Hardware The New 3DS XL (and N3DS, 3DS, 2DS, DSi I assume) CAN charge with USB!

[MaximusVX]

Hey guys, so, I went to my brother's house today and unfortunately I left my 3DS charger there and that's two hours away. Anyway, years ago when I had a DS Lite I got a used one without a charger and noticed that the charging port looks very similar to a normal mini USB 2.0 cable.

So I just decided to get experimental and see if I could just throw one in, and with a little force, it actually worked! It was my DS Lite's charger for years until it got stolen. Now I have a New 3DS and, like I said, I don't have its charger with me right now, so again, I got experimental.

I don't know how much this will help you guys out, if you already knew or whatever, but it did help me out a lot so that's why I'm sharing it now.

Images are big so I just threw them inside of a spoiler tag ^^.

Spoiler

So the materials are:

Two different mini USB 2.0 cables just to see if they both will work, my ANKER portable battery, and of course, my basically dead 3DS.

So....With the first cable.



And then with the second..

Spoiler

As you can see, they both work! It may have taken a little force, but it does work. As far as I can tell, there has been no damage done to either product. The USB cable has retained it's shape:

and the 3DS's charger port is fine:

One thing I forgot to show: The USB cable does fit all the way in the slot, I just couldn't show that with one hand as it does still require some force to put it in.

Please note I'm not responsible for the murder of your system if you attempt this and wind up breaking your console somehow. >.>

 

[xile6]

I wouldn't keep this up. Sooner or later the pins will bend and it will be messed up.
I do have a ds to usb cable for charging tho. Got it online years ago with a car charger

 

[MaximusVX]

I wouldn't keep this up. Sooner or later the pins will bend and it will be messed up.
I do have a ds to usb cable for charging tho. Got it online years ago with a car charger

Pins? I thought they were contacts...

 

[DjoeN]

Never good to force it (hope your original cable still fits nice now
I always have some DSi/(n)3DS usb charging cable in my car (for my kids)

 

[MaximusVX]

Never good to force it (hope your original cable still fits nice now

I actually was writing this a while ago, I just never got around to posting it because I was busy, I do have my charger now and it actually still fits pretty well. I guess I just have more than one 3DS charger lying around here now.

 

[driverdis]

as neat as this is that it does work, I am not doing this to my Majora's Mask New 3DS XL. Forcing another connector into where it is not designed to fit welcomes problems later from breaking the charging port.

 

[MaximusVX]

as neat as this is that it does work, I am not doing this to my Majora's Mask New 3DS XL. Forcing another connector into where it is not designed to fit welcomes problems later from breaking the charging port.

I can see why you'd feel that way, that is a pretty nice system you have, but maybe force is a bit of a scary word. in tallness, a mini USB 2.0 cable is the same as the 3DS's charging port, it's the width that's the problem. Taking a pair of pliers and getting the mini 2.0 cable to a more square shape will actually make it fit more naturally into the port, of course it will still take a little wiggling, but the charger port won't be broken, hell, my charging port isn't broken either

 

[xile6]

Pins? I thought they were contacts...

Truly there pins.
Little round shape or metal like a toothpick.
But pins, contacts, connector, it's all the same for what we are talking about.

I had a friend bend a pin on his cellphone. The pin got push back and bend up and his phone no longer charge this was because he used a charger that wasn't for that phone but he said if he push it in hard enough it work.

So that's why I would stay away from things like this.
I use to repair problems like this all the time.

 

[omgcat]

might be a nice trick if i forget my charger at home.

 

[foob]

I didn't know this. But even if it works I'd never do it. Charging cables for the DSi/3DS are $1 on ebay. Just keep a spare or two on hand. I still miss the days of removable batteries which I think is the best solution. But nobody's doing that now. Everything sits behind screws.

 

[Thesolcity]

Do you have an obsession with sticking things in the wrong hole?

 

[VinsCool]

Do you have an obsession with sticking things in the wrong hole?

I see what you did

 

[pastaconsumer]

Do you have an obsession with sticking things in the wrong hole?

Oh my...

 

[GaaraPrime]

Better off getting this...

USB Charging Cable for Nintendo 3DS (100cm)
http://www.dx.com/p/usb-charging-cable-for-nintendo-3ds-100cm-110857

I ordered it off dx.com last week Seriously don't wanna screw up the charging port

 

[MaximusVX]

Do you have an obsession with sticking things in the wrong hole?

As long as it works

Better off getting this...



I ordered it off dx.com last week Seriously don't wanna screw up the charging port

I have my charger now, this was just a good alternative until I got it.

 

[Pippin666]

A usb cable to charge 3DS and/or N3DS is about 1.75 $ US on eBay.

Pip'

 

[MaximusVX]

A usb cable to charge 3DS and/or N3DS is about 1.75 $ US on eBay.

Pip'

Everyone keeps telling me that, it's like you guys haven't read the thread where I was only a day without my charger because I left it at my brother's house.

 

[foob]

I see several sellers selling the cable on ebay for 1 australian dollar (about 79 US cents).
dx prices are far too inflated.

MaximusVX, we have read your situation but for others I think it's better to buy a dedicated cable