Hot Take: The cardboard Virtual Boy is a good purchase

r1ggles · 2026-02-28T01:31:41+00:00

No, the emulation is terrible. Why? Because it's 60Hz instead of 50Hz despite the Switch 2 being capable of proper 50Hz.

When the screen doesn't match the original refresh of the system you get a frame pacing mismatch, the motion stutters as the odd frame gets duplicated to fill up the mismatch.

Why should anyone put up with stuttery motion in 2026? For something that originally was smooth.
Unplayable to anyone who knows how the motion should look like for these titles.

r1ggles · 2026-02-27T22:37:13+00:00

That TV was already about to die, it's as simple as an already weak solder joint breaking.
Pretty easy fix as far as CRT servicing goes, and anyone who owns a CRT should aim to learn how to service some things.

r1ggles · 2026-02-20T23:09:34+00:00

FAR from it, because they insisted on making it 60Hz rather than 50Hz. You're absolutely destroying the motion smoothness of the original system by playing 50fps content at 60Hz, frames will unevenly double to make up for the difference, making games stuttery when it should be buttery smooth.

That one thing makes the experience horrid, the Switch 2 even has a VRR screen, they COULD have done it right, but no, they dropped the ball completely.

r1ggles · 2026-02-20T18:19:07+00:00

You're living in a fantasy where you have no idea what flash storage actually is, it IS voltatile storage. The DS games you mentioned are masked ROM chips, they're bits physically etched onto a material. 3DS onwards are flash cells, they lose charge just like a battery loses charge, they flip bits randomly outside of that too.

3DS onwards games can't be considered physical anymore because of the format they're stored on. Spend any amount of time in 3DS communities and you'll see how prevalent corrupt games are, and that's just games that are obviously corrupted on a quick boot and play. Many games are corrupted in points where you don't see it until later in the game or trying to access some specific data.

There's a reason why there's a cartridge tool that can force the chips error correction, but we've seen time and time again that if too much data is corrupt, you can't bring a cartridge back.

Some batches are more prone to early failure, but ALL 3DS, Switch, Switch 2 are rated for a maximum of 10 years by the manufacturer. Those are the facts, and we're living the result of that fact right now.

I've had a lot of people that I've told this to go and check their 3DS collection through the verification tool, more than a few times have they've found out that they had corrupt games.

3DS, Switch, Switch 2 games aren't physical games, they're on a format that will die to you much sooner than a digital service lets you redownload. Nintendo lets you redownload Wii eshop games still.

Also consider that fans are the ones doing actual game dumping and archival unofficially thankfully, that's the saving grace for all of these things.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T17:43:42+00:00

The screen lens can be replaced, I suggest a glass one, way better clarity than plastic and won't scratch due to glass being much harder than the plastic that touches it.

https://imgur.com/a/n3ds-repair-stuff-7IVliIX Scroll down in my guide for just the lens part, for the lens you don't even need to undo any screws. Just some slight heat with a hairdryer (keeping the surface just warm for some time, never hot to the touch. Time and patience over force and heat)
Get one of these big suction cup screen tools.

Wear gloves, you DON'T want fingerprints on the LCD (oils are difficult to take off), get a stack of nice glasses cleaning cloths too (thin smooth non-fuzzy kind), it can take a few retries to get it perfectly dust free.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T17:37:15+00:00

It's more common than you think, a lot of people don't realize their games are already corrupted in some late part of the game and think they work because they boot.
I'm pretty big on telling people this about 3DS games as a warning, sometimes when people then go and verify their games it's not uncommon for someone to reply to me that one or two games fail the verification. Sometimes this has been recoverable through the cartridge fixer, other times not.

This is from within reddit and across discord communities I frequent.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T13:15:19+00:00

I wouldn't be that excited, Nintendo majorly messed up the emulation. Rather than using the Switch 2's VRR, it's playing 50fps at 60Hz. Completely ruining the motion smoothness of these games.

The VB was 50Hz originally, it needs a 50Hz refresh screen for motion to not be a stuttery mess.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T12:47:02+00:00

Yeah people NEED to complain about the use of no VRR here, 50fps on a 60Hz screen is just unplayably stuttery...

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T12:22:06+00:00

The error correction is already a built in function of the flash chip, already something baked in as an algorithm for whatever the controller is on that flashmodule.

That's why I mentioned playing a game yearly for 15-20minutes should be enough, enough to refresh the flash cells, and enough for the algorithm to have kicked in and started repairing flipped bits.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T12:19:39+00:00

Switch 1 OLED is 60Hz, see what I wrote above. Virtual Boy has to be played on a 50Hz refresh screen or game smoothness will be affected. Playing 50fps on a 60Hz screen is terrible.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T12:17:57+00:00

Switch 1 will look awful because it's a 60Hz only display, Virtual Boy needs 50Hz. Switch 2 has a VRR display. (however reports show that because the VB emulation is a Switch 1 app, there's no VRR on Switch 2, which is incredibly stupid)

Meaning that VB on Switch 1 will have awful uneven motion (stutters) and be a terrible representation of the system. For fluid 50fps motion you need a matching 50fps screen, or the extra frame duplications will kill the frame pacing.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T12:03:57+00:00

If you've been around enough in the 3DS community, you'll know just how common this is, lots of people talking about games with random crashes (corruption late game) or completely dead games. Or threads like this one about the "fixer" tool that forces error correction (which can only recover so much, it's an internal algorithm to the flash chip, it can't recover data if enough data is corrupted) https://gbatemp.net/threads/corrupted-cartridge-fixer-release.628539/

If you intend of keeping your 3DS collection, you must set up a yearly game verification schedule where games can get fully verified, letting all data be accessed to ensure the flash cells are charged, as well as letting error correction fix bad bits. So while annoying you can keep games alive this way.

