This is a list of info and my findings for the GBAccelerator DS mod. I couldn't find any other online, as this seems like a niche mod.
https://division-6.com/products/gbaccelerator-ds/
The mod requires precision soldering to install, and permanently removes the old crystal on your DS. In theory, as long as your mod works, the DS can still be played as stock since it always boots in the normal 1x speed. It will only speedup or slowdown when hitting the specified button combo. The dev, Division 6, claims the gbaccelerator ds only supports retail carts and not flashcarts. It seems pretty stable for retail carts as long as you aren't using it constantly or often during save operations. However, I've also found some flashcarts DO work with it to a degree.
My button combo is SELECT+L+R which will change the clock speed on the fly in order of the chart above. You can keep pressing the combo until your speed cycles back to 1x. The LED will also flash at different speeds to show which mode you're in.
There is an optional ULTRA speed mode that is enabled by default, but can be taxing on some games. If you hold the button combo for 5 seconds, the ultra speed mode will be temporarily disabled (until you hold that button combo again.) This is useful because a lot of gba games I tested work with all speeds except the ultra.
I'm using a DS Lite and testing random games including Pokemon,Megaman Starforce, and Aliens Infestation. I haven't found a game with inconsistent results yet.
The more common cards like Acekard and R4 (at least, this model) don't work with the mod at all. They'll only play games at normal speed while its installed. I included the type of firmware(or kernel?) I'm using for each in case it ends up mattering.
The DSTTi and SuperCard ds One i worked fine for me. They supported several DS games up to the ultra speed without issue. I'm curious why this is - maybe clones of these would work as well. Or maybe its the firmware that can be supported on the card. I may test a DS phat with the same cards at another time, but for now I just wanted others to know that its possible to run native DS games with speedup mods.
Additional Notes:
-I had an issue with the gbaccelerator no longer working after I didn't play my ds lite for several months. I opened it up and cleaned it, didn't see an issue, put it back together and its worked fine for weeks since. I never found out what the problem was.
-The devs of gbaccelerator now have a v2 model but they only state the button combo and option for cycling speeds is different. I tested on the v1 so I don't know if it will have different performance results.
-All flashcarts have clonesfakes, and multiple versions that may change compatibility. There's no way to know without testing.
-Sleep mode can be wonky with speedup so I just always make sure the speed is 1x and save before closing the lid. I haven't noticed a consistency of when it works and when it doesn't so I just consider it unstable.
-Battery is affected just as you'd think depending on the mod speed.
-I didn't test every game obviously, so there may be some specific titles or romhacks that aren't compatible.
-Some load/save operations work fine at high speeds, and some don't.
-Brightness didn't seem to affect anything.
-The devs of the gbaccelerator state they've heard some ds lites won't work with it - I haven't experienced this or heard of others who have yet but its something to be aware of.
-I'd love for others to weigh in results if they're able to test!
-I also did a test with my 2nd slot card Ez Flash V 3in1 launching GBA games with GBAExpLoader, but all the tests were the same for different DS carts so I think the slot 2 GBA compatibility only relies on the slot 2 card. The ez flash omega de on ds lite only worked partially.
Why bother and why does this matter to me? The ds is one of the more limited devices in terms of mods so I'd like to play with whatever is available and push its limits. Its also one of the worst devices to emulate because of the dual screens, touchscreen, microphone, scaling, etc. Playing games natively feels great compared to anything else currently available, but adding save states, installed games, and speedup QOL options really makes it definitive.
https://division-6.com/products/gbaccelerator-ds/
The mod requires precision soldering to install, and permanently removes the old crystal on your DS. In theory, as long as your mod works, the DS can still be played as stock since it always boots in the normal 1x speed. It will only speedup or slowdown when hitting the specified button combo. The dev, Division 6, claims the gbaccelerator ds only supports retail carts and not flashcarts. It seems pretty stable for retail carts as long as you aren't using it constantly or often during save operations. However, I've also found some flashcarts DO work with it to a degree.
