Hardware 3DS Top screen wear & tear

[TripleSMoon]

It's a problem with early 3DS's.


Once I got my 3DS "repaired", I didn't suffer from this anymore.

Really? Maybe I should send mine in... I don't know exactly HOW old mine is (got it used at the beginning of this year), but it has gameplay data as old as March or April 2011, if I remember correctly.

 

[VMM]

The op is asking for a way to remedy this.Your post isnt helping in any way.
@op It's too late now but you HAVE to put screen protecs to avoid further damage.

All that could be said was already said before my post.
Use a piece of cloth between the top and the botteon screen
Use screen protectors

All I said is, it is a problem with how 3DS were made!
You can avoid it, but never fix it!

 

[KingVamp]

Never had the problem, so... yeah...

 

[Randamin]

Got my 3DS around December and since the first day I added a screen protector to both screens.
While the scratch is there I have peace of mind that it can easily be peeled away and replaced.

 

[Aftcomet]

They pu screen protectors on the 3ds after repair.
which i can't do.

wut no.

they don't do that.

well i got told they do

good for you?

So your warrenty resets once you call it in? So if I get it repaired with like 1 month on it I'll get another one (refurb or whatever) with another 1 year warranty?

 

[Snailface]

Here is my solution to this age-old problem:

1.Cut 4 strips of black electrical tape and lay them directly on top of one other on an expendable hard surface.(I use an old cd case)
2.Take a razor and cut the electrical tape across its width into small rectangles.
3.Peel off and stick on to 3ds as shown above. Enjoy your homemade scratch bumpers!

Works like a charm and doesn't look too bad. It also saves me $10 and preserves the brightness and clarity of my screen. (I hate hate hate screen protectors)

 

[Themanhunt]

To be fair when you buy one, do what I did and put a screen protector on both screens. I then put a small microfibre cloth in my 3DS when I close the lid after i'm done with it, to limit it further. I had mine for a week or 2 with no protection on it, and a small little mark is on it where it would touch. Glad I got it on now.

 

[Kikirini]

I'm having this same problem with my 3DS, actually going to send it in for repairs very soon. I'm worried though, they said they might have to charge me for it if it's not a defect. But I baby my 3DS and am very gentle with it, and the scratches still happen... did anyone else have to pay for those repairs?

 

[TripleSMoon]

I'm having this same problem with my 3DS, actually going to send it in for repairs very soon. I'm worried though, they said they might have to charge me for it if it's not a defect. But I baby my 3DS and am very gentle with it, and the scratches still happen... did anyone else have to pay for those repairs?

I've heard conflicting stories... a few people at GameStop told me that Nintendo has refused to fix theirs for reasons of "physical damage" (even though it's definitely a design flaw), yet people on the Temp have mentioned getting it successfully fixed for free by sending it in to Nintendo... so IDK. I've considered mine in, but I'm really not sure it's worth not being able to play my 3DS for a week or 2, especially since I honestly don't even notice the scratches during gameplay unless I'm looking for them...

 

[Kikirini]

I'm having this same problem with my 3DS, actually going to send it in for repairs very soon. I'm worried though, they said they might have to charge me for it if it's not a defect. But I baby my 3DS and am very gentle with it, and the scratches still happen... did anyone else have to pay for those repairs?

I've heard conflicting stories... a few people at GameStop told me that Nintendo has refused to fix theirs for reasons of "physical damage" (even though it's definitely a design flaw), yet people on the Temp have mentioned getting it successfully fixed for free by sending it in to Nintendo... so IDK. I've considered mine in, but I'm really not sure it's worth not being able to play my 3DS for a week or 2, especially since I honestly don't even notice the scratches during gameplay unless I'm looking for them...

Well, I'm sending it in, so here's hoping I don't get charged. And will take it as a lesson to always get screen protectors with handhelds...

 

[BenRK]

So you might be able to get a 3DS replaced/fix because of those scratches? I would love to do that... Had it since December, so I'm still under a year. Maybe I should call them up...

 

[Redhorse]

From what I gleened from Nintendo themselves, the rubber feet on the left and right of the screen were designed to keep the top and bottom screens from touching. This design problem is explained in detail below.

