DS-Xtreme gives drag 'n drop capability to your Nintendo DS

If you've tossed around the idea of modding your DS, but never bit the bullet due to the ridiculous amount of loopholes you had to jump through to get your homebrew game on, DS-Xtreme has got you covered. While the precise details of how this thing works its magic are a bit scarce, we do know that the company claims this wonder-working cart will allow you to not only run your favorite homebrew applications on your DS without any software / hardware hacks or workarounds whatsoever, but it also rocks a built-in GUI that interfaces with Windows XP via USB 2.0 for some remarkably easy drag 'n drop action. All this sounds mighty impressive, especially compared to the PassMe alternative that required a old fashion GBA flash card, linker, and a DS game just to get you up and running; the DS-shaped cartridge features 512MB (4Gb) of built-in storage space, USB 2.0 connectivity, a full sized onboard EEprom "complete with some serious custom engineering," and a snazzy GUI that apparently makes managing your apps a breeze. If you've been fantisizing over an easier way to get homebrew material on your Nintendo DS or DS Lite, the DS-X flash cart appears to a dream come true, but considering there's no specific release date nor price, we're forced to play the "wait and see" game on this one.

[Via MaxConsole]

[parisk @ Aug 10th 2006 9:53PM]

Nintendo seems to be so much less concerned about homebrew running on their handhelds than Sony is.

Sony should learn from Nintendo and let the PSP homebrew community flourish. I might then consider buying a PSP. I already have 2 NDS(original and lite).

[sizer @ Aug 10th 2006 9:57PM]

I thank you for extracting all that info from that awful, awful website.

[thejoshler @ Aug 10th 2006 10:21PM]

Yes, thanks for the summary. That flash intro was just annoying. Still, I hope this thing is the real deal, I'd love to see it work.

[Murc @ Aug 10th 2006 10:34PM]

What kind of programs are we talking about here? Like using it to watch videos you have on your pc?, listening to your mp3's?...hell, with 4 gigs you could watch a dvd.

could it run games that arn't made for the DS? Like: Chess, Solitare, texas hold'em, pac-man space invaders, etc...? Cause if so...I will buy one...and I havn't owned a handheld game console since the original gameboy.

[julian @ Aug 10th 2006 10:38PM]

Am I missing something? "512MB (4Gb) of built-in storage space"? In what universe is 512Mb the same as 4Gb somehow?

[Dave @ Aug 10th 2006 10:49PM]

4 gigabit = 512 megabytes. I was confused for a second too.

[thejoshler @ Aug 10th 2006 10:50PM]

@ julian

The same universe where 512Mb != 512MB.
Mb = megabyte (1x Mb)
MB = megabit (8 Mb)

So 512MB * 8 = 4096 Mb = 4 gigs. Savvy?

[MKcom @ Aug 10th 2006 10:52PM]

^let's go back to your high school computer class. A bit is a single on/off command (1 or 0). A byte is a string of 8 bits. In this way, 4 gigaBITs is equivalent to 412 megaBYTEs.

And a device like this, although without the whole drag and drop thing, already exists. It's called the Ninjapass.

[dave @ Aug 10th 2006 10:52PM]

512MB (MegaByte) = 4Gb (Gigabit)

This seems only slightly better than the M3 adaptor and passcard, 1 piece of hardware instead of 2. Now there is a new passme device called the nopass, it is just plug and play.

http://tobw.net/dswiki/index.php?title=Hardware
For all the other ds homebrew options.

[thejoshler @ Aug 10th 2006 10:52PM]

Whoa whoa whoa, I just realized I'm wrong there. Sorry Julian, Dave's got it right. My bad.

[Eion @ Aug 10th 2006 11:07PM]

"In what universe is 512Mb the same as 4Gb somehow?"

Read it again more carefully - they actually wrote 512MB. FYI, the convention is that uppercase B stands for bytes, lowercase b stands for bits.
There are eight bits in a byte, so 4 gigabits = 512 megabytes. Which is what they said.

