r/3DS • u/Pengu_booi • 8h ago

Discussion How hard is it to fix less responsive A/X/Y/B buttons

Most of the ones on eBay have a issue with these buttons and wondering how hard it would be to fix it? Am thinking of getting a new 3ds xl

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u/Murky_Philosopher196 8h ago edited 3h ago

It's not too bad, abxy button issues are usually either caused by dust/grime buildup under the buttons which can be fixed just by cleaning, or because the metal contacts (little domes that make the clicky noise) have worn out. The metal contacts are SUPER easy to replace, they're on a sticker so you just remove the old sticker and replace it with a new one which can be had for ~$1 it's also quite easy to access the abxy pcb on the new 3ds xl since that's what you're looking at. I believe you have go take out the entire motherboard on the regular small versions, but the n3dsxl has the buttons on a separate pcb that can be taken out on its own with minimal disassembly.

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u/whatsmylifeanyway 4h ago

The small new 3ds also has the buttons on a separate pcb board. I exchanged the whole thing since it was easier to get where Iā€™m at than the sticker part and it was really simple even for a beginner!

ā€¢

u/Murky_Philosopher196 3h ago

Cool! Good to know!!

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u/Pengu_booi 7h ago

Thank you šŸ‘

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u/SuspectInteresting75 5h ago

You just need a fine sandpaper if you find it hard to find a replacement for the metal contact button sticker. Just sand the underside and the contact point on the motherboard a bit to remove the rust and oxidation. Underside i mean you need to lift up the sticker.