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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...
rsx said:
Do not update to the latest:

Click to expand...

"Final note: This flashcart and its firmware has too many issues not being addressed and they're getting worse with every release. It still doesn't have in-game reset. I recommend using your previous flashcart with ysmenu. "

You just need to open an issue in the official repository reporting such bugs and they will be fixed eventually, it's not the end of the world and you don't need to be so dramatic about something like this.


As I replied in a github "issue" some weeks ago:

There are a few points we need to clarify regarding the current state of DSpico:

  • As stated in our documentation, DSpico was released in an early initial state. One of the many reasons to have it as an open-source project is precisely to attract potential contributors. Currently, development is handled by only a few developers in their limited spare time.
  • We understand that many key features like soft reset (already supported in homebrew), and multiple save slots are the standard in commercial flashcards, but most of those are built upon closed source kernels with years of development behind them. Implementing these on open hardware/software is a complex task that requires time and effort.
  • While there are open-source alternatives like TWiLight Menu++/nds-bootstrap that include some of these features, DSpico follows a specific development philosophy: we are building our codebase from the ground up to prioritize optimization and clear documentation. This ensures stability and efficiency, but it also means that implementing each feature takes more time than simply porting existing code.
  • For each their own, please remember that each core has their own purpose but also need to coexist. The firmware core, loader and launcher have their own, separate repositories, so check first if the issues you're having are related to a specific core:
The retail games loader (the backend patching game functions): https://github.com/LNH-team/pico-loader
The frontend (Game selection menu): https://github.com/LNH-team/pico-launcher
The firmware (The "system" files that get flashed to your DSpico flashcard insides): https://github.com/LNH-team/dspico-firmware

We welcome feature requests, but please understand that this is a community driven non-commercial project. If you have the technical knowledge to help implement any of these features, we would be more than happy to review a Pull Request, or make an issue reporting bugs if you find any.
 
Last edited by DSoryu,
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rsx said:
Yeah no, not interested. I've done the open issue thing before, never worked out and I learned from it. 90% of the time they were closed, the other 5% were ignored and the others were just canned replies.
Click to expand...
If you don't report them, we can't fix them, it's as simple as that. Most of the bugs you mentioned are usually quick fixes, but we need the technical information to act accordingly.

We are already looking into this despite the lack of a formal report on GitHub. However, I am currently unable to reproduce your issues on my side. If you want these bugs fixed, it would be much more productive to provide reproduction steps or environment details rather than just making 'warning' videos.

We're here to build, but we need collaboration, not just drama.

"For example, I raised the issue about romhacks white-screening to that one guy. He said would "look into it" and never heard from him again."

As I said in my previous post, only a few developers work on this on their spare time, so please be patient, such issues will be fixed eventually. The issue with romhacks is that usually their developers write code in a memory space usually called "syscall region", which breaks pico-loader patches. The fix most of the time relies on the romhack developer, but a more elegant solution is currently being investigated.
 
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DSoryu said:
If you don't report them, we can't fix them, it's as simple as that. Most of the bugs you mentioned are usually quick fixes, but we need the technical information to act accordingly.

We are already looking into this despite the lack of a formal report on GitHub. However, I am currently unable to reproduce your issues on my side. If you want these bugs fixed, it would be much more productive to provide reproduction steps or environment details rather than just making 'warning' videos.

We're here to build, but we need collaboration, not just drama.
Click to expand...
Ok good. Well, you would have asked me to reproduce it and that would have led to the video anyway. So I was just staying one step ahead. There isn't a chain of command about bugs and reports and development. If you want the romhack for the other issue, more than happy to help but you haven't sent me a message. So, how are we collaborating?
 
impeeza said:
Stop Bitching about Open Source AND FREE PRODUCTS, you always can go to the Github and collaborate with improvements and report the issues.

Just tell «it is a bad product» will not help anybody.

people are working on the product ON THEIR OWN TIME AND EFFORT.
Click to expand...
What's even the problem here? I can't watch the video ATM. I saw this person's thread on Reddit and all I could gleam was that it was a problem with 400GB+ cards. Which I don't know why you would need an SD that big for DS but whatever. The new version has been working fine for me.
 
rsx said:
Ok good. Well, you would have asked me to reproduce it and that would have led to the video anyway. So I was just staying one step ahead. There isn't a chain of command about bugs and reports and development. If you want the romhack for the other issue, more than happy to help but you haven't sent me a message. So, how are we collaborating?
Click to expand...
Hi. You could try this version: https://github.com/MattiaTheBest115/pico-launcher/actions/runs/23708406309/artifacts/6165565283 Let me know if this solves the problem for you.
 
Last edited by Space_Goddess_Samus_Aran,
rsx said:
Yeah no, not interested. I've done the open issue thing before, never worked out and I learned from it. 90% of the time they were closed, the other 5% were ignored and the others were just canned replies. They always ask for evidence, figured this was a more effective approach. For example, I raised the issue about romhacks white-screening to that one guy. He said would "look into it" and never heard from him again.
Click to expand...
so your only goal is bitching about the work of others but not willing to take the small effort of reporting.
NOWADAYS YOU ARE WILLING TO CREATE A YOUTUBE VIDEO AND TRASHING ABOUT OTHERS.

Nice!
 
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SylverReZ said:
It has come to my attention, that, the misspelling will likely be corrected in later batches it seems.
Click to expand...
ChisCart store on AliExpress have fixed later batches of the DSpico to spell nitehack's name right instead of "niehack" as I had confirmed previously. You will notice this when they arrive.

Screenshot_20260331_230149_AliExpress.jpg

Also, few other variants have appeared in the wild: DSPico Spark and DSPico Lite (thanks to several Chinese users).

xianyu_1774874750049.jpgIMG_20260330_204022.jpg
 
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How often will the dspico itself need to be re flashed to address bug fixes vs just updating files on sd card out of curiosity?

Seems nice and convenient chiscart comes pre flashed and

Also is there really a huge benefit to hybrid for cfw devices specifically vs wrfuxxed aside from faster loading with bigger sd cards — most people will use smaller sizes given large isn’t needed , and the dspico icon showing up vs the tester icon?

auto boot seems really fast and the exploit used and convenient regardless of if using a cfw device or not for people on ds at least. For versatility to use with anyone’s ds as needed.

how does power efficiency broadly compare to those ace3ds clones with r4 wood is it appreciable?

This project seems super exciting nice work everyone. Disregard the peasants that contribute nothing / complain endlessly / demand everything. They can pound (DOA silicon) sand IMO
 
Last edited by playstays_shun,
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I would like to request the ability to add custom icons to any file type.

When I was adding custom covers for GBC, and the ROM icons were blank, which I thought looked kinda ugly.
 
DSpico Launcher 1.3.0

Added

Ability to set the position of the top screen cover image in custom themes
Support for fast scrolling with the L and R buttons in coverflow display mode
Support for touch input

Fixed

Use after free bug with the texture load request in Label3DView. This occurred for example when spamming B in banner list mode.

https://github.com/LNH-team/pico-launcher/releases/download/v1.3.0/Pico_Launcher.zip
 
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playstays_shun said:
How often will the dspico itself need to be re flashed to address bug fixes vs just updating files on sd card out of curiosity?
Click to expand...
Doesn't seem like it's necessary for the moment. Only the releases of Pico-Launcher & Pico-Loader will be frequently updated to address anti-piracy and compatibility issues.
 

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