Hacking The DS-Xtreme - Information

[DS-X Guru]

Hello,

I am DS-X Guru, and know the talented people from DS-X.

I will be attempting to establish a link between you (The Reader, DS-Xtreme owner or just plain the Community) and DS-X. I will also do Support over here on the GBATemp Forums in near Future. So now, after you know whom I am, let's get down to it

So, here are the most frequent Questions i saw around, and i try to answer them

Price
DS Xtreme (including USB Cable):

- 99 €uro
- ~125 US $
- ~67 £
- ~142 $ CAD
- ~165 $ AUS
- ~14,653 ¥ JPY


If we compare it to other products, you have a PassMe (25 US$) and (for example) a G6 Lite (87 US$) you end up paying 112 $ US!

The DS-Xtreme costs roughly 13$ more, but what does it offer?

Well unlike the (PassMe and G6 Combo) you benefit from a single Unit that is not only Future proof (It will work with all DS Units from today and tomorrow) you will also NOT be voiding your Warranty (unlike flashme) in any way. You will not require to Patch any Roms either, which means you don't have to wait for a Patch for a certain rom anymore, or wait on a firmware upgrade for your DS-Xtreme.

It's also top notch Quality:

We have a custom-inbuilt USB; Not even DATEL (The Producers of Action Replay, etc) were capable of achieving this (Link) with their huge ressources and R&D Staff. On the DS-Xtreme, there is no USB-Wart. And for those that fear "is it going to break off" - Well i can tell you this much, if you had a DS-Xtreme in your DS, i wouldn't doubt that the DS breaks before the DS-Xtreme if you were to tear on it (or the USB port).

The DS-Xtreme is not coming with a CPLD (Dslink seems to have ditched that) but instead it features a Full custom High Density FPGA "Rapids" which also is not the cheapest part you can get

DS-X didn't ditch any hardware or challenge so you have to loose your warranty, feature, or future safe. (Dslink requires FlashMe to work!)

DS-X will be delivering Firmware updates to not only improove existing Features, but also introduce new ones. Making your hardware last for very long, and still be able to enjoy the latest new innovations in the DS Community.

The DS-Xtreme features a unique Hardware Design, which is not only based on quality and years of knowledge, but also offers the DS-Xtreme the capability of being fully future proof. It will not be a "works for 2 months" product, that you then sadly can throw away since the hardware did not meet quality or flexibility for the OS to fix things on a software level.

In the end, yes the DS-Xtreme costs a little more then its rival products, but; The DS-Xtreme is much better, longer lasting hardware then anyone else on the market. Its a fully quality based Product that's meant to last and instead of updating the firmware to support a new Rom, we might be seeing feature updates and feature additions instead. I think for 13$ difference i shouldn't have put this much effort in this

Release Date
The Release date, while not OFFICIAL or CONFIRMED from DS-X itself, should be within the following 6 Weeks (End of September). This is my humble guess and should not be interpreted as confirmed or official information. As soon as DS-X chooses to reveal an accurate Release Date i will make sure to get it posted here first

Which slot does it plug into?
The DS Slot of course.

Battery Consumption
Battery life is expected to be very good. It can, and should improove with time using Firmware Updates. The Hardware of the DS-Xtreme is fully capable of working in a "power-saving" state, which makes it possible for various hardware parts to be turned off while they are not needed.

GBA Support
No GBA support has been announced for the DS-Xtreme. Which doesn't mean it won't play GBA Games in all of it's lifespan, its just not been announced.

Homebrew
The 100% Homebrew Compatible statement was most probably miss-interpretation. It actually means "The guys behind DS-X are fully (100%) supporting the Homebrew Community" - Now i am not saying the DS-Xtreme is less compatible with homebrew then 100%, or more - I simply am saying the compatibility ratio on Homebrew has not been officially announced. However, i will most likely reveal more information on this in the following days.

Homebrew Developers
While the DS-Xtreme surely will play your backups, it is in no way "just another backup" Cartridge.
Homebrew Developers rejoice! I am able to reveal one BIG step forward, that makes the DS-Xtreme even a nice Unit for You!
So without further delay, i can now reveal that the DS-Xtreme officially supports: USB Debugging (alas i can not reveal more about this feature at the present time)

Can it run Regular 'regular' DS games like all other cards?
Yes it can, and will not require any patching anymore

What about Compatibility?
DS-X is currently hard at work to get 100% Compatibility - If there would be any issue with one or the other Game i am pretty sure DS-X would be releasing a Firmware update for the DS-Xtreme to get those Games working.

How about Saving?
Yes Saving works without having to apply any patch. More details will be revealed soon... be patient

What does the interface look like? Is it fugly like the G6 or ridiculously simple and ugly like the Supercard.
I think the DS-Xtreme UI looks good from the GetGo

But indeed, a picture would say more then a thousand words

I will look into getting some more of the UI revealed and its looks, and how it is operated

Is there a plan for a MicroSD / Bigger Memory Version
Currently DS-X only announced the DS-Xtreme 4Gb package; Wheter a new model with MicroSD or bigger Memory will come out is future talk. DS-X is concentrating on the "now", and tries to give you guys a splendid OS and very unique features that surely will make up for the size. I think holding ~8 Games is enough, so for all those whom want to store their entire collection of Games on it, yeah sorry, the DS-Xtreme is not for you.

Then again, i am sure DS-X is not sleeping either in their hardware department. So who knows what they will do next. Only time will tell...

