A new Nintendo DS, or, more specifically, a Nintendo DS Lite, feature has been discovered 15 years after the piece of hardware was released. Back in 2004, Nintendo debuted the Nintendo DS, one of the most successful pieces of video game hardware of all time. Two years later in 2006, it debuted the Nintendo DS Lite, a redesign featuring a slimmer and lighter mold plus brighter screens. And apparently, the DS Lite also had a TV output feature nobody knew about.
Over on Twitter, Beta64 revealed that the Nintendo DS Lite has an unused video output feature that allows you to play DS games on your TV, or it would if it wasn’t disabled. In other words, it’s technically a cut feature, but it’s one Nintendo never talked about and nobody knew about.
I just learned today that the DS Lite has an unused “video output” feature disabled on boot that allows you to play DS games on your TV, and the hacking team Lost Nintendo History managed to restore the feature. So freaking cool!https://t.co/B3Kxr7yB5I pic.twitter.com/4FxQLDx0XL
— Andrew (Beta64) (@Beta64Official) February 22, 2021
As for the discovery itself, it was actually made by Lost Nintendo History, who revealed they made the discovery late last year and have since been able to restore it and make it usable for others.
“During late 2020, we discovered that the Nintendo DS Lite had a leftover feature in its SoC allowing it to easily have cheap hardware video output,” writes Lost Nintendo History of the discovery. “With a little circuitry and some software hacks, we were able to restore it and make it usable for anyone. No FPGA’s, no bulky or cumbersome hardware. This mod is especially useful to revive consoles with only the lower screen, being able to watch the upper screen on your TV. Or to create a GBA Macro with additional TV Output.”
At the moment of publishing, Nintendo hasn’t provided any type of comment on this discovery, and it’s unlikely it will, but if it does, we will be sure to update the story. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment letting us know if you knew about this feature or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. Meanwhile, for more coverage on all things Nintendo, click here.
H/T, Nintendo Everything.
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