The DS Flash cart scene has a reputation problem. Long-running brands have a habit of engineering expiration dates into their hardware, leaving buyers holding a brick after a year or two. The DSpico wants to be a different kind of answer to that problem, and it’s now easier than ever to get your hands on one.
Originally announced in November 2025 after four years of development by LNH Team, a group dedicated to preserving classic consoles and software, the DSpico is billed as the world’s first open-source Nintendo DS and DSi flash cart. The project is split into two components: the cartridge itself and an app launcher compatible with existing DS flash cart options already on the market. Because every part of the DSpico is open-source, anyone can build one, modify one, or improve on it freely.
That openness is now paying off in a practical way. The cart is available in pre-assembled form from two separate retailers: Phenom Mod, where it’s listed at $20, and Laser Bear Industries, where it goes for $30. It’s worth noting that neither retailer is affiliated with the LNH Team itself. The open-source license on the project permits exactly this kind of third-party commercial production, so the availability is entirely above board, even if the original developers aren’t seeing a cut.
The open design also has some future-proofing baked in on the hardware side. There’s no infrared support currently, but a development port on the cart is there specifically to allow users to build and attach peripherals, with an infrared expansion board cited as one potential use case.
The elephant in the room with any DS flash cart is Nintendo, which has historically been aggressive in pursuing legal action against flash cart manufacturers and retailers. The open-source nature of DSpico could offer some insulation from that kind of pressure, though that’s by no means guaranteed.
For DS owners tired of flash carts with built-in self-destruct timers, the DSpico is at least a refreshingly transparent alternative. Whether it holds up in daily use is a question retailers and early adopters will start answering now that it’s shipping.
DSpico
Source: Time Extension and Macho Nacho
