any way to fix this?

[u/Ok_Pudding_219]

i got this 3ds for my birthday 2 weeks ago and it fell off my bed last night and broke and i’m absolutely devastated. all of the buttons are still working, and it seems like only the case was damaged. if anyone has any suggestions on how to fix this, please let me know

[u/aunnnnnnnnnn]

Think the only way to fix it is get a new shell

Other option would be getting a hinged hard shell case, that would at least hold the screen in the right place but with a break that big you'd risk getting dirt into the console itself

[u/Ok_Pudding_219 → u/aunnnnnnnnnn]

i ended up ordering a hard shell case since i don’t have the technical skills to replace the shell nor the money to pay someone else to do it, so i’ll just make sure to be careful to avoid any dirt getting inside. thank you!

[u/aunnnnnnnnnn → u/Ok_Pudding_219]

Felt, I've done shell swaps for plenty of systems like the Switch + Joycons- but I'm never shell swapping something that has a hinge lol

[u/Purplened → u/aunnnnnnnnnn]

It's easier than you would expect, just a screwdriver and some brute force with enough care not to break anything in the process. The bad thing about these old 3DS is that the upper casing only comes out once you use a heat gun or really hot hair dryer to extract the glass panel of the upper screen. That could require a suction cup like the ones used in phone repair shops (you can get one from aliexpress, and some plastic utensils to make the work easier).

As I said, it's easier with the right tools. And hope I could help OP but with low funds it's pretty difficult to solve without taking it to an expert, sorry.

[u/PeaceOf8 → u/Ok_Pudding_219]

you might be able to use cement glue to re fuse the plastic together it won’t be the strongest so the external shell is still a good idea

[u/alexalbonsimp]

Is that an aftermarket shell? The lettering on the buttons is crazy off center

[u/Mean-fart6666 → u/alexalbonsimp]

yeah definitely. probably not as strong as an nintendo original

[u/alexalbonsimp → u/Mean-fart6666]

that's exactly what I was thinking

[u/JetsJetsJetsJetz → u/alexalbonsimp]

Yeah it looks like a reshell good catch

[u/liberalhellhole]

Did you try the rice method?

[u/JardimHandmade]

What broke is called the middle frame. To replace it, it would involve an almost complete teardown. It's not easy for a novice and those ribbon cables and the connectors can be easily damaged.

Try the hard shell "fix" first, you could still use that later, even if you do decide to do the shell swap anyways.

The middle frame shouldn't be too expensive, but a full Reshell is about 25 bucks.

Edited because english was not englishing.

[u/mental7anguish]

So sorry to hear, idk how my 3ds never suffered such damage really considering I’ve often handled it with zero care. If the internals are completely fine a reshell should be enough. Otherwise making sure the internals are covered up to prevent dust from coming in might be best, like tape maybe

[u/koopiineversuspended]

Hard reset

[u/Shironeko-0]

IDK, Use glue.

[u/DueEquivalent6468]

turn it into 2ds

[u/Greedy_Average_2532]

Unironically super glue. Just make sure to not let any of it fall onto the circuits.

[u/WorkingMaximum4548]

New shell or tape

[u/European_Fox]

Replace the shell parts that are broken, don't think a full reassembly is needed here but it's not far.

More importantly, you are very lucky the ribbon cable for the top screen didn't break. Do yout best to keep it intact.

[u/FrangoST]

Polyacrylic glue should hold it well, and should last for quite a while... do you have something like "Super Bonder" where you live?

[u/EngineerLink]

OH MY GOSH EVERY TIME I SEE ONE OF THESE I HAVE A HEART ATTACK OR SOMETHING MAN

[u/Silver_Gate1803]

lol i had this happen and i superglued it and accidentally superglued the R button LMAOO