Yes, that title might seem a little hard to comprehend at first, but stick with me. You can actually run MacOS on Nintendo DS and create a mini silver laptop operated by your trusty stylus.
Your fingers know the feel of that plastic pen of infinite possibilities, and now thanks to a clever YouTube video explaining how to install MacOS onto your device, you too can boot up an old version of the operating system and access some classic Apple Apps.
We first came to this incredible idea through Muskaan Saxena at TechRadar who led us to a familiar voice to the Retro Dodo team in the form of YouTuber Michael MJD, a specialist in vintage computing.
Who better than Michael to lead us on a mission to breathe new life into one of our favourite handhelds… heck, we’ve blown into that microphone enough in our lives so far, so it’s nice to try something new for a change.
A Clamshell With A Difference
I should probably say from the off that this isn’t going to be a ploy to save thousands of pounds by not buying a new MacBook. If it was, I would take the laptop I am writing on now back to the store and just pull my DSi back into action.
No, this is more of a nostalgic way of paying homage to two greats in the computing world, with Michael opting for MacOS 6.0.8 as his OS of choice.
I’m on 14.3.1 as I write this now, so don’t expect to be able to run Logic Pro or Photoshop on your DS. You should be able to make some cool sketches with your stylus on design apps and play some simple games, but that’s it.
It’s one of those projects that modders might want to sit down with on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea and just have a play around with. Though be warned, it’s a little tricky and not something that you should try if you have a short fuse when it comes to patience.
Turning Your DS Into A Mac
For all those who say ‘video or it didn’t happen’, then the proof is right above for you to see.
Collecting a classic Nintendo DS (the one that we all have still in our drawer or up in the attic) and an SD Card are the easy parts. Michael then goes on to advise users to download Mini vMac DS and follow his instructions to kickstart the whole process.
Let’s be honest – this is a bit of fun, but it’s not going to revolutionise the gaming world in any way. That being said, the concept really made me smile when I first came across it this morning, yet another thing that the Retro Gaming community has done to keep our favourite old tech alive and kicking!
