One of the most innovative members of the Game Boy community has delivered his latest project; this is the Nintendo DS Slab by Xipher.
People within the online Game Boy community surely know Xipher for some of the absolute best mods in our niche scene.
But if you are not a member of that scene, let’s take a look at his history leading up to his DS Slab project.
Table of Contents
Who is Xipher?
Ty Bryant (aka Xipher) has been a mainstay member of the Game Boy community for as long as I have been a part.
And he has been posting innovative modifications for the Game Boy on his Instagram since 2019.
He created one of the first Game Boy Pocket Colors, where a Game Boy Color is trimmed down and modified enough to fit within a Game Boy Pocket shell. This is one of my own personal favorite Game Boy mods.
Shortly after that, he created the Game Boy Advance SP Slab project, which was one of the best options for a vertical no-hinge Game Boy Advance SP modification.
It was also the first “hingeless” SP project that you could do yourself by 3d printing the shell design.
What is the DS Slab?
Much like the SP Slab, Xipher’s most recent release is a 3d printed shell that he design himself by painstakingly measuring everything, redesigning, printing tests, rinse and repeat.
Applying his own design aesthetic, the results are a super clean and super minimal looking console that looks like something that would be released in 2023.
The DS Slab is a modification of the Nintendo DS console known as a “macro” mod, where you minimize it and remove the top screen to turn it into a horizontal console.
Xipher told me that the main reason he wanted to pursue a DS mod is because of the wide availability of the DS. They are still quite easy to find at a very low price.
He also likes that the Nintendo DS happens to be quite capable as an emulator with some easy firmware tinkering.
The Nintendo DS is a really cool handheld that probably has a lot more to explore in the modification community.
This is not the first Nintendo DS macro mod, but it is certainly one of the most aesthetically pleasing. And it has the added benefit of being able to print it yourself.
If you’ve got a 3d printer, you can download Xipher’s file and whip up your own.
Or you can send it to the pros like PCBWay or JLCPCB and let them print a high quality version. That also gives you a lot more options for finishes.
As with any Xipher mod project, he released a really helpful Youtube video making it all super clear. Consider that your definitive guide.
Supporting Xipher
To help support the very expensive hobby of Game Boy modding, Xipher has setup a Patreon account, and the new DS Slab is one of the first projects he has offered to help offset his costs.
For the very modest cost of $3, you can become a member of his Patreon and download the DS Slab files and get started on your own DIY DS Slab right now.
Conclusions
I can’t even imagine the difficulty of designing a shell like this that perfectly fits a Nintendo console and gives it an entirely new look.
I’m actually hoping to start learning how to do this at some point.
But for now, it is best left in the hands of the experts. And Xipher is surely at the top of the mountain when it comes to custom shell designs in the Game Boy modding scene.
Please do yourself a favor and browse Xipher’s Instagram account and drool over the incredible work he has put out over the years.
And if you’re a modder and are ready to take the dive into Nintendo DS modding, Xipher’s DS Slab is an awesome place to start!
Once you build it, you’re gonna wanna load it with the Best Nintendo DS Lite Games.