[bounchfx @ Aug 10th 2006 11:17PM]

So.. would you be able to run SNES/NES/GEN Emus on this? if so I'm very interested. That's all I used my PSP for.

[Murc @ Aug 10th 2006 11:25PM]

I hate it when companies use bit rather then byte...I think there only reasoning for it is to trick the non-computer savvy peeps out there into thinking its more space then it really is.

512 mbs is just to damn small, my camera memory stick holds 2 gigs and its way smaller...So why did they limit its size so drasctically?

BTW, can it run the games I mentioned earlier???

[Faisal @ Aug 10th 2006 11:49PM]

there are 8 bits in 1 byte.

Divide 8 by the number of bits to get the bytes.

[ThePete @ Aug 10th 2006 11:53PM]

Hm... no price?

[jesus a torres @ Aug 11th 2006 12:44AM]

so what about us mac users?

[James Smith @ Aug 11th 2006 12:45AM]

Hey, you think 4 Gigabits isn't a lot? Well a standard DS cartridge only holds 1 Gigabit. I think bits should only be used to reffer to bandwidth.

[michael @ Aug 11th 2006 12:53AM]

there's that ninjapass me card that's coming out soon. sounds a lot like this.

[Murc @ Aug 11th 2006 2:18AM]

ok...I spent a few hours learning about the DS, and the homebrew scene...but things are still a bit foggy.

If I have a DS Lite, and I buy either this or the ninjapass...then is that all I need, or do I still need something else? The terms I hear thrown around a lot are passket / no-passkey / G6 / Passcard 3 ....Do I need one of these things as well in order to get it to play homebrew things???

[Mank @ Aug 11th 2006 2:40AM]

AFAIK, a NinjaPass only holds 512Mb(64MB) and to write a 64mb file to it, it takes an hour(!).

[GreyPants @ Aug 11th 2006 4:10AM]

If you want to know more about the DS homebrew development scene this link should help: http://www.patatersoft.info/cms.php?page=links

[Lawer @ Aug 11th 2006 5:01AM]

DS-X (DS Extreme) is a flash cart like no other, just one bespoke single regular DS cart sized device with an exquisitely crafted design opening up an array of possibility on your DS or DS Lite console as never seen before.

[M @ Aug 11th 2006 5:14AM]

To clarify things, there are a number of ways you can get homebrew to work on a DS.

#1. Get a SuperKey / PassCard3 along with a SuperCard or M3. The SuperKey will act as a PassMe without having to flash your DS. All you do is stick the key in the DS game slot and it will boot the SuperCard or M3 (which is in the GBA slot). These devices use SD, miniSD, CF, or microSD/TF. 4 GB SD cards are reportedly working in SuperCards. The SD version sticks out of the DS'es slot a bit, while the SD mini doesn't (DS Lite users need to get the SuperCard Lite that uses a MicroSD/TF card if they don't want anything sticking out.)

#2. Flash your DS + SuperCard/M3. Flashing will still require a Passme device (SuperKey or PassCard3) and is relatively easy as long as you are cautious. It only takes around 30 seconds to flash the DS. Flashing the DS will allow you to remove the Passme device in the DS slot.

#3. DSLink, DS-Xtreme, or NinjaPass. These cards will only need the DS Game slot with no flashing or Passme devices. Personally, if I were to use one of these, I would get the DSLink because it uses microSD/TF, which as of now currently goes up to 2 GB.

Current noteworthy homebrew apps for the DS are:
Beup - a messenger client for MSN
dsAIM - AIM client
dsLinux - Linux (no GUI)
Snezzi DS - SNES emulator
DSOrganize - PDA functions along with a Homebrew Database so you can download new homebrew without having to use your computer.
Moonshell - Video/MP3 player - also supports .OGM audio along with others. Video is DPG format only
SylphAMP - stream WinAMP audio output to the DS
SylphIRC - IRC client
ndsMail - Email client
retawq - text only browser

Visit http://ds.qj.net/ for updates on homebrew and http://www.scdev.org/ for more information about SuperCards

Ciao!