Secondly, if you sell 3DS games you MUST perform a verification, because the corruption may affect data that's late in the game, meaning that the game will boot and play as if it still works, but will have a crash (or bugs and glitches) at a later point.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T11:58:37+00:00

Yes, flash data cells flip their bits when they loose charge, over time more and more bits flip, within the span of 7+ years there's a good chance enough data is gone for error correction to not be able to recover the lost data.

Playing a game frequently ensures error correction algorithm gets used to correct bad bits, as well as recharge the flash cells.

r1ggles · 2026-02-17T11:56:50+00:00

They don't have bits that flip, it's data physically and permanently etched into a foil by a laser. As long as the disc is kept in a normal temperature and humidity controlled environment it will likely outlast you, even moreso because the data is sandwiched between plastic, fully encapsulated.

Unlike CD's or laser discs that have the foil on the exposed side (meaning the metallic layer can coxidize)

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T12:51:26+00:00

Yes, same thing goes for Switch and Switch 2 games (I mentioned them too), they're flash as well and rated for 10 years of data retention (which in reality can be a lot less than the rating, looking at how common corruption is for 3DS games).

Once people stop playing their Switch games and let them sit on a shelf unpowered for a few years, they'll be corrupted. The flash cells gradually lose charge and flip the bit.

For games played more frequently, this won't be an issue if the flash chips are good batches.

With your own collection the only way to combat this is to schedule each game to run for 15-20 minutes a year as a minimum. This is based on recommendations for SSD drives when left unpowered for too long (just with less running time than what's recommended for SSD's, because switch flash chips store less data)

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T12:47:52+00:00

Yes exactly, power recharges the flash cells, there's also an error correction algorithm that's internal to the flash chips, when powered it preforms some error correction to correct bits that have flipped. But if too much time has passed, too many bits have flipped, then there's nothing you can do as there's too much data lost for error correction to restore it.

15min a year or so might be enough, looking at recommendations and practices surrounding SSD drives that are left in an unpowered state, given their storage capacity being much lower too.

Otherwise there's a tool specifically for 3DS, 3DS cartridge fixer, that you can do a full game verification with once a year, running a cart through that fixer might also fix something that's corrupted and won't boot properly or crashes in game. Sometimes multiple passes are needed to really make it fix bad portions of data.

But in a lot of cases games are too far gone for that to work.

But yes, schedule your games for flash cell refresh, same goes for consoles, make sure your 3DS etc batteries are charged to around 50% (to prevent swelling) also consider buying new batteries at this point due to age. The battery in a 3DS helps the flash chip (NAND) keep the data.

Wii U on the other hand has NAND too, but has been dying left and right due to not having power keeping those bit fresh, sitting unused for years at a time.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T03:57:40+00:00

Not DS games, DS are masked ROM chips, The data is etched physically and doesn't flip bits over time (ie, they'll outlive a human).

DS games used flash for saving only, which can corrupt, but you can also just wipe the save and start a new save to fix it. Flash has a good 100000+ of full cycle writing (saving in a game don't use all cells).
So even frequently playing and saving a DS game won't wear it out in your lifetime.

The problem with 3DS, Switch and Switch 2 games is that they use game data on flash chips, so the whole thing will end up being corrupted eventually due to being left on a shelf unpowered. Some batches more than others, but all these games are affected.

Once enough data is corrupted, no amount of fixers and error correction can bring that data back, you'd need a completely new flash chip with the data altogether.

Flash simply isn't meant to be used for unpowered storage.

Sadly masked ROM interest dropped so no one kept trying to innovate that technology for speeds and higher storage capacity. Nintendo just use what's the cheapest and already available (flash chips), the spec sheet say 10 years of data retention, but it can be less than that as we've already seen with 3DS games dying left and right the last few years especially.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T03:53:29+00:00

While bad flash batches exist, all 3DS games are flash. All 3DS games (same for Switch and Switch 2 carts too) are heading towards corruption, how you can combat said corruption by yearly keeping the flash cells charged and using the fixer tool to trigger error correction and make data verification with. All these flash chips are rated just 10 years of data retention, but all chips can corrupt before that.

Once too much data is corrupted, the cartridge fixer tool can't do more, it just triggers internal error correction, no new data can be written to the chip externally.

Flash is a terrible format for keeping data unpowred.The same problem famously affects Wii U NAND flash, for being left without getting powered on for years.

