The “Raspberry Pi” in this project is the RP2040 microcontroller on a DSpico flashcart, not a Raspberry Pi computer installed inside the handheld. The cartridge supplies the USB hardware, and the 3DS’s own processor runs most of the USB software. In a first-person account by Adam Conway of XDA Developers, republished by World Programming Society on September 16, 2026, the console appeared to a PC as a standard gamepad, and also as storage, a speaker, a microphone, and a webcam through example firmware. The sections below explain what is actually inside the cartridge, how the division of work between the cartridge and the console operates, what the author measured or reported, and what a reader would need to try it.
What is actually inside the cartridge
DSpico is an RP2040-based flashcart with a microSD slot and a USB port. The RP2040 is the chip that does the USB work here. The open design and homebrew examples are published by the LNH team, which the article says does not sell the hardware directly. The author’s build used a USB-C board from Chiscart.
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Because the article names a specific board variant, you should not assume that every DSpico-style cartridge sold online shares the same connector, firmware, or revision. Check the seller’s listing and board revision against the project’s requirements before buying.
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The 3DS’s ARM7 processor runs most of TinyUSB, the open-source USB stack. It handles enumeration, descriptors, endpoints, and class behavior, which are the parts of USB that tell a PC what kind of device it has found. The RP2040 does not make those decisions. It carries out the low-level USB controller operations that the console requests over the cartridge bus.
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- A familiar control layout that doesn't require a learning curve to be able to use, with all the same buttons as on an Xbox 360.
- The unique floating D-pad rests on four switches-instead of a single pivot point-making it responsive to quick changes in direction.
- The six-foot cord lets you lean back and play a comfortable distance from your PC monitor.
The author summed up the split this way:
“The cartridge is essentially just a USB peripheral controller, with the DS being what’s actually driving it.”
This arrangement explains both the project’s cleverness and its limits. The cartridge bus runs at 6.7 MHz, and the processor runs at 33 MHz. Those speeds set the ceiling for throughput, which is why the project’s video output is so modest.
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What the PC sees
The project exposes several USB device classes. They are not equally mature, and they do not all need the same console mode.
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Gamepad
The author wrote a separate app that presents the 3DS as a standard HID gamepad. Windows recognizes it, and the author reports it works in Steam. The touch screen stands in for a right analog stick, so the console’s touch input becomes stick movement on the PC. This is the author’s own application, not a built-in feature of the console.
Rank #3
- 【Supported Operating System】The Game Controller is specifically designed for playing classic old school retro snes games on computer or laptop. Compatible with Windows 98 / ME / Vista / 2000/2003 / XP / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10/11, Mac OS X/ OS X 10.0 and beyond, Raspberry Pi, Raspberry PI 2 model B,Model A, Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 2,Raspberry Pi OS, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi Zero.
- 【Simple USB Plug and Play】If your program or application accepts USB controller input, this classic game controller do not need install drivers or patches. 1.5 meter external cable(approx. 5 ft. Long). Notice: Please download the game emulator first before start the games, and then you must manually set the buttons and directionals within the emulator you're using, and the controller not automatically assigns buttons/directional axes. If on the Steam platform, you need to first enable Steam's "Universal Controller Configuration Support" and then restart Steam. After entering the game, you also need to manually bind key positions in the game
- 【High Sensitivity without Delay】Super sensitive buttons for precision control: 6 fire buttons, a 'Start' button and a 'Select' button, motion control cross. Play your favorite old school games with classic retro feel. Fits perfectly in the hand and also perfect for two player action.Note: Not applicable to Switch/PS games. Not Compatible with TV/ TV Box, third Mini Games Box and Tesla Model 3
- 【Supported Game Emulators】The game controller works with most emulators. Download any emulator you wish to download and use from Google and do the same with ROMS. Notice:Third party controller, not original controller. But it works phenomenal with the Raspberry Pi game emulation and so on
- 【Product Service】If you have any problem during use, send message to us and we will help you to solve the problem soon
Storage and speaker
The provided examples include storage and speaker functions, which let the PC treat the console as a drive and send audio to it. The article describes these as part of the example set rather than as separately tuned features.
Microphone
The microphone example outputs 32,728 Hz, mono, 16-bit USB audio, with 40 dB of microphone preamp gain, as the author reports it. It requires DSi mode, so it works on a DSi or a 3DS. An original DS or DS Lite lacks the TWL encoder that this use requires, so it cannot do this.
Rank #4
- ✅【Compatibility】Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Windows PC, Linux ,Mac. Specifically designed for playing classic old school retro snes games on computer or laptop.This is the USB controller what has a USB plug for PC, NOT compatible for Original SNES super Nintendo console
- ✅ 【Ergonomic Design】Super precise cross key and function buttons,the cross direction key adopts frosted concave design,anti-sweat and anti-slip.The shape of the controller is designed to fit the contour of your hands,easy and comfortable to hold.