[moofree @ Aug 11th 2006 5:17AM]

Only 512MB? I filled up my 1GB mini sdcard within minutes of getting my supercard. :)

[Mank @ Aug 11th 2006 7:59AM]

@M DSLink needs your DS to be flashed.

[JC @ Aug 11th 2006 9:00AM]

How is this different from any of the other products out there, other than USB connectivity? I like that rusty looking low production quality USB port, btw.

The G6Flash Lite is, IMHO, a much better product. It's pricier than other incarnations, but it fits perfectly into the GBA slot on a DS Lite and looks like it's built in. This thing looks as big, if not bigger than the first M3 CF I had, which stuck out the bottom of my DS Lite about an inch. Fugly.

[Leif @ Aug 11th 2006 9:16AM]

I just wish this wasn't so x-treme. Kids these days. The hospital staff doesn't let me have anything x-treme at all. It's no fun, this getting old.

[acb @ Aug 11th 2006 10:03AM]

I'm guessing this isn't a USB Mass Storage-class device, but rather a proprietary device which uses custom Windows software. Is there any way to use NDS homebrew without a Windows PC?

[Quilla @ Dec 20th 2006 9:28PM]

The DS-Xtreme shows up as a removable storage device on your computer and it does work with Mac & pc, which means it'd probably show up on linux as well. Just read the DS-Xtreme FAQ.

[SuicideNinja @ Aug 11th 2006 1:04PM]

"So.. would you be able to run SNES/NES/GEN Emus on this? if so I'm very interested. That's all I used my PSP for."

I don't believe there is a Genesis emulator as of yet. And the SNES one is still in development, but some games work.

I'll stick to my CF supercard. It maxes at 2GB, but at least I can use another CF if one gets full.

[DTS @ Aug 11th 2006 1:22PM]

Do you think I could run my emulators and ROMS off of it? Now that would be worth every penny.

[phatbhuda @ Aug 11th 2006 1:40PM]

Well, I was using the Max Media Dock by datel/codejunkies. It holds a Compact Flash card in the Gameboy cartridge slot. It comes with a DS cartridge called Max Media Player.

It can run some homebrew, but not all. It also ran for a week or two before it destroyed the 1GB compact flash card that I bought it with. They're going to take a look at it under warranty, so we'll see what happens after that.

[JM @ Aug 11th 2006 3:05PM]

I would hardly call purchasing a passcard 3, an M3 adapter, and a SD card (total ~$140 if you don't have a SD card laying around already, $100 if you do) a "ridiculous amount of loopholes you had to jump through to get your homebrew game on".

Maybe in the early days of wifi-me that would have been true, but now* its no more difficult than homebrew on GBA, which was damned easy.



*thanks to the absolutely amazing work of the ds homebrew community

[Christopher @ Aug 11th 2006 4:41PM]

It says in the annoying Flash on the site that it requires no PC software and it is Mass Storage standards compliant. I'm guessing that means that the "software" is web-based and/or that you can mount it as a drive and drop the files you need in place.

[is @ Aug 11th 2006 6:16PM]

What nintendo need to do is put a ds slot on the Wii and forge the link between the Virtual Console and the Wii with a card like this, which would allow you to play snes, nes, gameboy and (controller scheme allowing) N64 games. You could even distribute original third DS games this way, opening up the online game purchasing market and giving oppertunity to developers who cannot distribute hard copies of their software (Like flash and java developers) to sell some games.

Hell, stick mp3 and video functionality in there and launch a DS-Media Store, and allow CD and DVD ripping to an external HDD. All of a sudden, nintenendo's game centric handheld has its multimedia opened up. With this, it could take on both iPod and PSP, while also pioneering the online purchacing arm of the gaming industry.

[Murc @ Aug 12th 2006 2:06AM]

Please tell me if this appears correct of not:

I think the route I'm gonna go with is a to get a Passcard 3, and the DS Link (when it comes out in a couple weeks), and a SD Micro card.