Anyhow this was the limited time Q&A Session - Which is over now. I think i squeezed as much information out of DS-X as i can get for the Public before they make a new Announcement. I know alot of questions have not been answered and i can understand that a few of you will be upset; But i think we also covered some Stuff that made people happy

So look out for a new Announcement to get the latest and most Accurate information on the DS-Xtreme; Coming soon to a Website near you!

 

[shaunj66]

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the information.

And yes guys, he is a member of the DS-X team, so please don't question that.

 

[g.crow]

a passcard/g6 combo will not void your warranty, and the difference between flashme/g6 is more than 13$, its nearly 40$.
a passcard/g6 combo is cheaper and can play gba games too with great compatiblity.
well, you dont have to wait for a patch, but how many of the games out there wasnt fixed the same day or a day later? i cant remeber a single which was unplayable for a longer period of time than 1 or 2 days.

sure it would be a great product for the price of a g6, but 125$? come on.
would be ok for 1GB.

Mars

 

[Orc]

Most important question: Why is it sooooooo XTREME!!!?

 

[DS-X Guru]

@mars77:

A Passcard/G6 Combo is not as future proof as the DS-Xtreme. There are also quite a few features that i cannot disclose yet (sadly) to add to the "bonuses" the DS-Xtreme holds.

Who said the DS-Xtreme could never play GameBoy Advance Games? I've never read DS-X confirm this... I am not saying it does, but neither did i hear a word from DS-X that says it will never be able to do so.

Wheter a patch comes out 1-2 Days later, or a month, it will not be of your concern anymore. I think thats a pretty comfortable way to see it

@Orc:

It's the name of the Product - nothing more, nothing less.

 

[teh_raf3]

How's the compatibility with DS roms?

 

[g.crow]

what is the advantage of your card compared to the ds-linker which uses micro sd?
see, im using a g6 lite right now, there is no reason for me to buy another card of the same size.
1GB would be nice, 2GB would be awesome. using micro sd would be even better.

this is no bashing or whatever, im alway interested in the latest products, but i simply dont see the advantage for those who already own a g6 lite and for those who have the choice between your product and a product which seems the same but is based on micro sd for more space.

mars

 

[SpaceJump]

What is USB Debugging?

 

[Orc]

I hope the DS-X team provides skinning support too as I don't want my menus to look like OSX.

I think USB debugging means you can dump the memory bla-bla to find cheats and stuff.

 

[Brouhaha]

I'd sure as hell like to know more about the USB debugging

Do you mean JIT debugging, meaning I can break on any line of code? And if so, which environments are supported?

Thanks in advance and good luck!

 

[SpaceJump]

The DS-X is very interesting. But there are two major points that need clarification:

1. Saves: How are saves handled and will it be possible to back them up?
2. Homebrew: I read in the official thread that the DS-X is supposed to be 100% compatible with homebrew. What about homebrew like Picodrive, ScummVM DS and DSOrganize that read and write directly to the media on M3 and SC, will they work?

 

[yee]

Which slot does it plug into? GBA?

 

[ron555]

SpaceJump is right. We need major clarification on the following points:

1) ****GBA SUPPORT***** How is it compared to the G6?

2) $125? Come on. That's a little steep. $100 would be a fair price.

3) How does it process saves?

4) What does the interface look like? Is it fugly like the G6 or ridiculously simple and ugly like the Supercard.

5) "What is the advantage over the ds-linker which uses micro sd?" -- A very good question. Looking forward to an answer.

 

[Topsy]

I was really interested in this untill I saw the price. It seems way too steep for what is offered. As said, if it were 1 gig I would jump on it. However, for the price, I'll wait for a DS sized cart that supports Micro SD (like the DS Linker) but includes a built in passme... That really would be the ultimate, as I would love more space than my G6 Lite has... G6 Lite roX though!

Love too see interface pics too... Is it a touch interface?

Edit: How strong is that USB connector too? I would be worried the weight of the cable alone might bend/break it off....

 

[Xeronage]

125 isn't so bad.. not much more than G6/Pass

Questions

1. 100% support over Download Play?
2. Is there actual CONFIRMATION on GBA Support? As in, Built in GBA Emulators?

 

[ron555]

125 isn't so bad.. not much more than G6/Pass

That's very misleading

G6 = $87
Passme = $25 ish

TOTAL $112

Sell your Passme on eBay for about $20 = $92

$125 - $92 = $33 = 35% more for the same damn thing.




I'll wait for the DSLinker. Sorry, but the price is just too much.

 

[Jefklak]

Wow this is sooo sweet!
I'm very glad I waited to buy a G6 lite...

My Questions -
* Does tthe 32MB limit for ScummvmDS still apply?
* Can it run 'regular' DS games like all other cards?
* Battery time! Very important for me.
* Also, can you put your DS to sleep mode? I presume so?

 

[sirdaver]

That's very misleading
Sell your Passme on eBay for about $20Â = $92
$125 - $92 = $33 = 35% more for the same damn thing.
I'll wait for the DSLinker. Sorry, but the price is just too much.

The fact remains that it is $112. What you do with your stuff after you buy it should not reflect on a purchase price of another flashcart. Please feel free to wait on the DSLinker, don't waste your posts in this thread. I'm quite interested in this product.

 

[enarky]

Mr. Guru, could you please tell me where this hilarious "100% homebrew compatible." statement is coming from? Wouldn't it be more honest to talk about something in the line of "expected to be 100% homebrew compatible in the future, when all developers have adapted our technology"?

 

[beedog19]

DS-X guru, a couple quick questions.

1) Will we be seeing higher capacity options in the near future?
2) Could it possibly function as a pass device as well so it could boot my g6 lite?

Thanks, can't wait to hear more about this! (even though I love my G6 lite)