The Nintendo Switch dock set a new bar for handheld docking user experience – just plug your console in to charge it, output image to your monitor, and keep it working with any USB peripherals of your choice. What if a 3DS is more your jam? [KOUZEX] shows off a Switch-style dock design for his gorgeous yellow 3DS, with Switch Pro controller support, and this dock wasn’t just a 3D printing job – there’s a fair bit of electronics to show, too.
While the 3DS looks stock at a glance, it has already been upgraded internally – there’s a USB-C capture card built in, half-ticking the “monitor output” requirement, and a Raspberry Pi board turns that output into HDMI. Building a charging dock is also pretty simple, with just two contacts on the side that desire 5V. Now, the pro controller support was a fair bit harder – requiring an internal modchip for emulating buttons, and trying out receiver boards for the Switch controller until a well-functioning one was found.
The build video is quite satisfying to watch, from assembling some QFNs onto tiny OSHPark boards using a hotplate and soldering them into the 3DS, to planning out, building, and dremeling some prints to create a true slide-console-into-dock experience, same way the Switch pulled it off. It even has the same USB-C and HDMI arrangement as the Switch dock, too! Want a simpler dock for your 3DS? Don’t forget that you can build a charger dock for yours with just a 3D print and a few wires.
This is amazing!
Wonderful, although I think it’s interesting that cad was such a struggle even though hardware modifications are clearly within the video creator’s wheelhouse. Win some, lose some.
Also, I would find it worthwhile to whip up a way to control the charge cycles because leaving a device plugged in all the time is bad for it, right?
In either case, fantastic job to the modder.
I would have done it with 2 monitors, 16:9 for the upper screen, and a 4:3 for the bottom screen. But still this is genius.
I would absolutely love one of these. Due to autoimmune issues my eye site is getting really bad. I play my switch and computer on a 65in smart tv because I can’t see the small monitors without missing a lot of things. I would love to be able to play my old Pokémon games again. Now I just need to find someone who can do this for me.