Random: This unused DS Lite feature would have effectively turned the console into a switch

© Nintendo Life

The Nintendo DS Lite was a needed refinement in 2006. Contributing to around 94 million of the 154 million DS family in sales, this slimline variant proved to be very successful, but 15 years later we didn’t expect to find out yet unused features. .

Described by the Lost Nintendo History team – which consists of “people wishing to uncover and restore the secrets of Nintendo’s software and hardware” – they discovered that the DS Lite’s SoC (System-on-Chip) can enable players display the top screen of DS games, right on your TV.

It was discovered last year, but recently brought to light by Beta 64 on Twitter. If you’re curious to try this straight out, you can find full instructions at Lost Nintendo History. Just be warned though, this requires hacking your DS Lite and additional hardware, so it’s not a simple task.

It’s still unknown why Nintendo never used this feature, but it looks a lot like the Switch hybrid concept, meaning it could have been planned for a long time. It’s a shame that we’ll never know the reasons behind Nintendo, but it’s a major find nonetheless.

Would you have used this feature in 2006? Let us know in the comments.