DS / 3DS Cartridge Slot Design

[Jedi QuestMaster]

I remember a colleague saying how much they liked the iMac's SD card slot (which is non spring-loaded). I didn't understand this at the time; I always liked spring-loaded slots.

Now I know...

Fast forward four years later: I bought a 3DS. Now fast forward one more year: I finally buy a non-digital game. The cartridge slot is spring-loaded, which doesn't seem to be a problem until I realize that I now have a game in the slot, or AT LEAST THERE SHOULD BE. Often when I pull my 3DS out of my pocket or backpack, the game is ejected. My brother even accidentally ejected his game while playing it.

Is anyone else bothered by this design decision?

[calima]

That never happened for me with the DS, so it's not really a problem for me.

[Pokun]

Never happened for me on either DS or 3DS. My DS is a DS Lite and 3DS is a 3DS LL, and I don't hold my fingers anywhere near the cartridge slot on either when I play, so I don't see how that can happen.


On a related note, the SD card slot on my Japanese Wii is REALLY tight and appears to not have a spring like my USA Wii has. I have to push it in quite hard for it to go all the way in and make contact, and to pull it out I need a tweezer or similar tool. I bought it second-hand years ago, and it's one of the earlier models (Bootmii can be installed as boot2).

[FrankenGraphics]

I've never had this problem personally, but once a client needed troubleshooting support. It turned out the device in question had had its spring-loaded micro-sd card ejected.

[Pokun]

It's not a New 3DS? I just learned that the New 3DS has had the cartridge slot, stylus and power button moved to the bottom edge. I heard this could make it eject mid-game if you shift around your grip a lot during long play sessions (although I still have a hard time imagining exactly how).

The stylus being on the bottom edge sounds like a downgrade to me though.

[TmEE]

Stylus on bottom is more accessible to lefties. Getting the stylus out the right side each time to do something got old really fast... take out with one hand, pass to other or do some rotation action with the device etc.

[Pokun]

Hmm I'm a lefty myself. Although I mostly use the stylus with my right hand as games generally are designed to use the d-pad or slide pad at the same time, and I couldn't use that with my right hand. I've been using d-pads and joysticks with my left hand all my life after all (some games have a left-handed controls setting but I can't use it because of this). Games that only use the stylus like Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, or modes where you need to draw or write with the stylus are a different matter though, I can't draw or write with my right hand.

But I guess if it's on the bottom edge it's easy to take out with either hand, so maybe it's really an upgrade after all.

[rainwarrior]

If you were to make a game of shooting the spring-loaded cart out from the device, what's the furthest you can make it fly?

Hey remember how DMG Game Boys used to have a cartridge lock tab attached to the power switch?

[tepples]

Something like the UMD launcher in Garry's Mod?

From YTMND:


I say don't you know, you say you don't know


I say... Take Me Out


Seriously?

[rainwarrior]

Something like the UMD launcher in Garry's Mod?

[Pokun]

Hey remember how DMG Game Boys used to have a cartridge lock tab attached to the power switch?

Yeah when did they remove that one? Game Boy Pocket? GBC doesn't have it.