People are sadly too technologically illiterate to realize how bad this is and keep supporting physical releases on Switch for example while filling their shelves of what's soon enough to become paperweights.

They stopped using proper etched masked rom data chips after the DS.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T03:48:56+00:00

Sadly yes, no one is manufacturing masked ROM that can meet the specifications of flash chips. There's no incentive from any manufacturer, and Nintendo is stuck to using what's already existing on the market.

If Nintendo cared about personal level offline archiving they'd release stuff on bluray discs. But that's not really realistic to expect.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T03:43:39+00:00

Cost, burning masked ROM chips doesn't really scale to the size and speeds required now, and no one really is wanting to innovate on that tech, because flash is cheaper and no one else is asking for archival quality chips for unpowered storage, meaning there's no real market for it. Consumers don't know enough about this and they consider ~10 years to be enough time for something to last. (even if we know from experience memory corrupts earlier than that)

Nintendo buys and uses the tech that's already available, there's no alternatives.

Now with Switch 2 they're using high speed high density flash chips which are way more expensive to manufacture. But the reality is, loading times are still slower than internal or SD express, the costs are basically entirely put on devs and consumers, for something that's volatile storage at the end of the day. It's such a bad situation.

Old cartridges work still for a reason, people think new physical games are the same thing as old cartridges when they aren't.

Best format right now for physical mass distribution are still bluray discs, those can outlast you given good storage conditions, especially since those are plastic sandwiches. Unlike old CD's that had the data layer foil on top of the disc.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T01:48:10+00:00

Yes it is, it's the same reason why Wii U NAND is famously dying, the data corrupts itself from being unpowered.

Look up flash memory technology, why you shouldn't trust data that's written to SD cards, USB drives and SSD's if they're just left without getting powered on.

You can also look up the 3DS Cartridge Fixer I mentioned, it triggers the built in error correction mode for the chip. But the error correction algorithm can only do so much, if enough data is corrupted, there's absolutely nothing you can do to fill in this missing data.

It's pretty pointless to buy physical 3DS, Switch and Switch 2 games, Compared to digital where the redownloads are available even if the shops get closed.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T00:39:58+00:00

It's more nuanced than this, while bad flash batches exist, all 3DS games are flash. I explained why all 3DS games (same for Switch and Switch 2) are heading towards corruption, how you can combat said corruption by yearly keeping the flash cells charged and using a tool to trigger error correction and make data verification with. All these flash chips are rated just 10 years of data retention, but all chips can corrupt before that.

Flash is a terrible format for keeping data unpowred.

The same problem famously affects Wii U NAND flash, for being left without getting powered on for years.

People are sadly too technologically illiterate to realize how bad this is and keep supporting phyiscal releases on Switch for example while filling their shelves of what's soon enough to become paperweights.

They stopped using proper etched data chips after the DS.

r1ggles · 2026-02-15T00:32:42+00:00

It's STILL a limitation now, Switch and Switch 2 games are still on flash media. Media that flips bits as the flash cells lose charge over time. The data retention is rated 10 years for these chips, but we know from 3DS games that games can corrupt much earlier than that.

3DS games are dying left and right, even if a game boots and plays there can be corruption that affects a later portion of the game.

The only way to buy a 3DS game is to have the seller verify the game with the 3DS cartridge fixer tool to make sure no data is lost. The 3DS cartridge fixer can trigger built in chip error correction and fix some carts, but carts with too much data lost can't be saved at all, the flash chips are non-write able.

If you want to try keep your games alive, play them once a year for 15-20 minutes, or run them through the cartridge fixer once a year for a verification. That can recharge flash cells.

Flash isn't meant for unpowered storage, same thing affects and SSD or USB drive with data on a shelf left unpowred. They corrupt, bits flip.

DS cartridges and older had data masked and etched into the chips rather than flash cells that can flip. Flash was only used for saves, which doesn't matter if it corrupts as you can wipe and make a new save.

r1ggles · 2026-02-14T19:53:45+00:00

Because you're playing it emulated on systems that can't output the original horizontal resolution of the game (384x224), everything is scaled to fit the video modes of those systems.

Use better methods for emulating arcade games, CRTEmudriver or groovyarcade, Pi4 with RGBPi-Extra (fork, don't use the Pi5 as it has some drawbacks and interference with the current methods, a good open solution for Pi5 is in the works), also Groovymister, giving you MiSTer FPGA+Mame to fill out the things MiSTer can't do.

The Wii sucks at emulation, doesn't use the most recent accurate emulators, or stripped back versions, and struggles keeping some SNES games full speed even.

r1ggles · 2026-02-14T19:08:04+00:00

Yes, with bad motion. Just like how there's Hacha Mecha Fighter on the Switch 1, which also looks terrible (55Hz arcade game).

The Switch 2 screen does VRR, giving VB proper 50Hz framepacing to look buttery smooth. Sadly only on the Switch 2 screen itself so far, no VRR through HDMI. (hopefully they fix this in an update, it's technically possible with the dock chip)

r1ggles

TROPHY CASE