Speeds
| Normal | 1x (67MHz) |
| Fast | 1.3x (88MHz) |
| Ultra | 1.7x (116MHz) |
| Slow-Motion | .66x (44MHz) |
My button combo is SELECT+L+R which will change the clock speed on the fly in order of the chart above. You can keep pressing the combo until your speed cycles back to 1x. The LED will also flash at different speeds to show which mode you're in.
There is an optional ULTRA speed mode that is enabled by default, but can be taxing on some games. If you hold the button combo for 5 seconds, the ultra speed mode will be temporarily disabled (until you hold that button combo again.) This is useful because a lot of gba games I tested work with all speeds except the ultra.
I'm using a DS Lite and testing random games including Pokemon,Megaman Starforce, and Aliens Infestation. I haven't found a game with inconsistent results yet.
| | Acekard 2i (wood) | R4 I RTS 3DS (r4) | DSTTi (YsMenu) | SuperCard ds One I Mini (EoS) | CycloDS Evolution (2.3 official firmware) |
| ||
| | | | | | ||||
| Standard Speed DS Mode (1x) | Stable | Stable | Stable | Stable | Stable | |||
| Variable Speed DS Mode (.66x, 1.3x) | Broken | Broken | Stable | Stable | Broken | |||
| Optional High Speed DS Mode (1.7x) | Broken | Broken | Stable | Stable | Broken |
The more common cards like Acekard and R4 (at least, this model) don't work with the mod at all. They'll only play games at normal speed while its installed. I included the type of firmware(or kernel?) I'm using for each in case it ends up mattering.
The DSTTi and SuperCard ds One i worked fine for me. They supported several DS games up to the ultra speed without issue. I'm curious why this is - maybe clones of these would work as well. Or maybe its the firmware that can be supported on the card. I may test a DS phat with the same cards at another time, but for now I just wanted others to know that its possible to run native DS games with speedup mods.
Additional Notes:
-I had an issue with the gbaccelerator no longer working after I didn't play my ds lite for several months. I opened it up and cleaned it, didn't see an issue, put it back together and its worked fine for weeks since. I never found out what the problem was.
-The devs of gbaccelerator now have a v2 model but they only state the button combo and option for cycling speeds is different. I tested on the v1 so I don't know if it will have different performance results.
-All flashcarts have clonesfakes, and multiple versions that may change compatibility. There's no way to know without testing.
-Sleep mode can be wonky with speedup so I just always make sure the speed is 1x and save before closing the lid. I haven't noticed a consistency of when it works and when it doesn't so I just consider it unstable.
-Battery is affected just as you'd think depending on the mod speed.
-I didn't test every game obviously, so there may be some specific titles or romhacks that aren't compatible.
-Some load/save operations work fine at high speeds, and some don't.
-Brightness didn't seem to affect anything.
-The devs of the gbaccelerator state they've heard some ds lites won't work with it - I haven't experienced this or heard of others who have yet but its something to be aware of.
-I'd love for others to weigh in results if they're able to test!
-I also did a test with my 2nd slot card Ez Flash V 3in1 launching GBA games with GBAExpLoader, but all the tests were the same for different DS carts so I think the slot 2 GBA compatibility only relies on the slot 2 card. The ez flash omega de on ds lite only worked partially.
| | EZ Flash V (GBAexploader) | EZ Flash Omege DE (slot 2) |
|
|
| ||||||
| PSRAM Mode GBA Standard Speed (1x) | Stable | Stable | |||||||||
| PSRAM Mode GBA Variable Speed (.66x, 1.3x) | Stable | Stable | |||||||||
| PSRAM Mode GBA Optional High Speed (1.7x) | Broken | Broken | |||||||||
| NOR Mode GBA Standard Speed (1x) | Stable | Stable | |||||||||
| NOR Mode GBA Variable Speed (.66x, 1.3x) | Stable | Broken | |||||||||
| NOR Mode GBA Optional High Speed (1.7x) | Stable | Broken |
Why bother and why does this matter to me? The ds is one of the more limited devices in terms of mods so I'd like to play with whatever is available and push its limits. Its also one of the worst devices to emulate because of the dual screens, touchscreen, microphone, scaling, etc. Playing games natively feels great compared to anything else currently available, but adding save states, installed games, and speedup QOL options really makes it definitive.
