning the entire back of the console (back metal wouldn't need the stylus holder as the console is no longer touch capable)
4. An actual light pipe rather than using hot glue (again, fuck hot glue)
That would make this mod the dream
this is a very helpful video Tito, however I do feel a little sorry for your like-new ds lite. THANKS for the tutorial anyway.
I discovered your channel today and it's Amazing. The visual is molto bene, you do High Quality vidéo than many huge YTbers don't do, it's awesome.
I've got a question about the GBA Macro, did you going to make a video about the DS Tank (or OG DS) mod transform it into a GBA ? I think that can be a good idea.
Hype for the next content 🤘
Thank you @Ace Bunny!! I am so happy you are enjoying the channel! I am definitely planning to make a video for the Game Boy Macro mod using the OG DS! It should be a fun mod! Cheers!
THE 2 SHADES OF BLUE IS NICE!🎮👍
Thanks ROBO MESR ONER, the color combo has really grown on me. It reminds me of Mega Man colors! Cheers!
If they ever do a full body shell for the GB.Macro that hides the DS cart slot along with custom buttons id be totally interested in a mod like this
Also knocked it out of the park, im totally subbed to you now, your vid quality is amazing
Thank you Spintechfilms! That would be so cool! It would be great if they made a full custom aluminum shell!! Cheers!
The only thing that would make this even better is if the DS card slot 1 was completely hidden as it's really redundant on a GBA macro
I gotta be honest. When I 1st booted up a gba game in the dslite (which was about 2011 as my girlfriend bought one to replace her old ds) I was absolutely gobsmacked. I think if you wanna use 100% official nintendo hardware, this is the way to go for gba.
Novice solderer here and trying to solder those tiny ass resistors scare the hell outa me. I just know I'm going to lose one or two or all, I bought two sets.
Let’s say, completely hypothetically, someone was really bad at soldering and they burnt out the ground pin doing the speaker. Where would I, I mean he, put the ground wire.
Awesome content. Congratulations for your fine work.
If I had any soldering skills I could see myself doing this but I chose the GBA because it's mod was so much easier with no soldering only grinding
Yep, this mod is a bit involved with some of the soldering required. Thankfully there are a lot of great kits/mods out there for all the game boy consoles! Cheers dude!
Looks like a neo geo pocket color lol
It kinda does, haha! Cheers!
Great video! Really useful info! :)
Thanks Chris! Glad you enjoyed the video and found it helpful!
@@MachoNachoProductions My apologies! Got the wrong end of the stick thanks for clearing that up! Saw the word affiliate before the links for boxy pixel and assumed that was a declaration of affiliation, I'll edit my comment :)
No worries dude. I can understand the confusion. Cheers!
I really wanna make one of these. for some reason, it really bugs me that the games don't take up the full screen, but other than that, it seems super cool 😁
Love this mod, I just dont get why you would go through all of that effort to decrease the functionality of a perfectly good DS lite, it can play gameboy games perfectly fine without having to lose all of that functionality.
It'd be a great way to rescue a damaged unit but I don't get why you'd do it on a healthy one
@@desposyy agreed but most of the damage on a consol like that would be the part use for the mod however if the top screen is busted I do see the appeal. Dont get me wrong I love the look amd purpose of this mod
I totally agree! I usually would do this to only a damaged DS Lite. The main reason I did this mod to this unit is when I bought the DS Lite, it was advertised as for parts/repair, however, it was perfectly working and I was planning to do this video. I do agree it was a bit wasteful.
Yeah, out of all the mods that can be done to all the consoles available, cutting off a perfectly good DS Lite is just sacrilegious in a way. All I can think of when seeing a GB Macro mod popping up is "Thanks, I hate it."
@@nizamrahman4665 I actualy agree, the ds lite in my opinion is the best consol by Nintendo because it is so versatile. The mod should only be done when the consol is beyond normal repair.
There's a high pitched whine from 1:03 to 6:29 that makes it pretty hard to listen to the video during that time. I've never processed audio, but I imagine its fairly straightforward for a computer to chop off the top end of the pitch range, there isn't any useful information up there anyway. Even if it doesn't work that way, being a sine wave it should be able to be fourier'ed out
Thank you for the heads up Jake! This is one of my earlier videos and I haven’t begun to process sound yet (my ears aren’t what they used to be and I can’t hear the high pitch sound). Once people began to let me know about the audio I tried to remedy it. Can you watch one of my newer videos and see if the issue is resolved. I’ve heard from several folks that it is. Thanks again! Cheers!
Next time, try turning a DS Lite into a Nintendo Switch Lite Mini, complete with the DS card slot replaced with the switch card slot and the Game Pak slot replaced with a MicroSD card slot.
Awesome tutorial!!! Question can you still use the headphones jack? Will it disable the speaker when you insert the headphones?
pretty neat work, i like it very much
Thank you! Cheers!
Can't wait to see this done with the DSi
That could be a neat challenge! Since it doesn’t have the GBA slot, one could use and r4 cart to play games! Cheers Dalton and thank you for watching my videos!
