February 21st, 2011

Disassembled: A (very detailed) inside look at the guts of a Nintendo 3DS

123 Comments

We’re not too far away from the launch of the Nintendo 3DS in Japan, but if you’re an uber hardware junkie you won’t have to wait any longer to get your fix. A development unit of the 3DS with the final production design has been pulled apart *completely* and there are over sixty photos.

  • sammaster9

    first?

    • sammaster9

      exactly abujaffer! now i can finally rest in peace :D

    • _oMeGa_

      Congratulations. No one cares and they never have.

    • http://aldowynsmusings.tk abujaffer

      Well seeing as you wrote an entire post about it you obviously care. Unless you don’t know what care means.

      http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/care

      You obviously have 3.a., a “Painstaking or watchful attention”. Or 6, “A person or thing that is an object of attention, anxiety, or solicitude”

      And yes, I’m going to write this for everyone that says they “Don’t care” about someone. People online have feelings you know.

    • Tails the Foxhound

      Yes, ‘people’ do. But if all you can manage to say in a post is “First!”, then you don’t particularly count as a ‘person’ to me. See, ‘people’ generally have some kind of sense/context as to the thoughts they are attempting to express in a post. No, you are perhaps a parrot or a monkey that has learned how to type 6 characters and click post, I’m sure that would be more interesting that what is most probably the actual ‘thing’ on the other end of that comment.

  • sammaster9

    finally :D thats a pretty 3ds

  • sammaster9

    i know nothing about tech, but it was still cool to look at all of the pictures

    • Nickno

      any reason you spammed by putting 4 back-to-back posts of which 2 are pointless?

    • Link365

      Sweet I can’t wait to build one!

  • http://www.thekoalamovie.com Pololmejor

    If only I had a 3DS.
    Hey David why are youy purchasing a Japanese 3DS if you said you didn’t know japanese. I mean, I sopose you alredy know you can only play jpanese games.

    • http://aldowynsmusings.tk abujaffer

      He can try the games out then sell them for a really high price online.

    • BlooShroom

      well since hes the writer of a blog that attracts thousands of people its would be VERY benificial to get it early to unbox it, give game reviews,reveal the answers to unanswered questions,ect.

    • Luis

      there are also are many awesome games that only come out in japan, so he could keep this ds to play such games …

  • BlooShroom

    woah. but it makes me sad to see it taken apart like that btw 2nd

    • BlooShroom

      sorry,3rd

    • http://aldowynsmusings.tk abujaffer

      Actually 5th.

    • BlooShroom

      if you dont count sammaster9 commenting two extra times im 3rd

    • mike

      you fail at life

    • matte

      No one cares

    • sammaster9

      i care blooshroom. i care :)

    • BlooShroom

      thank you sammaster :)

  • supersyrup97

    I’d rather see someone have screenshots of the games rather than the system disassembled

  • mirandafantasy

    I can’t wait to play it!

  • Elicik

    Hey, David, do u no if the buttons (a b x y) are like the dsi’s or the ds lites?

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      by the switch/contact design I’d say they’re the same as the DS Phat’s.. (idk what the DSi had).. More of a “click” feel.. than the lite’s “push” feel.

    • Supakitsune

      I have a DSi and the buttons are like the phat’s. They click. If the 3DS’s are like that I’ll be quite pleased.

  • http://deleted AminalCrosser

    “Only 10897 days, 21 hours and 45 minutes left until February 26th.” might want to fix that.

  • Stephon

    3DS = portable wii on steroids

    • Shock-Socks

      not really, no lol

  • shockwave

    Whew! I was thinking about getting a second one so I could do this myself! Now I don’t have to.

  • Iceguy

    What’s that red thing that says Tegrus or something like that?

    • Lily

      Tgbus.com? I’m not positive, but I just assumed it was the website these pictures originated from.

  • 3DyeS

    No disassemble Johnny 5!!!!

    • sammaster9

      johnny 5 is alive!

  • Phillip

    Sooooo… Anybody know how much internal storage this thing has?

