DSi Prototypes

Overview

Shell Differences

• The shells have a glossy finish, similar to the back of the top screen of a Nintendo DSi XL, and similar to some Nintendo DSi non-working shelf units
• The color is typically off-white
• The button prints are darker than the ones on a white retail Nintendo DSi
• There are no prints for POWER, START, SELECT, or any of the icons for "on", "charging" or "wireless connections"
• There are no prints on the back, only the serial or occasionally a sticker marking the unit's purpose

Prototype Firmware

DSi prototypes usually have a very limited firmware. There is an autoboot only Launcher (no accessible menu), and a limited settings app which is often unavailable. There are firmware versions with a full home menu and set of apps, but most times the prototype firmware was compiled to be limited for uses like factory firmware where a menu is not needed.

- MachineSettings

Each prototype comes with a copy of MachineSettings, the internal equivalent to the DSi System Settings app. The options in the app have been listed below, though each version will have settings added or removed depending on the purpose (eg. factory firmware MachineSettings has the bare mininum as it is only used for basic tests).

• LANGUAGE - Changes the language. Depending on the console's region, there are 8 different languages. This specific unit was set to Japanese.
• DATE & TIME - Allows you to change the time & date of the unit.
• USER INFORMATION - Allows you to change user data, like the unit name, birthday and personal message.
• PARENTAL CONTROLS - Enables or disables Parental Controls, featuring a rating lock, target age, organization (CERO, PEGI or ESRB), set a password, a "Secret Question ID" and letting you change the secret question.
• COUNTRY SELECT - Lets you change the country you live in. You can select every single country availible across all final system versions.
• TOUCH PANEL - Allows you to calibrate the touch screen. The test mode is also different. Rather then having 4 dots in the corners, you can drag a cursor around the screen.
• FREESOFT BOX - A debugging feature for the launcher, allowing you to change the amount of open application slots and filling them as well with a placeholder. On a retail DSi, there are 39 slots.
• WIRELESS - Allows you to turn on or off wireless connections, like Nintendo WFC or Download Play.
• EULA - Forces the unit to accept or deny the EULA without going online. You can also accept different EULA versions.
• MACHINE CLEAN UP - Clears the user settings and formats the unit.

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Hardware Modifications

Some prototype DSis were used in a factory setting (needs citation) and have had wires attached to allow for external control.

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  Wires attached to the GND and reset pins on the battery board. This allows the DSi to be turned on and off externally.

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  Wires attatched to the A button.

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  Wires attached to the C90 and C13 resistors. Connecting them on a retail DSi results in an immediate shut off.

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  A pair of X6 prototypes. There are wires visible from the sides of the units.

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  A pair of X6 prototypes. Both have a ribbon cable coming out from the hinge. This is in the same location as the screen ribbon cable.

Serials

Prototype serials start with "AAA", followed by either "PP", or "mPP". Serials containing "PP" likely mean PreProduction, and ones with "mPP" likely mean Mass PreProduction. The serials of released prototypes are listed below.

• AAAPP2BG2356 (X4 from Voodooween)
• AAAMPP3EH529 (X6 from MarioDS64)

TWL-CPU-X4

CPU-X4, formally known as the Japanese Nintendo DSi Prototype, is a prototype that was used for development of Nintendo DS or DSi software. This unit is completely different from a retail unit; the TwlIPL repo leaked as a part of the 2020 Zammis Clark breach dates the software that this unit runs to be around April 2, 2008, several months before the release of the DSi. Unlike most autoboot prototype firmwares MachineSettings will be booted when no cartridge is inserted.

The first images originated from private conversations between Trash_Bandatcoot and ProtonX on December 18th 2018.

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  Image of the front, turned on.

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  The back, with a yellow sticker translating to "For development only".

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  Another image of the front, closed.

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  A better image of the back.

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  Another image of the front.

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  There's nothing stopping you from running development carts.

Motherboard

TWL-CPU-X6

Unlike other prototypes that have all white shells, the X6 prototypes have a black inner-top shell. This model was most likely used in a factory out of any others and has had 4 reported cases of the hardware modifications listed earlier. The X6 appears to be retail. The first release came from MarioDS64.

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There was another X6 posted on GBAtemp by HI_Ricky.

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  The front.

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  Only the bottom DSi is a prototype, the top one is retail.

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  The back of the prototype, with a green sticker that was pulled off. Perhaps this was a DSi checked by the FCC?

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  Side by side.

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  Side by side, again.