Great video, it really helps to give us a sense of how things works and helps us to feel more confident doing our mods :) planning to create a SNESmacro with the boxy pixel face plate by drilling the 2 additionals buttons, do you have an advice doing this ? (I sent an email to boxy to know if they could have a 4 buttons versions, but sadly no answer). Take care !
Sweet result although i think its kinda of an advanced proyect need a liitle bit more practice before :p
Thanks dude!! Haha, it is complex, and the soldering isn't the easiest, but I am sure you can do it with practice! Best of luck dude! and feel free to ask me any questions if you are planning to do this mod!
Sure will when i do it stay safe!
You too!
I should have done this with my ds with a cracked hinge. Instead i did a case replacement and broke a capacitor and now it wont charge. Now i need to buy and soldering iron and a new capacitor
Sorry to hear that dude. It sounds like it could be a good project though, to get it working again! Best of luck! Cheers!
Dang, that shit painful to hear. Every time I open up my PSP and Nintendo, I’m always praying I won’t break some shit because my hands are really shaky.
What you didn’t consider is that the Macro looks like it’s going for a Mega Man theme!
Great video! Really well done. I am having the same problem mentioned in previous posts about battery life being tanked to 3.5 hours after the mod. The weird thing is that the battery life doubles if I plug in a headset. I figure there must be some sort of voltage consumption of the speaker when not playing anything. In my tests I have the volume turned to 0. I am interested in hearing what you think!
Thank you Michael! I really appreciate it! It’s strange that is an issue. I’m going to have to look into it. Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience! I should run my own test and see how it compares with a stock DS. Cheers!
Only one speaker...? Does that mean it plays only one channel of stereo, or has something been done to convert the signal to mono...?
Great question. I don’t know for sure but since GBA games are mono (all GBA consoles have only one speaker) I think the DS splits the mono signal onto 2 speakers. This mod only pulls one channel. There isn’t any conversion to mono being done as far as I know. I hope this helps, this is really just my guess. Cheers!
How does the DS light bottom screen compared to a gba IPS screen
Great question WizWizrd! the main difference is brightness and image size. The IPS for the GBA has a larger display area than the DS Lite and the screen can get brighter as well. I would say the DS Lite screen has a more retro look since you can see the pixels more, but I think both are great options to play GBA games. Are you planning on doing a Game Boy Macro mod? I hope that answers your questions! Cheers buddy!
Instead of the speaker included with the kit you mentioned, I instead got this 2.5W ClassD Amplifier. Is there another tutorial with that?
New to your channel here. Really good content you've got!
Thank you Hernan! That means a lot to me bud! Cheers!
I would do this if GBA games didn’t look so awful on my DS Lite. The screen seems to have a massive ghosting issues, and that might not be a problem with some games, but the Sonic Advance games are my favorite GBA titles and Sonic running so fast causes the ghosting to be distractingly bad
I'd make one of these but I hate the shoulder buttons on the ds lite
What happens if you don't cut the top lcd connector off the board? The speaker can go elsewhere.
Just bought a DSI XL and gonna mod it and see If it's a better way of playing gba and snes. It looked like a good deal for 65$ plus the charger.
Nice! Let me know how it goes! Cheers!
Love the video and saw that you sold this on ebay haha, I built 2 so far I have the same issue with both. If I press on the screen top right the pixel warp over the flex amp. I checked my soldering and it looks fine. Is it normal? Did I do something wrong?
Very helpful video! I've completed the mod but the switch speaker sounds kinda scratchy. Maybe it's blown... any tips?
I would make sure that the speaker wire isn’t shorting on anything. I’d cover your solder joints with laptop tape to be sure
where can I find the lcd spacers?
Love the content! I like that you include the total cost of the mod. Do you think you can include some info on the sound quality/performance in your videos? For this mod, you're going from 2 speakers to 1 (switch) speaker and I'm wondering if there's a noticeable difference. Installing rechargeable battery packs, backlit screens, etc can potentially affect the speaker and/or headphone jack (hums, buzzing), so it'd be cool to know if you experience any of that.
Great suggestion, Ryan! Thank you! I’ll look to include that information in future videos. To answer your question about the Macro, I’d say that going to one speaker does reduce the sound a bit. Although the gameboy advance consoles only have one speaker normally, the single switch speaker does seem to be a bit softer in sound compared to regular gba systems. Cheers!
I've never done any mods like this and I'm a total noob when it comes to electric stuff. Could I technically take the top screen out of my DS and reuse it as bottom screen? I've got a broken DS Lite here but there the bottom touchscreen is smashed so I'm not sure.
Great question, unfortunately the ribbon cable for the top screen is incompatible with the bottom, so it wont work. Replacement screens for the DS are pretty cheap however. Check eBay for some listings on bottom screen replacements for the DS. I hope this helps. Best of luck! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions that is not technically correct. They both use the same connector, but their orientation of the ribbon cable would make it difficult to adapt.