Is that everything I would need??? Or am I missing something.

[raindog @ Aug 12th 2006 2:40AM]

I'll be pretty pleased if it really is mass storage compliant, but I have never bought a GBC or GBA homebrew device with its own built-in memory that didn't end up having bad blocks or sectors or whatever. With the reduction in size of this thing, I gotta think the possibility only increases. On the other hand, its simplicity just about guarantees that it will eventually become the de facto standard target for homebrew programs and games.

I have an M3 that's been really good to me, and I plan on getting a Passkey3 and some miniSD-based cart if M3 actually makes them for my DS Lite. (It didn't bother me that the standard M3 stuck out almost an inch from my old grey DS, and a centimeter won't bother me on the DS Lite.)

[moofree @ Aug 12th 2006 3:21AM]

You just need a friend with the hardware to flash it, it's not hard :)

I've flashed 10 DSs for various friends with my passme2 and an old 128mbit flash advance cart.

[JM @ Aug 12th 2006 8:59PM]

I have a passcard 3 and M3/SD for my DS lite. There is no flashing involved. You just put both M3 and passcard in and you are good to go. The SD version sticks out a good inch from the bottom of the DS lite though, but that doesn't bother me. Getting games/mp3/movies/ebooks/homebrew apps on there is as simple as copying it to the SD card ( I have lots of SD cards) with the included software (and i believe but don't quote me that if its not a game, you don't have to use the software, you can just copy it to the card). The M3 apparently also supports/emulates gba games and snes/gb/nes and a bunch of other games natively, and has moonshell and some sort of pda functionality built in (haven't gotten that to work yet -- too lazy to try). The only think that sucks about it is that the M3 software is windows only, so I have to run it in Virtual PC on my Mac, so that slows the process down a tiny bit. It takes awhile to get used to using the software too, but I read a tutorial online somewhere and its easy for me now.

[JM @ Aug 12th 2006 9:02PM]

Murc -- I bet you mount it as a drive, and the software is self contained right on the cart, like the old g-bank for gba. That is my guess.

[Saturn @ Aug 14th 2006 4:03AM]

This could be o.k even if it does seem a little on the small side. (512MB doesn't seem enough to me.)If it does everything the makers of it report it to then I can see myself eventually buying this sort of device when it gets up to around the 2G size. I just got my SuperKey and SuperCard the other day and have already fill the 1G SD card up. I think it will increase in storage space over time just like the Flash cards of old did.

[gamingexpert13 @ Aug 14th 2006 3:23PM]

From the maxconsole website:

"Divineo.cn and Divineo.com have revealed the pricing for the revolutionary DS-X flash cart adapter at a price of $124.95. The price comes as we expected as the DS-X (info) requires no passcard unlike other devices and offers everything you need in one hit. We really can't wait to get our hands on this one!

Pre-Order DS-X Now: Asia / N.America (both stores ship worldwide)"

[ai-chan @ Aug 22nd 2006 12:58AM]

This thing goes into the DS card slot, not the GBA slot, right? If so the JC's comment above about this thing sticking at the bottom of DS Lite is simply dumb :)

[Norkusa @ Aug 22nd 2006 9:37PM]

I'm thinking about getting this but I have a Mac. Anyone know if the drag-and-drop action will work on OSX, or do you still need Windows to use it?

[nds flash @ Aug 30th 2006 8:22AM]

sounds hard to believe that it will work without any patching of the roms. Would be the first card that doesn't even need on the fly patching to accommodate all the different save game types. Also main memory can not be upgraded so stuck with 512mb.

[koala @ Jun 12th 2007 12:34PM]

ok im planing on getting a DS soon , and im trying to do a little research into "homebrew" solutions but its all very confusing.

im thinking of getting the DS-Xtreme 16Gb to play DS homebrew , but i also would like to run GBA homebrew

so lets say iv got a DS-Xtreme , would i be able to basicly get any GBA flash cart and use it in conjunction with DS-Xtreme or will i need to get a "pass me" card thing