Unfortunately, screen protectors are the only solution.

Here's the design decision that made the rubber feet a neccessity:

The lid needs to close evenly against an 'eve' surface, otherwise the upper lid eventually wears and breaks unevenly.
Because the thumb pad must stick out of the surface in order to be useful as well as the dpad and four buttons, the depression for the thumb pad/stick and the heightening of the bottom screen sides were both a necessity in order to have a balanced surface for the top screen to fold down onto, a redundancy step. Otherwise upper screen hinge damage would occur over time.They compensated by putting rubber feet on each side of the screen to keep those controls from touching the top scren. Unfortunately, some people carry the 3ds in a manner (in pocket or other tight location that speeds up the crushing/depressing(permanently) of those rubber feet. Once they they are deeply cpmpressed, the lid touches the lower screen ledge.. and the rest is history..


I personally think the feet were just not thick enough to start with. I tried using slightly larder rubber balls/bumpers but the close distance needed to shut off the magnetic reed switch used in the lid (see note below) prevents any larger protection height wise.


NOTE: a magnetic reed switch is installed in the ds units, consisting of two parts, 1) magnet, 2) switch. (maybe even back to original DS phat) A (magnetic) reed switch requires the magnet in the top lid of the DS to activate when the magnet comes close to the open circuit in the lower lid, to close that circuit and thereby putting the ds/3ds in standby.

Funny Side: Videos by the droves have appeared on youtube calling it "some kind of magic" that the 3ds would shut off when stacked upon another one... this seems absurd until we realize that the magic (as percieved my the public) of today has always been, throughout history, the science of tomorrow. The line between magic and science is very fine indeed. In other words, the greatest illusionists are also top science geeks. I have 30+ years in a related field of employment. FACT: IBM, ATT, and BELL Labs have more amateur magiciains on staff than any other corporations in the world.

 

[TripleSMoon]

From what I gleened from Nintendo themselves, the rubber feet on the left and right of the screen were designed to keep the top and bottom screens from touching. This design problem is explained in detail below.

Unfortunately, screen protectors are the only solution.

Here's the design decision that made the rubber feet a neccessity:

The lid needs to close evenly against an 'eve' surface, otherwise the upper lid eventually wears and breaks unevenly.
Because the thumb pad must stick out of the surface in order to be useful as well as the dpad and four buttons, the depression for the thumb pad/stick and the heightening of the bottom screen sides were both a necessity in order to have a balanced surface for the top screen to fold down onto, a redundancy step. Otherwise upper screen hinge damage would occur over time.They compensated by putting rubber feet on each side of the screen to keep those controls from touching the top scren. Unfortunately, some people carry the 3ds in a manner (in pocket or other tight location that speeds up the crushing/depressing(permanently) of those rubber feet. Once they they are deeply cpmpressed, the lid touches the lower screen ledge.. and the rest is history..

That's basically what happened to me... my 3DS always stays in my pants pocket unless I'm not wearing them, playing my 3DS, or charging it.

I personally think the feet were just not thick enough to start with. I tried using slightly larder rubber balls/bumpers but the close distance needed to shut off the magnetic reed switch used in the lid (see note below) prevents any larger protection height wise.

My question is why didn't they just use rubber for the edges of the bottom screen? They could have thickened the rubber feet and the bottom screen's hypothetical rubber edges, and there would be no problem even with the grinding.

NOTE: a magnetic reed switch is installed in the ds units, consisting of two parts, 1) magnet, 2) switch. (maybe even back to original DS phat) A (magnetic) reed switch requires the magnet in the top lid of the DS to activate when the magnet comes close to the open circuit in the lower lid, to close that circuit and thereby putting the ds/3ds in standby.

