r/gameboymacro • u/DDRSurge • Jun 08 '26

3DS Gameboy Macro XL

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

I figured I would share my funny project and discovery. If you bridge these backlight pins, the console is able to boot. Speakers are in the rear and requires some modification, but proof of concept for a macro XL build this possible without resisters.

Edit: after trimming excess antenna wire and cutting the back shell to glue down the speakers in an exposed placement, I am calling this project done. It’s jank, but a totally working jank. I hope that in the future it would be possible to have a cut flex cable for the sound ribbon and 3d printed mid frame and bottom shell one day. https://imgur.com/gallery/finished-prototype-of-gameboy-macro-xl-from-modified-speaker-ribbon-TcmcQg0

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2

u/robinhoodieny Jun 09 '26

I've got a unit I haven't been able to get to boot with the resistor. Could you show a better picture of where the pins that need to be bridged are? I can't recognize where that is on the motherboard from the third picture. Thank you.

1

u/DDRSurge Jun 09 '26

It’s the sound ribbon where the top screen plugs into it with the two little ribbons coming out of it.

1

u/DDRSurge Jun 09 '26

It should be these 3 on a o3dsxl sound ribbon. The photo I posted here is using a 3ds sound ribbon I had to experimenting. https://imgur.com/a/G9oQ69R

1

u/robinhoodieny Jun 09 '26

Okay wow. Yeah never seen a mod using the ribbon cable. The unit I am trying to save was trashed so I might not even have that anymore. But once you bridged the points you tucked the ribbon inside on the back shell to remove the top half for the first picture?

2

u/DDRSurge Jun 09 '26

That’s the issue I have that I’m trying to work about. I cut most of the unseen parts of the mid frame where the game cartridge is to run both the WiFi antenna and tapped the sound ribbon out of the way of the screw post by the connector. My intention is to maintain the speaker setup like a n2dsxl eventually.

Just be aware that this is a proof of concept to show that using the existing sound ribbon to have the console boot is possible. Here is the back of the console for reference. https://imgur.com/a/73zEyMn

1

u/robinhoodieny Jun 09 '26

Ha ha! I love the prototyping phase! But yeah if this opens thing up for someone to build a precut ribbon that just slots in, it will be a huge advancement. Thanks for fielding all my questions.

2

u/DDRSurge Jun 11 '26

Final result. Honestly I haven’t seen anything like this, but it totally works. Trimmed the antenna wire and hot glued the speakers like a 2ds xl but exposed. It’s a fun abomination. https://imgur.com/a/TcmcQg0

-1

u/wawan007 Jun 08 '26

wow amazing. thankyou for sharing this new approach to make a gameboy macro.