DSpico: New Open-Source Nintendo DS / DSi Flash Cart Launches with App Launcher Support
The world of Nintendo DS and DSi preservation receives a significant boost, as the LNH Team officially announces their latest project: DSpico.
This open-source flash cart, designed for Nintendo DS and DSi handhelds, is poised to make a substantial impact among retro gaming enthusiasts, homebrew developers, and preservationists dedicated to classic hardware. Developed by the collective known as LNH Team—a community committed to safeguarding the legacy of historic consoles through innovation and restoration—the DSpico project is notable for its two-part structure.
It encompasses both a versatile, open-source cartridge and a companion app launcher compatible with existing DS flash carts.
The team emphasizes that their initiative is driven by a passion for preserving the unique hardware and software ecosystem of the Nintendo DS and DSi platforms. All hardware schematics, components, and software for DSpico are openly available, allowing users worldwide to build, modify, or enhance their own cartridges.
This marks a departure from traditional commercial flash carts, which often restrict user modification and can be costly due to proprietary designs.
By contrast, DSpico’s fully open-source framework lowers the barrier to entry for homebrew development and fosters a collaborative approach to hardware preservation. One of the notable aspects of DSpico is its forward-thinking design for extensibility.
While infrared support is not present in the current version, the cartridge includes a development port.
According to statements from LNH Team, this port allows users to develop and connect additional peripherals—including, for example, an infrared expansion board that could extend DSpico’s capabilities even further. Historically, Nintendo has been critical of DS and 3DS flash carts, often citing concerns around piracy and copyright infringement.
While platform holders view such devices with skepticism—given their ability to run backup copies of games and homebrew applications—the LNH Team is positioning DSpico as a tool for preservation rather than piracy.
By making all parts and software open-source, the team aims to empower legal uses such as restoring lost games, enabling fan translations, and supporting independent development. The DSpico project is fully compatible with established DS flash cart options, supporting a broad array of existing homebrew applications.
The accompanying app launcher streamlines the user experience, making it simple to load and manage content on compatible hardware.
This approach ensures that those invested in classic DS and DSi gaming can continue to explore and contribute to the platform’s rich legacy. With the Nintendo DS and DSi platforms long discontinued and many classic titles no longer available on modern storefronts like the Nintendo eShop, projects like DSpico are essential for maintaining access to gaming history.
By combining open hardware with powerful community tools, the LNH Team is helping to ensure that the Nintendo DS ecosystem remains accessible for years to come.
This open-source flash cart, designed for Nintendo DS and DSi handhelds, is poised to make a substantial impact among retro gaming enthusiasts, homebrew developers, and preservationists dedicated to classic hardware. Developed by the collective known as LNH Team—a community committed to safeguarding the legacy of historic consoles through innovation and restoration—the DSpico project is notable for its two-part structure.
It encompasses both a versatile, open-source cartridge and a companion app launcher compatible with existing DS flash carts.
The team emphasizes that their initiative is driven by a passion for preserving the unique hardware and software ecosystem of the Nintendo DS and DSi platforms. All hardware schematics, components, and software for DSpico are openly available, allowing users worldwide to build, modify, or enhance their own cartridges.
This marks a departure from traditional commercial flash carts, which often restrict user modification and can be costly due to proprietary designs.
By contrast, DSpico’s fully open-source framework lowers the barrier to entry for homebrew development and fosters a collaborative approach to hardware preservation. One of the notable aspects of DSpico is its forward-thinking design for extensibility.
While infrared support is not present in the current version, the cartridge includes a development port.
According to statements from LNH Team, this port allows users to develop and connect additional peripherals—including, for example, an infrared expansion board that could extend DSpico’s capabilities even further. Historically, Nintendo has been critical of DS and 3DS flash carts, often citing concerns around piracy and copyright infringement.
While platform holders view such devices with skepticism—given their ability to run backup copies of games and homebrew applications—the LNH Team is positioning DSpico as a tool for preservation rather than piracy.
By making all parts and software open-source, the team aims to empower legal uses such as restoring lost games, enabling fan translations, and supporting independent development. The DSpico project is fully compatible with established DS flash cart options, supporting a broad array of existing homebrew applications.
The accompanying app launcher streamlines the user experience, making it simple to load and manage content on compatible hardware.
This approach ensures that those invested in classic DS and DSi gaming can continue to explore and contribute to the platform’s rich legacy. With the Nintendo DS and DSi platforms long discontinued and many classic titles no longer available on modern storefronts like the Nintendo eShop, projects like DSpico are essential for maintaining access to gaming history.
By combining open hardware with powerful community tools, the LNH Team is helping to ensure that the Nintendo DS ecosystem remains accessible for years to come.
