Unresponsive shoulder buttons on Nintendo DS family systems

Ever since the Nintendo DSi, Every single DS that I have owned has quickly ran into a problem where the shoulder buttons would become unresponsive. Most recently, I picked up a New 3DS on black Friday to replace my old one, which had unresponsive shoulder buttons.

The problem is fairly common among owners of the systems and there are temporary tricks on how to fix it, such as blowing air underneath the shoulder buttons, and with tutorials on the temporary fixes being fairly widespread, and I can go as far as to say you can even find them on Nintendo's own social media platforms like Flipnote Hatena and Miiverse. So why is it that Nintendo has never fixed this issue that was not even present in the DS/DS lite models but every model afterward?

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Sage and mock all you want but the system is still on store shelves

I recall some user with either a psp or vita saying that his shoulder buttons would lock up too. I think this is a problem with handhelds in general.

Bullshit, that was a common problem with the lite models, even the phat if it falls on something hard enough.

You know, I've never once had a problem with the shoulder buttons on any of Nintendo's handhelds. In fact I don't recall ever having a handheld break on me full stop. It sometimes makes me wonder what the fuck people are doing with their handhelds to keep having these kinds of issues. I mean I've heard all of the horror stories about dodgy shoulder buttons, broken hinges, etc., but the only gaming devices of any kind I've had break on me are two Xbox 360 controllers (from memory they both ended up with a barely functioning shoulder button, those things have the worst fucking build quality, I've had third party controllers that lasted longer).

In fact the only problems I've ever really had with any of Nintendo's handhelds is that the top screen on my old 3DS XL one day got a piece of dust or something stuck inside the screen and it was impossible to remove, and the top screen also developed marks from touching the bottom screen's edges (not sure how that happened either considering it had a screen protector on it from the second I took it out of the box). I suppose that 3DS was from a bad batch or something, haven't had any problems with my current N3DS XL, yet.

I do wish they'd move away from glossy plastic though. Shit is just a massive fingerprint magnet and seems to attract 10x more dirt and grime than usual

Also holy shit fix posting already Codemonkey, I had to split my post up just to get it to post successfully.

The DS Lite had shoulder button issues too; my prior one had them become extremely finicky. It's just that Nintendo used to do free repairs once they acknowledged the Lite had an issue with that.

What I've taken to doing with the one I've had since then is that, rather the carry it around in my pocket (where the way pockets are made are liable to wear the shoulder buttons down), I have a mesh travel case that can clip onto a belt loop if I need to take it somewhere. Since doing that, I haven't encountered any shoulder button issues with my current one (though it might also be a factor that I got it as one of the last wave of unused Lites, as opposed to preowned like my original one).

Nope. I've had a PSP since the 2000 model launched, and the shoulder buttons have never been an issue. I've also never heard of people having issues with them before on the PSP. The PSP's real technical issue was that shitty nub for a joystick. It started giving me issues after a year, and several years later, it got so bad that there was no way to play any game that required the joystick. Fortunately, PPSSPP was a thing by the time it got that bad.

I have repaired stuff like that before, compressed air underneath the buttons is not enough, you have to open the system and use dielectric spray on the switches, it usually fixes the problem for a long while, once the buttons stop responding at all is time for a replacement, the switches are easy to replace though, provided you know how to solder.

Side note: Xbox controller bumpers can have the same problem since they use the same type of switch.


You haven't heard of Nintendium before?

just slap it against the table, works every time

The shoulder buttons aren't an airtight design and moisture gets on the contact surfaces and corrodes them, making the electrical contact get shittier until it stops working entirely. It happens faster to people who keep the system in their pants pocket where it's humid from your sweat (even if you're not a fat fuck you still sweat slightly) but it can also happen to systems kept in "dry" environments just from the moisture in the air.
It can be repaired but it's a huge pain in the ass to do. Why they never fixed the design is a mystery. Oh wait no it's not, it's because nintendo has gone to shit and doesn't care about their customers anymore.

Source: I've repaired a DS Lite's shoulder buttons myself because when I sent it back to nintendo for repair under warranty, they returned it to me without fixing it because "moisture" is a condition the warranty doesn't cover. They claimed it's my fault for spilling something on it or dropping it in water, when it never touched any surface besides my desk, my pocket, or my hands for its entire life. The rest of the info about how to repair it and why this problem happens was sourced from GBATemp and similar forums.

i had a problem with unresponsive buttons on a logitech gamepad. i took it apart and there was dust under the buttons. its been working like a charm for years after i cleaned it. the shoulders on 3ds are pretty loose, i wonder if thats all it is.

But they were. Shoulder buttons are pretty fucking fragile.
Maybe it's because the design can't be fixed? You just said it yourself shoulder buttons aren't airtight. Good luck trying to design airtight shoulder buttons.

It's probably dust and moisture from the air.

Shoulder buttons are a pain in the ass in general and a great demonstration why you should always keep your electronics in a dry and cold place if possible. Also microswitches > membrane/vaccum cap shit.

It's not just moisture and the contact failing; the spring that holds the shoulder button in place is super cheap.

blow into the shoulder button

I had this problem and this is how I fixed it:

1. Order a triangular screwdriver to get it open "Nintendo Screwdriver".
2. Get the shell off.
3. Cleaning alcohol on a Q-tip, soak and scrub all over the shoulder button mechanisms.
4. Let it sit for half a day to dry out.
5. Works.
6. Repeat as necessary.

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I'm sure he has heard of it. But you know damn well they haven't used it for ten years now.

This happened to my 3DS a week ago but I keep mashing it and then it got better.

Ironically, I don't have that problem with my New 3DS XL. I have something worse- the up part of the D-pad is desensitized instead, and I seem to be having trouble getting the thing to register cartridges half the time. Might have to try more games to confirm that second one, though.

My Old 3DS, that i bought used and i'm pretty sure the guy whom i bought it from also bought it used, always worked perfectly, but for some months now the R button keeps locking up and stops working until i blow on it, but after a while it stops working again. Should i take it apart and try to clean it or there's something less "drastic" i can try?