Easiest way to play DS on tv

[phart010 | 1,708]

What’s the easiest way to play DS on tv? 
I already have some games that I purchased legitimately on the Wii U eshop.. unfortunately the game selection is very small. They don’t have the mainline Pokémon DS games up there and my kids want to play.

I see there appears to be a mod that some Japanese folks can do to your 3DS to get it playing on tv… I am not interested in this as it also needs to be connected to Windows pc running a software program.. this seems goofy to me.

More recently there seems to have been some newer DS hardware tv out mods that don’t use a pc. However, I don’t see how or where to buy parts (or even a completed system)

Other options could be buying a clone handheld system that emulates DS with tv out functions. However, I wouldn’t know which system to buy.. there’s too many. I don’t want to spend a ton, don’t need to have all powerful consoles emulated including Dreamcast, Gamecube, etc. Just want to play some DS on tv

 

Ant suggestions??

Edited February 4, 2023 by phart010

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

DS development kit is probably easiest.

[phart010 | 1,708]

3 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

DS development kit is probably easiest.

Can you elaborate? Are these expensive?

[RH | 4,936]

Yeah, I think there was an old mod kit you could buy that was difficult to implement, or it was a service you could send off for. Anyway, last I heard, the service isn’t available and YouTubers and the like pay too dollar for working units just for capture.

Unfortunately, there just is no good way to capture/stream a DS/3DS to a TV.

Now emulation might be different.  Maybe you can mod a Wii/WiiU to do it?

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

8 minutes ago, phart010 said:

Can you elaborate? Are these expensive?

The kits developers would use to make the games, they stream to a video output. I would imagine 4 to 5 figures.

[phart010 | 1,708]

20 minutes ago, RH said:

Yeah, I think there was an old mod kit you could buy that was difficult to implement, or it was a service you could send off for. Anyway, last I heard, the service isn’t available and YouTubers and the like pay too dollar for working units just for capture.

Unfortunately, there just is no good way to capture/stream a DS/3DS to a TV.

Now emulation might be different.  Maybe you can mod a Wii/WiiU to do it?

Yea I’ve been thinking maybe hack a Wii U since it has the second screen. I don’t like to do any mods on my original hardware so I’d probably buy a secondary used console for hacks

[RH | 4,936]

7 minutes ago, phart010 said:

Yea I’ve been thinking maybe hack a Wii U since it has the second screen. I don’t like to do any mods on my original hardware so I’d probably buy a secondary used console for hacks

If I were in your shoes, I’d feel the same.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

Yeah, there used to be a mod for the fat DS that would install video out. Not sure if it's still around, but I haven't looked into it in a while. If I find something I'll let you know.

Update: This looks like the best option right now and hooks up to a DS Lite.

https://rhotronix.com/

Edited February 4, 2023 by DoctorEncore

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:49 AM, RH said:

Yeah, I think there was an old mod kit you could buy that was difficult to implement, or it was a service you could send off for. Anyway, last I heard, the service isn’t available and YouTubers and the like pay too dollar for working units just for capture.

Yeah, a friend of mine paid "big" bucks for a 3DS XL with that kit preinstalled (like $300-400) when he was determined to make it as a spare time YouTuber.  He ended up giving up on that idea within a year or so and sold the thing for 3-4x what he paid for it (low 4-figures).  The things provide great output, but you've gotta be careful with them, as you'll always have a rigid cable sticking out of the top/back of your system.  I really wish that projects like this would be released to the general public when creators lose their interest, as most of the time there's still very much a demand and yet no way to satisfy it beyond an ever shrinking pool of hardware whose value rises exponentially over time.

Edited February 5, 2023 by darkchylde28

[T-Pac | 7,577]

I'd love to see a solid method of playing the DS on a TV, but I can't think of an effective way for the touch-screen to be handled.

Tons of games demand that you maintain the touch-screen within the periphery of your vision and  manipulate it with the stylus simultaneously. Even a tablet wouldn't properly replicate that (too much screen real-estate for twitch stylus movements, and too awkward to keep within your eyeline of the TV at all times.)

-CasualCart

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

2 hours ago, CasualCart said:

I'd love to see a solid method of playing the DS on a TV, but I can't think of an effective way for the touch-screen to be handled.

Tons of games demand that you maintain the touch-screen within the periphery of your vision and  manipulate it with the stylus simultaneously. Even a tablet wouldn't properly replicate that (too much screen real-estate for twitch stylus movements, and too awkward to keep within your eyeline of the TV at all times.)

-CasualCart

The nice thing about the method that I linked is you can choose which screen (or screens) goes onto the television. You can distribute the screens in any combination, so you can just put the top display onto the television and keep the bottom display as normal with the stylus and touch screen in your hand.

Unfortunately, as someone who has never done any electronics work, installing the mod looks quite difficult.

Edited February 5, 2023 by DoctorEncore

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,016]

Couldn't you just download and emulator and plug your PC, or Android phone, into your tv and call it a day? Use a trackpad for the touch screen maybe. 

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

Just now, RegularGuyGamer said:

Couldn't you just download and emulator and plug your PC, or Android phone, into your tv and call it a day? Use a trackpad for the touch screen maybe. 

You absolutely could, but phart doesn't want to use any sort of PC software to make it happen (presumably because it's his kids wanting to play the games), leaving him in the lurch because the perfect solution to his desired playstyle has never really existed.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,016]

Just now, darkchylde28 said:

You absolutely could, but phart doesn't want to use any sort of PC software to make it happen (presumably because it's his kids wanting to play the games), leaving him in the lurch because the perfect solution to his desired playstyle has never really existed.

Ah I see, it seems like an amazing amount of hoops to jump through to avoid emulation so I was confused. I have an emulator on my phone I hook up to my 2nd monitor at work and get some gaming in on days when I'm there by myself. Works wonders. But I know everyone does t have that opportunity.

[phart010 | 1,708]

21 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

You absolutely could, but phart doesn't want to use any sort of PC software to make it happen (presumably because it's his kids wanting to play the games), leaving him in the lurch because the perfect solution to his desired playstyle has never really existed.

I don’t mind using emulation, but I would prefer something that seems more simple. The idea of plugging a 3DS into a windows pc that must be actively running a program to project the image onto a screen seems really clunky.

But if it were just like an Android phone or a mini pc running something like retro arch, I could go for something like that.

I think the hacked Wii U is probably preferable though. On Wii U, Nintendo already established a system for playing DS games. I guessing if you hack it, this system can be extended over to all titles 

[fox | 1,669]

Shield TV running DraStic = set top DS

You can even switch how to display one or both screens and bring up a digital stylus.