Thank you for the clarification! Cheers!
Love this editing
Thank you🙏!
If I'm not replacing the glass screen should I keep the digitizer disconnected?
At 5:52 the 3d printed brackets were not included in my supplies I ordered? Does anyone have or know where I can get the blueprints to 3d print my own
Hey I got the PAM8302A Audio Amplifier listed on the kit parts rather than the speaker. Is there an instruction page of how to use it? If so, where can I find it? Thanks.
Is there a way to do this with just the DS Lite parts and not getting a separate face plate and speaker? (I assume the resistor will always be needed). I can't justify spending $60 on just one piece of this when the DS I'm using was only $15
Yes, it'll take a little more work however. Depending on how nice you want the final package to look you will need to use body filler and do quite a bit of sanding as well as paint prep and painting. It can be a very laborious task but you can achieve good results, you may also end up spending a little bit on those supplies. If you dont care too much how it looks you can simply remove the top half. The beauty of the faceplate is that you get good results with minimal effort. I hope this helps. Best of luck! Cheers!
For the price of the mod + you need to have the DS (I know they are dirt cheap, but still), I'd rather mod my original GBA to have an IPS screen or an AGS-101... Unless you play GBA games on your GBA macro using a flash card which are cheaper for NDS than for GBA...
Hey is there a different spot to put the resistor? The led spots don't work for me for some reasons
I want to know if there’s a mod that allows you to switch between screens with the one screen I looked it up all I got is that you need to mess with the firmware any help please
Like the mod but the camera lighting it kinda of bad and hurts my eyes alot when watching this video
too much lighting and too long for a mod video.
Should just get to the point. a 15 min video should do it.
honestly you guys are probably the 2 dislikes
yeah shut up
I notice your cart doesn't stick out of the bottom. How did you do that?
Would anyone happen to know of any type of small circular plastic w/ adhesive to fill that LED hole?
Bonjour , très bonne vidéo , je voulais juste savoir si il était possible de mettre une autre coque arrière que celle de la ds lite merci d'avance pour vos réponses 👍
Tried this and my screen just blinks. Any thoughts?
By using a switch speaker, does the audio quality improve at all?
All of this just to be unable to play original gb and gbc games, and have gba cartridges sticking out. While I like the novelty of this I'd much rather just mod a better screen into an AGB gba...
Look awesome..🐢🐢
Thank you!
instead of cutting would it be better to desolder the connector tot he upper screen to remove it?
I’m sure it could be desoldered with a hot air machine. It comes off fairly easily and cleanly with the flush cutters though. There are several options. Cheers Dan!!
Is there any back plate to match the face as using the old back takes away from the console a little.
Unfortunately there isn’t at the moment! It would be awesome if boxy pixel made one! Fingers crossed 🤞. Cheers Gary!
Awesome.
Is it possible to do a stereo speaker mod like this?
Faceplate should've had Y and B instead of A and B now the buttons are just at an awkward angle like the NES dogbone
Haha, true! It would have been nice if all the buttons were included. I think it would have been a good option. Cheers!
So is there a way to have both speakers?
It also could play animal crossing wild world as that game has it on the bottom screen
Awesome! That is good to know! I have tested resident evil too and I think that game is primarily on the lower screen as well! It would be cool if there was a comprehensive list of games that only need the bottom screen. Cheers!
$54 per faceplate, it's a pretty dumb price, plus there's clearly some gap between the glass lens and the faceplate window, looks bad and dust will get inside the mobo for no reason
The gameboy macro doesn’t have a link cable or speakers though :(
This one has speakers. True, it doesn’t have link cable port which is a bummer. Cheers!
Macho Nacho Productions I wonder how someone would put a link cable on it though, just curious...
Is it possible to have stereo speakers with the mod?
Btw, the glass screen doesn't seem to be a perfect fit. We can clearly see the metal case from the LCD screen all around it. That's not looking good.
Unfortunately, This mod only allows for 1 speaker. You can create more space in the rear of the console by removing the stylus holder and put another speaker there, but it wont be a true stereo setup. Hope this helps. Cheers!
I see, thanks.
If you have an R4, You can emulate GB/GBC
Yep! Also, the ez-flash omega will allow you to emulate gb/gbc/nes too! Cheers!
This might be a good mod to also use a replacement LCD, since the displays in the DS Lite were kinda balls.
It would be so cool if an IPS kit comes out for these!
@@MachoNachoProductions don't even play. That would be amazing!
You know what would be very very cool (ok... opinion is subjective), if you could use a Neo Geo Pocket Color microswitch (joystick) instead of the DPAD. What do you think?
That is a very interesting idea! The clicky joystick is such a fantastic interface! It would be interesting to se if it is possible. Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions if you do it, let me know, I do not know nothing about soldering and wiring, just very interested, although you might not have enough space in the case to do that, I've just looked into the inside of my NGPC and the mechanism is quite tall
That is true. It is very tall. The ngpc case is thick enough for it but because the DS shell is so thin it may be possible but impractical. Cheers!