- ✅ 【Advanced Game Experience】PC running operating system:Windows 98/2000/ ME/XP/Vista/Win7/8/8.1/11 or later,or Mac running OS X 10.0/Mac OS X or above.It works with most of emulators you wish to download and use,such as VirtuaNES(PC),sens9x,Zsens,sensgt,Uosnesw,RetroArch,OpenEmu(MAC),NESEmu and Jnes etc.
- ✅ 【Wired USB Connection】Standard USB 2.0 port with a 1.5 meters (5ft) cable, don't need to install any drivers, you must manually set the buttons and directionals within the emulator you're using, and the controller not automatically assigns buttons/directional axes. Notice: please download the game emulator first before start the games, you can download the emulator “VirtuaNES” on PC and “OpenEmu”on MAC.
- ✅【Satisfaction】Third party controller(USB Version), not for original snes console and not support for switch. If there is an incompatibility on MAC or Raspberry Pi , please contact the seller for a support.
Webcam
The webcam example outputs 256×192 video. The author’s target was 10 frames per second, but the article reports that the console did not consistently reach that rate, and that actual performance was lower. The author describes webcam mode as a novelty rather than a practical replacement for a camera. The limit comes from the narrow cartridge bandwidth and the older processor.
Reported performance figures
The figures below come from the author’s article. They are the author’s reported values, not independent lab measurements, and the conditions under which they were taken are not described in detail.
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- Wired Controller, USB cable: 1.8M.
- Compatible with Switch (version 3.0.0 or above), Windows, Raspberry Pi devices.
- Rumble vibration.
- Support turbo function.
| Metric | Reported value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone audio format | 32,728 Hz, mono, 16-bit | Microphone example; requires DSi mode |
| Microphone preamp gain | 40 dB | As reported by the author |
| USB throughput | Up to 1 MB/s | Maximum reported by the author |
| Uncompressed video frame | 96 KB | Webcam path |
| Cartridge bus clock | 6.7 MHz | Limits data movement between cartridge and console |
| Processor clock | 33 MHz | Console side of the USB work |
| Webcam output | 256×192 | Target frame rate 10 FPS, not consistently achieved |
| microSD sequential reads | Up to 6 MB/s | Maximum reported by the author |
| Idle power | About 57 mW | Reported by the author; test conditions not stated |
What you need before trying it
- A Nintendo DSi or 3DS. The DS and DS Lite can use some features, but not the microphone.
- A DSpico cartridge. The author used a USB-C Chiscart board, and the article names it only as the author’s example.
- A modified DSi or 3DS for the hybrid firmware path the article describes. The article also describes a special WRFUxxed build for unmodified consoles. That is a separate path and should not be read as a guarantee that a stock console works out of the box.
- A microSD card and a USB data cable. The article does not specify exact models or capacities.
Alternatives if you need something different
Several other projects are often confused with this one. They use different hardware and connect in different ways.
| Option | Connection to PC | Hardware | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSpico direct USB project (this article) | Wired USB from the cartridge | DSpico cartridge with RP2040, console running TinyUSB | Gamepad, storage, speaker, microphone, and webcam; video is severely constrained; DSi or 3DS required for the microphone |
| Netstick wireless gamepad | Wi-Fi from a 3DS client to a Linux host server | 3DS homebrew client plus a Linux host, documented for a Raspberry Pi host and other Linux systems | Wireless operation; sensor input support not stated in the Netstick project documentation |
| Raspberry Pi USB webcam | USB to the PC as a standalone webcam | Pi Zero 2 W with OTG, Camera Module 3, camera cable, microSD, and a camera-mount case, per Raspberry Pi’s official tutorial | Far better camera quality and a separate build; this is not the device inside the 3DS |
How much weight to give these results
The project is a single-device, first-person build report. It is useful evidence that a DSi or 3DS can present several USB device classes through a cartridge-based RP2040, and the author’s account of the architecture is specific. The performance numbers, though, are the author’s own reported values under unspecified conditions, and the webcam figures describe an aspiration the author did not consistently meet. The quote and the figures should be read as the author’s account, not as independent verification.
The article also makes no claim about official support from LNH or Nintendo. Any support for a given firmware build or cartridge variant depends on the project’s own documentation and the seller’s revision, not on this article.
In practical terms, this is a proof of concept for readers who already own a DSi or 3DS and are comfortable with homebrew and modding. It is not a replacement for a gamepad, a microphone, or a webcam.
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