  • Game_Queen

    Does anyone know if the 3ds is compatible with a ds lite just say for example I have a pokemon black and a pokemon heartgold game would I be able to trade pokemons ?

    • shockwave

      You will be able to send Pokemon one way, but B/W Pokemon are incompatible with previous version Pokemon.

  • theguy87

    the horror!! How can they do such a thing? except, they probably have another, and a lot of money…..

  • Hitokiri_Ace

    Awesome pics.. drool.. Love the button design.. Shiny contact pads and everything.. Looks pretty HOT.. lol.. I’m a bit of a button/design freak. This looks like a nintendo designed piece of love. Modular, quick disconnects for easy repair.. If you’ve ever had apart a GC, or Wii.. You know where I’m comin’ from. My only concerns are how the circle pad, and shoulder buttons feel/control! Care to say what you think David?

    • David Turnbull

      Circle pad and shoulder buttons felt great to me. I don’t think anyone’s going to have anything to whine about in regards to hardware. :)

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      awesome.. looks like the buttons will have more of the DS Phat’s “clicky” feel to ‘em. (which I personally like better) Is that the case?

    • Shock-Socks

      I’m right there with ya bro, i’m a design freak. Idk about the buttons, but the circle pad design looks remarkably similar to the design of the psp’s analogue pad. no joke, it’s really really similar looking, but from reports it’s much better so this is either due to some good internal design that nintendo has done (internal design of the circle pad housing apparatus) or perhaps, the larger area that the pad provides, when compared to the psp’s, gives the user more control and a “smoother feel.”

  • Mr M.C. ClapYoHandz Willy Waka Wonka Flocka (aka Benjamin BootyCrisp)

    Good News! i decided to get Super Street Fighter 4 along with Nintendogs + cats. My good friend is paying for half because i’m not too big on fighting games and he wants me to play against him. after looking into SSF4, i can’t wait to get it now!!!

  • DanteZX

    Mr. 3DS PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF DECENT! THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE! >.<

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      lol high five

  • cheezmastah

    Anyone know if the shoulder buttons will be better than the ones on the old DS systems? I hope so…

    • ケヴィン

      lol i hope so also. my ds light L Button died and it was passed its warranty then my dsi L and R buttons died but I got a free new one from Nintendo and now my replacements L and R are going bad so I have to blow into them to get them to work. T_T

    • Edwin Nieves

      OMFG. the same thing happened to my Ds and Dsi. i hope the 3DS’s L & R dont die on me cuz that seems to happen a lot with my nintendo handhelds, and if that does happen im gonna cry. lmao

    • Shock-Socks

      I think they will be much better actually. the design is pretty different from the DS Lite shoulder button design. for instance, if u look, the shoulder buttons on the 3ds can be “plugged into” the mother board instead of being sautered onto it like on the DS Lite. Also, they’re using a different spring design, earlier, on the DS Lite they had a single or double coil spring that would fit around the short poll that the button hinged on, this would apply resistance to the interior side of the button and the adjacent interior side of the case where it would ultimately sit at a roughly 90 degree bend in the system. now they are using just a regular old spring that presses against the interior of the button and the opposite interior side of the case at a 180 degree angle. (90 degree angle from the case itself, however the spring itself isn’t “bent” at a 90 degree angle, it’s strait, ergo 180 degrees.) ultimately, it looks like the design is more efficient and easily replaced, but as for durability, im, not sure the actual physical button part of the apparatus appears to be the same as in earlier models.

  • Fun 3DS

    There goes the warranty… :3

  • erick

    so are the buttons mushy or clicky.. i wish dave would answer!!!

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      Really.. thats the last bit of info I need.. Clicky or Mushy.. please clicky.. please clicky lol

    • Mr M.C. ClapYoHandz Willy Waka Wonka Flocka (aka Benjamin BootyCrisp)

      and is the Analog plastic or rubber?

    • Jack 43

      The Circle Pad is rubber on the outside of it so you will feel rubber when you use it. I read that on Iwata Asks.

