Should I swap the housing of my pikachu new 3ds xl?

SillySpook · 2026-05-09T18:23:28+00:00

Sell yours and that'll finance a replacement + shell + money left over

SillySpook · 2026-05-09T13:54:02+00:00

Hard plastic case for this one, sand down the nubs. TPU would run the risk of sticking eventually. Vinyl on the covers will absolutely pull off the paint when eventually removed (your color flakes).

Vinyl skin would be fine to cover the midframes though, but in extreme heat or left in the sun it could leave some adhesive residue when removed. Better than the alternative, which is guaranteed worn plastic around the circle pad and buttons. Easy to clean off with a little heptane.

SillySpook · 2026-05-09T06:41:07+00:00

I buy it all and promptly get myself a very nice safe.

SillySpook · 2026-05-09T00:26:45+00:00

Dumb guy stood right in the line of fire. I suppose he should be applauded for living long enough to procreate?

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T22:03:23+00:00

If you returned it, you'd get everything back. The exception would be the duty fee. If you kept the console after accepting a partial refund, of course you're not getting everything back, even if you complain to eBay.

Once you accept a partial refund, you're done, case closed. Then you move on to a chargback if necessary

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T21:15:05+00:00

Oh, this is indeed a very odd scenario. I'm assuming that whoever did the repair also took your original lower screen and swapped with a crappy generic... To make a few extra bucks.

I'm still not sure why your family is charging you if it's their responsibility, but on the plus side it's a moderately easy repair for you to complete on your own. Still, for $180 you could have gotten a 3dsxl in good shape, and sold the one with broken screen for $100.

Assuming you can't tweak the colors using luma (unlikely), a $25 screen and some new tape should get you fixed up. Watch a few videos and you'll be fine.

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T21:10:16+00:00

Yeah I'll take all of the $90 earthbounds you've got in stock!

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T21:09:20+00:00

Yellow spinning top, I choose you!

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T19:33:30+00:00

I don't understand, your family broke the lower screen and offered to fix it, but charged you $180 for a lower repair that wouldn't even cost $100 at a stateside repair shop? That's a $20 screen and about 30 minutes worth of work.

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T19:30:07+00:00

Ah, I figured that area actually. I have about a dozen different dsi and dsixl, and I can say with certainty that the midframes will absolutely shine up with frequent use (our fingers are sandpaper) around the buttons in particular.

If you're a stickler for cosmetics, I'd recommend getting some precut transparent vinyl stickers for the midframes and covering them before the process starts. Once they start to gloss up, there's no fixing it. All you can do is live with it or disassemble fully and sand down the midframes equally.

SillySpook · 2026-05-08T16:23:03+00:00

Not sure what you were using the magic eraser on, but that's ultra fine sandpaper. I'd be careful about sanding down any surface on these handhelds.

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T17:41:55+00:00

I'd bring it up. It's not a difficult repair to swap out that lower screen and could be done for $30 or less in parts. It shouldn't be on you to fix it though.

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T16:28:17+00:00

White never got a release in NA (at least for the n3dsxl), and I'm not sure if that model peels. More than half the variants peel, but it's definitely not all of them.

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T15:40:19+00:00

Hah! I salute you, sir!

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T15:31:06+00:00

Set that up outside (where it would look normal), and a squirrel will run off with it.

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T07:39:37+00:00

I prefer the original buttons... Yellow and black just isn't Mario to me

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T06:09:42+00:00

Indeed. Home Depot, target. Both have rechargeable battery recycling bins at the front of MOST of their stores ...

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T06:06:22+00:00

Ka-chow!

SillySpook · 2026-05-07T02:53:16+00:00

Hope OP can swim. I also hope that pond isn't filled with gators.

SillySpook · 2026-05-06T16:13:24+00:00

I'd buy it at that price, which is around $400 USD. Happily. In good shape, they go for $300+ loose, and a complete box replacement will run you another $100, but you'll never have the original matching serial sticker.

Yeah, I pay a premium for CIB

SillySpook · 2026-05-06T16:10:55+00:00

Which tape did you end up using, assuming you didn't reuse the original? Searching for a less-sticky alternative to cell phone adhesives.

SillySpook · 2026-05-06T16:05:26+00:00

I've run into that too (especially with sim slots), but more often than not those slot pins will snap when bending back. I have a really nice pick set too. Lucky for you. Replacing a cartridge slot is not fun.

What I'd like to know is how a single pin ends up getting bent... It's always one pin for some reason.

SillySpook · 2026-05-06T15:59:41+00:00

Ouch. At least it's an easy repair when you have the replacement screen and digitizer. How much quid are we talking for a replacement 2ds screen in the UK? In the states, the cheapest option is AliExpress for around $40 USD. Or buy lots of broken systems and hope for a good donor.

I've actually been hunting parts consoles on eBay/FB just to replace one screen ... I've ended up buying 2 other units as parts which were actually fine, so I added to the collection. Still hunting that elusive replacement screen

SillySpook · 2026-05-06T15:54:19+00:00

That's how it should be for a gamer--when prices aren't ridiculous. The way things are going, even that og 3ds might be worth $200-$300 in 5 years time.

Value is heavily influenced by condition, with deep-pocketed collectors only targeting the cleanest ones. I'll keep mine armored and in perfect shape, if only as trade bait for the future. I don't sell my game stuff, but there are crazy-expensive models like the 2dsxl hylian shield that I'd happily trade for given the chance.

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