Funny Side: Videos by the droves have appeared on youtube calling it "some kind of magic" that the 3ds would shut off when stacked upon another one... this seems absurd until we realize that the magic (as percieved my the public) of today has always been, throughout history, the science of tomorrow. The line between magic and science is very fine indeed. In other words, the greatest illusionists are also top science geeks. I have 30+ years in a related field of employment. FACT: IBM, ATT, and BELL Labs have more amateur magiciains on staff than any other corporations in the world.

lol

 

[Kikirini]

I sent mine in for this... seriously hoping it's covered by warranty. xD and that I get a Zelda 3DS back, and not some other color >_>

 

[Hanafuda]

Seriously, this problem is completely avoidable, and if the 3DS isn't carried around in a way that compresses the top against the bottom, it doesn't even happen at all. When it does happen, it's just finger grease and a little dirt that gets transferred to the top screen from contact with the frame of the bottom screen. That will wipe off with a damp cloth, if it is cleaned promptly. But eventually, if it is not cleaned, and the compressing of the 3DS in a tight pocket of whatever continues, enough abrasive material will accumulate in that gunk to grind in the scratches.

I have gotten the lines on my top screen before, along with 8 little dots corresponding to the ends of the d-pad, and of course the circle from the slide pad. And whenever I've seen these marks, I cleaned my 3DS ASAP. I bought it over a year ago, and it's still spotless-perfect.

I'm sorry, but I can't help but suspect that a lot of people who have this problem are treating their 3DS the same way my 19-yr old son treats cellphones & mp3 players ... somehow they all break within months. I've got a 1st gen Zune that I bought when it launched that still looks and works like new. My AGS-101 GBA-SP is also like new, with not a single scratch on its screen. But I;ve used these 'gadgets' 5 to 6 days a week, for years. My smartphone (a blackberry) needs to be replaced now after 3 years of constant carry and use, not because of any malfunction or breakage, but because it's lame. And as I already explained, my 3DS is also as-new, even though I bought it over a year ago and use it daily.

So, why the difference in gadget longevity of younger people vs. a geezer like me??? If I had to take a guess, I'd day it's because all of my stuff was paid for by ME, with money that had to be budgeted out of a finite amount of income that I earned, which also must pay my mortgage, make car payments, feed and clothe my whole family, maintain my home, maintain our cars, buy Xmas and B-day presents for kids, be put into some savings/investments for retirement, and etc. When all of that is taken into account, even with a nice salary there simply isn't that much room for me to buy toys for myself (I had more money to spend on that kind of stuff when I was 21 than now, and I make about 18 times more a year now than I did then). So, I take care of my shit.

I'm not saying Nintendo isn't somewhat responsible ... streetpass and the inclusion of the pedometer in the 3ds are built-in encouragements from the manufacturer for the consumer to throw the device in a backpack or pocket and take it everywhere he/she goes. But from the very first time I saw those marks show up I knew some extra care was required if I wanted to keep the 3DS like new ... anyone who just ignored this and just decided to wait till it got worse and then send it for warranty coverage caused the problem themselves, through neglect. It's like the complaint is "Hey Nintendo, you designed this thing so it's possible for me to destroy it through neglect. No fair!"


Anyway, that's my old man rant for the day. Take care of your shit.

 

[freaksloan]

I don't use screen protectors and I have not had any issues with the scratches on the top screen.

 

[Eerpow]

Protip 1: To get rid of any scratches use display polishing solutions such as displex. (beware polishing will take some time for noticeable results)
Protip 2: It's not necessary to have a screen protector that covers the whole screen with the risk of having dust particles and bubbles in between, you can just cut out a strip of one and put it on the part above the screen. (covering the camera part as demonstrated below)
This prevents the bottom screen edges from touching the upper screen when closed and under pressure.

 

[DCG]

I've got a zelda 3ds aswell, and my sister has a red one.
I did notice the "lines" aswell, but my sister has more "issues" with them than mine.
I do clean it often and I don't use it with even remotely dirty hands, she doesn't.

you could say it's a combination of design fault with a realy tiny bit of user abuse.

 

[EyeZ]

I use the screen protection that came with the console, i just make sure i replace it after every use.

As for the OP problem, i don't think they will be removable.

 

[Kikirini]

I took ridiculously good care of my 3DS. I cleaned it every time I noticed dirt on the screen, and was very careful when using it. I STILL managed to get the top screen scratches. So I don't think it's completely a result of user abuse.