    • Shock-Socks

      judging by what David has said, and the metallic button pads, id have to say clicky. i think i read somewhere that they were clicky as well.

    • Frances

      If you read from the November (I think) issue of ONM, it was clicky. ;))

  • Flip

    David, I think you should create a special section to rumored games and another to confirmed ones.

    • Cathal

      That`s a great idea!

  • Pingback: Lots of new 3ds photos(dissambled)

  • Joel

    OH GOD THE HUMANITY!!

  • MeaningOfLife

    Hmm…interesting stuff…The most interesting thing in this is the fact that there is no 25th picture. After 24 comes 26.

  • blackneon15

    It’s so hard to wait an entire month!

  • Adr990

    David, you missed quite some pictures from the source. :(

    http://3ds.tgbus.com/hardware/201102/20110219163347_11.shtml
    (11) and some others (and 12 too ofc)

    • David Turnbull

      Woops. Will add the missing ones to the post. Thanks. :)

    • Adr990

      :)

  • kyotre

    in two weeks i pre order the 3ds

    • Edwin Nieves

      in two weeks, THEY MAY ALL BE GONE D:!!!!!!
      lol. thats why i preoordered mine a month ago xD

  • Mario Fan 123

    Ironically, I just wrote this a while ago:
    http://3dsforums.com/lounge-2/real-plan-stealing-3ds-6367/
    0_0

    • Enter Punchline Here

      how dare you o.o

  • George Tirebiter

    That was the best parade ever. ^_^

  • ケヴィン

    I’m not going to lie. The 3DS looks sexy.

  • drwill439

    That didnt help me understand anything about what was under the hood. I identified the sd slot and buttons, but thats it.

  • Joshua

    :0

    • Yulaw

      I wonder why there is no of pic of the cpu etc.

  • Isaac gemal

    First for sure

  • Hitokiri_Ace

    Well.. i checked on google and a few ppl said the 3DS buttons were more squishy than clicky. At least so they thought. Imma guess thats why David isn’t saying. Eh, it’s really not that bigga deal though! I’m just excited for it to come out in Japan at least. Another month for us statesiders though! Time is a cruel mistress indeed…

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      and as a side not.. why no pics of the 3d top screen? >.> … maybe it was part of the deal? cause if you look at that display it shows.. it’s obviously not widescreen.. and it has the digitizer ribbon cable plug.. aka the bottom screen.. weird!

    • theguy87

      I think the top screen is a part of the top half… When i say that i mean that they can take it off without breaking the whole top half.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1138875467 DanXD

    fuck that person who did that !!

    XD

    • http://yahoo.com knight_dAniel

      do you know what the things in the image that is made in phillipines ?

    • Hitokiri_Ace

      It’s the wifi chip.. could be a wifi/bluetooth chip.. but at the least.. it’s wifi.

    • http://yahoo.com knight_dAniel

      really . Awesome dude . C:

  • Brown_yoshi

    With these I should be able to build my own 3DS and so I won’t have to buy one!! Haha! I am such a genius!

    • MDLMEMORYBANK

      YOUR RIGHT O_O tinkers around and places electronic parts together AH HA …..>3>..awww dam it, made a NGP instead throws on the pile with the others

    • Crazycolorz5

      Lets’s see…. this to that and…. Aww its some stupid advanced 4-d screen with a 1TB RAM ):

  • SwagMonster

    Why would they do such a thing…. :’(

    • supersyrup97

      they’re sick people SwagMonster…that’s why they’d do that :’(

  • jbluna

    Hey david, what ever happened to that “chinese factory worker smuggles a 3ds” story?

    • Gamer

      he was killed!

