Hacking Group Discovered Nintendo DS Lite Had A TV Output Feature

When it comes to Nintendo the company has had success not only for potable handheld gaming along for traditional console platforms. However, it seems like for quite a few years now the company has been attempting to bridge both these mediums in one. We didn’t see this really take off until the launch of the Nintendo Wii U, but now there’s evidence that points to a hybrid console gimmick coming all the way back to the Nintendo DS.

That’s right the first incarnation of the DS lineup was originally planned to feature a TV output function. A group called Lost Nintendo History, which aims to provide marketing materials and original software restores for fans to enjoy, discovered the scrapped feature. There are quite a few of these groups out there that attempt to preserve gaming history. In fact, one of the more big headlines to come out was the discovery of a nearly final build of Dinosaur Land, an IP that was meant for the Nintendo 64 by developers Rare but was reworked for the Star Fox IP.

This discovery shows that the Nintendo DS Lite originally a TV output mode that was disabled. This would allow players to connect their handhelds to a television display and enjoy video games on a bigger screen. We’re not sure just why the Nintendo company opted to scrap this feature, but the group was able to rework the software and offer a guide on how to restore this feature for everyone to enjoy.

This is an interesting discovery as it starts to show how Nintendo was aiming to connect both handheld gaming and docking the hardware to a television display for home use. For now, Nintendo is still pushing out the Nintendo Switch platform for players to enjoy both at home or on the go. With that said, there is the Nintendo Switch Lite model version that completely drops the docking system for home television display while coming in at a cheaper price point for players that want a dedicated handheld gaming system. 

Source: Gamesradar