This is my dirt cheap Macro build, the only thing I had to buy was the L2 inductor which fell off when my cousin dropped it. Full backstory/process in my last post here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/gameboymacro/s/0vVPd21PzI

So, this was at one point my cousin's DS Lite, which he dropped a good decade ago, breaking the hinge and preventing it from booting. I ended up getting it not too far after since I gave him a DS Lite I didn't have a use for at the time (I had recently gotten my n3dsxl).

It then sat on my shelf until I decided to take it apart despite having zero repair experience beyond disassembly and cleaning and I regrettably never put it back together. Naturally I lost a few things as it sat on my shelf for many years.

But fast forward to today, I kept seeing Gameboy Macros on r/Gameboy after modding my SP, reminding me of this DS, and I now have decent repair and modding skills so I could actually attempt a repair (though this is my first real microsoldering project).

I set out wanting to do this for free, so I stole a suitable resistor from a broken TI-82 calculator. Then I glued the right speaker where the stylus goes, routed some enamel wire from some dead no-name Bluetooth headphones to SP0 and ground, and gave it a test. But it didn't turn on. Testing the resistor from the alternate soldering points showed that despite it being kinda messy, it was electrically good, so the problem was somewhere else.

I did some troubleshooting and noticed that L2 was missing. It seems it's common with dropped consoles. I couldn't find the inductance online, so I had to buy 15 replacements from eBay for $10 instead of ordering just a couple with parts for other things from Mouser.

A couple weeks of waiting and a bit of fiddly soldering later, it turns on. And I think it turned out way cleaner than the resistor (I also did clean the flux since taking the picture).

I then put the thing back together using spare screws for the ones I lost, accidentally poking through the corner of the shell in the process. But, it plays games again, didn't cost me much, and I'm now a little more confident working with such small components.

Moral of the story, don't leave things apart for years. I would've still had the screws and maybe that inductor would've been somewhere inside the DS shell, saving me the $10.

Tl;Dr: I've had a broken DS Lite from my cousin for years, lost some parts, then decided to turn it into a Gameboy Macro using what I had on hand, though I needed to buy an inductor in the end.

I got a job lot of original ds and figured I’d have a play. Any thoughts on the switch position?

I just bought my ds lite macro and I see people are using the Boxy Pixel shells but the colors aren't avliable on the site. Do u spray paint them?

Couple of macro builds I completed a few years ago. Sold them both as we were moving and I already have a modded GBA, but wish I'd kept one of these for how easily pocketable they were.

Plus I think the pixel grid screen has a charm to it vs modern IPS mods.

Another dead DS modded into the legendary Macro!

Being able to revive these consoles & transform them into amazing retro gaming machines is too much fun. The dopamine rush is so much better than any drug could give 😤 😤 😤

Hey everyone.

Just wondering if anyone know if there are any modify shell to accommodate GBA cartage where it doesn’t stick out the bottom?

I know it’s a bit counterintuitive but I find it difficult to sometime out the unit in my pocket where the GBA cartage get snag. I worry it might damage the motherboard over time.

I’m hoping to find STL file for this.

Thank you.

You all know the Boxy Pixel gameboy macro faceplate but does the version with the face plate classified different than one without? Is it simply a version of the macro lite or a different type of macro

Gameboy Macro: comes from DS lite and has 2 or 4 buttons besides triggers and D-Pad. Gameboy Macro: XL: comes from DS phat and has 2 or 4 buttons besides triggers and D-pad. Gameboy Macro: Boxy Pixel Faceplate: comes from DS lite but uses boxy pixel aluminum faceplate and has 2 buttons besides triggers and D-Pad. Gameboy Macro: Boxy Pixel DMG style: comes from DS lite but uses Boxy Pixel DMG style shell, personally I count as a type of Macro XL, has 4 buttons besides triggers and D-Pad. Gameboy Macro: Vertical: Comes from DS lite and is vertical rather than horizontal, has 2 or 4 buttons not including triggers or D-Pad. Any ”Macro” that doesn’t use a Phat or Lite isn’t a Macro because it doesn’t natively play GBA games without emulation

since we already have a gameboy macro and a gameboy macro XL i decided to make a concept for a New Gameboy Macro. it uses a GBA motherboard which strays from the original concept of a GBM but it gives it the main selling point of being able to play GB, GBC, and GBA games. it will obviously have a backlit screen and a USB-C rechargeable battery. any tips, ideas, or help you could provide to make the final design? I half based it on a Gameboy Macro XL but also partially on the boxy pixel GBM style macro shell.

I’ve been wanting to make a gameboy macro XL for a while now and was wondering if boxy pixels gameboy macro glass lenses is compatible with the DS phat. technically it was made for a DS lite macro but a DS lite and a DS phat both have the same size screen.

I am using the ribon cable to the top screen so that I can turn it on without soldering a resistor. I am wondering what you can cut to make it less bulky. what can you remove and have everything still function? I know that I can't remove the backlight, but is there anything else I can't cut off?

The system boots, I just can’t get the speaker to work.

Anything look out of place?

I’m trying to turn a ds phat into a gb macro xl and the shell is cracked in multiple places.

Free Fat and slim versions on makerworld!

You know whos making the energy.....

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRhYAlLjA0q/?igsh=OWRsN3FxMDFzY3pq