    • http://aldowynsmusings.tk abujaffer

      Don’t… talk about it… in public. Miyamoto and his…. ninja strike force… I’ve said too much already. a hand cups my mouth from behind as I scream in a muffled voice

    • godzilla741

      noooooo abujaffer y did he have to say it in public!!!! D:

  • http://yahoo.com knight_dAniel

    Have u seen the chip?

    it is made in phillipines .
    wow im pretty proud for my country, c:

  • http://3dsforums.com/members/drugsisbad-51/ DrugsIsBad

    man! it hurts my head just looking at a computer chip :p

    • kurtly

      Cool

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePowerGamePlayer?feature=mhum ThePowerGamePlayer

    THEY KILLED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! D:

  • Esposch

    Wow. That thing is FAR more complicated than the old DS.

    And on a smaller board, too. Not a bad effort.

  • E.L.

    So….much….SEXY……

  • MOFO

    I guess the warranty is no good know

    • MOFO

      Now

  • Heyy

    So does this thing just unscrew with a triwing or what?

  • REDX

    so we cant take out the battery?? i wanted to put a longer battery life.

    • Shock-Socks

      it seemed pretty obvious that you could take out the battery considering the many pictures of it after removal and in comparison to the batteries of older DS systems.

    • http://yahoo.com knight_dAniel

      you can use a battery of a CAR .
      if you want to use it for a month without charging. c:

      ahaha LOL.

    • REDX

      but the psp had a better battery since i could take it out and put a new one for longer play and 3ds i need to take out screws. but i sill like the 3ds i guess it does not matter. GO NINTENDO ^_^

  • Komali100

    That poor 3DS. (sheds tear)

  • Hinkik

    Yay! I’m first

  • The Little Troll That Couldn’t

    The guts of the 3DS seem rather strange when compared to a DS Lite. Specially the shape of the right hinge and the small flatwire that goes through it (if i am not mistaking). I know for a fact that I will customize it’s outer shell and mix in a few colors of my own just like I’ve done to my DS systems.

    Thank you for your dedication in bringing us just about every single Nintendo 3DS news out there.

    Enjoy your Nintendo 3DS.

  • Pingback: Disassembled 3DS - Nintendo 3DS Forums

  • Wix

    The cosmo black 3DS looks so good in that first picture o.o

  • Cathal

    why didn`t they just turn it on instead?lol

    • http://deleted nicnec7

      there is no software loaded onto it, not even the 3DS home menu, it only shows some basic string of code about the RAM and FPS when turned on

  • Shock-Socks

    the only design flaw that i can see, albeit an asthetic one, is that there seems to be a gap between the battery cover and the outer rim of the bottom of the device. The outer rim meets and sits flush with the battery cover all around except right below the L and R buttons where there seems to be a small rectangular gap that you can clearly see the light grey interior plastic through. If you can’t find it, of the 4 screws on the battery cover, it’s above the outer two. right below the L and R buttons.

    anyone else see this (or care) or is it just me?

    • flaboy909

      It’s not a design flaw. Rather, it is for users to have an easier time removing the battery cover, likened to the clamping grips on the battery cover of a Game Boy color. If the gap wasn’t there, you’d have users prying the cover open or using an unorthodox way to remove the cover. Hope that helps…

  • nicnec7

    wow, the 3DS Slide Pad is built the exact same way as the PSP’s Analog Nub. I hope it doesn’t break as easy, as I am writing this from my PSP, on which the Analog Nub is completely destroyed.

  • http://Youtube.com/MLink96 MLink96

    It looks cool =)

  • Pingback: New Pictures that have Surfaced!!!!!

  • Han Solo

    I hate how there are tons of people dying to play one, and they just go and take it a part for fun…

  • joko

    The left and right shoulder buttons look like they will be the clicky buttons (same sound as your mouse clicks)
    while the a,b,x,y buttons will be more like normal controller buttons. I gues.

  • Pingback: 3DS internals exposed

  • http://theprizepalace.info 100dollarbill

    I can’t wait for Super Mario 3DS, :D

  • Tails the Foxhound

    I hope those L/R triggers are more durable this time around. Since they’re integral to the picture taking (a system selling point and permanent feature) I’d think they’d make them able to withstand more of a beating this time around, I guess we’ll see.

  • sammaster9

    117th! massachief

  • pookydot

    Awesome pics! Thank you soooo much! You guys rock!!!!!