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DSpico - An open-source flashcart for the DS(i)

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Over the past four years, we - the LNH team - have been working hard on a project that some of you guys may have already heard about: an open-source flashcart that supports the DS, DSi and 3DS (in DSi mode), by the name of DSpico.


The project evolved from a simple flashcart, to a collection of individual components that work together. Each component has been separated in their own repositories, and can be modified to your liking. Each repository comes with their own README's and documentation.The DSpico project consists of the following components:
  • DSpico Hardware - The hardware of the DSpico.
  • DSpico Firmware - The firmware for the DSpico.
  • DSpico Bootloader - Bootloader for the DSpico.
  • DSpico DLDI - The DLDI for the DSpico.
  • WRFUxxed exploit - Full-access DSi-mode exploit for WRFU Tester that can be used with DSpico.
  • Pico Launcher - Front-end for Pico Loader.
  • Pico Loader - DS(i) rom loader. Supports various flashcards, including the DSpico.
Guides to build your own DSpico, as well as instructions for compiling the software are also available. We tried to make the process as friendly as possible. An overview of the features can be found on the website, although each README has much more extensive documentation.

DSpico project index and guide: https://github.com/LNH-team/dspico
Our website: https://www.lnh-team.org/



Here are a few images of DSpico:

dspico-1-3-real-hw-top-res.jpg

dspico-top-1.png

image-min.png

HorizontalCustom.png





QUICK FAQ (will be updated over time)​

- Q: Why use micro-usb over usb-c ?
- A: When we were making the hardware, using USB-C introduced more components that simply didnt fit on the board. We also had concerns of the usb-c port fitting nicely in the cartridge port, and fragility concerns with the shell.

- Q: Where can I order one ?
- A: Your best shot is joining a group buy, or finding a store that manufactures DSpico. We (the LNH Team) will not sell any boards.

- Q: How is compatibility ?
- A: Most of the DS library, as well as homebrew, should work. We do not have an official compatibility list, and we are aware of a few titles that do not work correctly at the moment.

- Q: Does this plays 3ds executables ?
- A: No.

- Q: Am I forced to use Pico launcher ?
- A: No. For instance, Wood menu and TwilightMenu++ work just fine. And vice versa as well, pico launcher is usable on other flashcarts.

- Q: Can i use ntrboot with this ?
- A: Yes, you can perform ntrboot on both 3ds and DSi. We recommend powering the board via micro-usb for DSi ntrboot.

- Q: I need assistance. Where do i go ?
- A: Join the DSi hacking discord, there is a dedicated dspico channel where you can ask your questions.
 
Last edited by XLuma,
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Click to expand...
I just can't get games to boot. Bought it from Chrisfamily, got icon to show, go in the game, see the roms with icons, click on any, but it just loads a blank screen. any advise?
 
djricekcn said:
I just can't get games to boot. Bought it from Chrisfamily, got icon to show, go in the game, see the roms with icons, click on any, but it just loads a blank screen. any advise?
Click to expand...
It's possible that you are using encrypted game ROMs which are not designed for flashcarts in mind, and are not supported by Pico-Loader by default. Please resort to decrypted ROM dumps instead. But otherwise, if you wish to use encrypted ROMs, then make a copy of the Nintendo DS ARM7 BIOS (biosnds7.rom) into the _pico directory.
 
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djricekcn said:
I just can't get games to boot. Bought it from Chrisfamily, got icon to show, go in the game, see the roms with icons, click on any, but it just loads a blank screen. any advise?
Click to expand...
What SylverReZ says. If that doesn't work, try updating the DSpico firmware.
 
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Is anyone having issues with The World Ends With You going into sleep mode? When I get past the title screen, load in, and then put it in sleep mode, my DSi will just turn off. During the loading screens of TWEWY, sleep mode works fine.
 
