Topic: Cracked Hinges on 3DS?

Earlier today I noticed for the first time two cracks on the right hinge of my 3DS. Nothing too major, just some hairline fractures, but experience has taught me that they're only going to get worse.

Anyone else here who's dealt with cracked hinges? Have you just lived with it or found a decent solution to fix it?

Well if you go the repair route I suggest contact Nintendo. You can set up a repair through them and it shouldn't be too expensive.

Unfortunately Nintendo stopped offering repair services for 3DS's a while ago.

@N00BiSH As far as I remember, the hinges on 3DS are part of the shell so are not that easy to replace - It's basically a partial shell replacement to fix it. Also, the ribbon cables for the top screen go through one of the hinges, so there's a chance you can damage those while taking it apart/putting it back together. Should be loads of videos on YouTube showing how to do it.

Never tried it myself, but apparently gently heating it with a hairdryer or heat gun might be enough to soften it and seal up the cracks. Just be careful you don't use too much heat and melt the plastic though.

@dmcc0 In that case, I'd be better off trying to find a good professional to repair it for me - I'm not exactly comfortable with performing console surgery myself.

I tried fixing my 3DS XL myself back in the day after learning that the official repair route in Finland via Bergsala would've taken a month and cost almost 100€. I thought I'd rather try replacing it myself since the part itself was under 5€.

It didn't work out. I had hard time taking the unit apart and the end result was a disaster. I ended up getting a New 3DS XL to replace the old system. I had done a system transfer to my old regular 3DS beforehand so nothing valuable was lost.

Not the proudest moment in my life but paying 100€ for such a minor thing was out of question.