Destinykid said:
Is anyone having issues with The World Ends With You going into sleep mode? When I get past the title screen, load in, and then put it in sleep mode, my DSi will just turn off. During the loading screens of TWEWY, sleep mode works fine.
Click to expand...
You don't happen to have a DSi XL? This does sound like the same issue I (and a few others) had, I reported this problem on the github repo quite a while ago, https://github.com/LNH-team/pico-loader/issues/116 but anyways you could try an other Micro SD card (different model) for a quick "fix" for now
 
chrisis685 said:
You don't happen to have a DSi XL? This does sound like the same issue I (and a few others) had, I reported this problem on the github repo quite a while ago, https://github.com/LNH-team/pico-loader/issues/116 but anyways you could try an other Micro SD card (different model) for a quick "fix" for now
Click to expand...
Haha. I saw this Github issue yesterday and was gonna comment on it. But yes, it is a DSi XL. I actually have 2 like you. One is an American one and one Japanese. Both have unlaunch. I initially thought it was working fine on the Japanese one, but I found out it shuts off pretty much every single time I put it into sleep mode now. Not sure why it was behaving differently and unfortunately I do not have another microSD card to test. But for reference, I am using a SanDisk Extreme 128GB microSD card in the DSpico. Yes, it's overkill but that's all I got
 
Destinykid said:
Haha. I saw this Github issue yesterday and was gonna comment on it. But yes, it is a DSi XL. I actually have 2 like you. One is an American one and one Japanese. Both have unlaunch. I initially thought it was working fine on the Japanese one, but I found out it shuts off pretty much every single time I put it into sleep mode now. Not sure why it was behaving differently and unfortunately I do not have another microSD card to test. But for reference, I am using a SanDisk Extreme 128GB microSD card in the DSpico. Yes, it's overkill but that's all I got
Click to expand...
Perhaps the Japanese DSi was above a certain battery threshold (or you had it plugged in) when you first tried it... And most reports (including mine) indeed happen with Sandisk cards as well, I currently don't have any way to test this game myself until the weekend though, but I very much think that's the same problem.
It's really hard to pin down the actual reason for this issue, it's such a specific combination of factors that either makes it appear or not...
 
hey guys i wanna check what features has ni no kuni on the dsi mode to use my ds pico cart but i dont find the info, any site to check that?
 
The DSpico from ChisFamily Store is currently £4.29 delivered for anyone in the UK that's interested: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011543735291.html

Screenshot_20260308_155036.png

(log in to your account and hopefully that promotion should apply)

Apparently for new AliExpress accounts in the US you might even get it for $1: https://www.reddit.com/r/flashcarts/comments/1rn32se/is_this_sale_real/ - AliExpress will block you from ordering if you create a new account to abuse that from what I gather. Great if you have never used the site before though!
 
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They're showing up just shy of £11 for me. Maybe something has changed with the listing since your post.

Edit: Ah this will be for new AliExpress accounts. My bad.
 
Last edited by speedlolita,
PlantedWave5190 said:
I'm willing to order my DSPico from Laser Bear Industries. I'll wait until they become available there.
Click to expand...
You could've bought it from ChisCart on AliExpress, it's cheaper. Make sure to check the prices for how much distributors are selling them for first before purchasing. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.
 
Could this be used to fix a semi bricked 3DS?

Ive tried allsorts and all it'll do is enter recovery to download firmware.
 
SylverReZ said:
You could've bought it from ChisCart on AliExpress, it's cheaper. Make sure to check the prices for how much distributors are selling them for first before purchasing. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Click to expand...
You convince me. That's what I did. I bit the nail and ordered a DSPico off AliExpress.
 
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interesting to finally have a cart like that!
I wonder if it would be possible to somehow stream the screens form the console, not only the camera?
 
I have a question. I can play my ROM dumps of my DS games fine using my DSPico, but when I try to launch a ROM extracted from Wii U Virtual Console releases, it hangs on two white screens. How do I fix that?

EDIT: I found out the DS ROMs extracted from the Virtual Console are encypted. I got them decrypted one year ago, but forgot which tool I used to decrypt them. I do know they have the "(Wii U Virtual Console)" name at the end of the filename on the No-Intro database. I chucked them into RetroArch to verify.
 
Last edited by PlantedWave5190,
PlantedWave5190 said:
I have a question. I can play my ROM dumps of my DS games fine using my DSPico, but when I try to launch a ROM extracted from Wii U Virtual Console releases, it hangs on two white screens. How do I fix that?
Click to expand...
Wii U VC ROMs are encrypted, and will require an ARM7 BIOS dump in "sd:/_pico/" and named "biosnds7.rom".
 

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