TechGamingGaming ConsolesYou can turn your old Nintendo DS into a working Apple Mac… no, reallyThe DS will never dieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechGamingGaming ConsolesYou can turn your old Nintendo DS into a working Apple Mac… no, reallyThe DS will never dieWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

The DS will never die

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Michael MJD)

macOS running on Nintendo DS

(Image credit: Michael MJD)

Quick SummaryA YouTuber has successfully installed an older version of macOS onto an unused Nintendo DS. He even shows you how to do it yourself.This could be a great little project to try if you also have a DS lying around.

A YouTuber has successfully installed an older version of macOS onto an unused Nintendo DS. He even shows you how to do it yourself.This could be a great little project to try if you also have a DS lying around.

A YouTuber has successfully installed an older version of macOS onto an unused Nintendo DS. He even shows you how to do it yourself.This could be a great little project to try if you also have a DS lying around.

A YouTuber has successfully installed an older version of macOS onto an unused Nintendo DS. He even shows you how to do it yourself.

This could be a great little project to try if you also have a DS lying around.

There will always be some out there who think the Nintendo DS was the best we ever had it - especially once the DS Lite was out.

Small, affordable and with a terrific library of games, it’s a classic handheld. But, in the years since it became obsolete, it’s also been a playground for homebrew experiments.

The popular handheld fromNintendowas first jailbroken long, long ago, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t still figuring out the limits of its now pretty venerable hardware.

Case in point, a recent YouTube video from creatorMichael MJD(viaTechRadar) walks you through how to get macOS running on the DS.

That’s right – this little twin-screen console is capable of running a full version of the Apple Mac operating system. Of course, there’s a catch in the form of a much older software version: macOS 6.0.8, to be precise.

Newer versions have more protections built-in and also require much beefier hardware, so you’ll be stuck on older tech.

The requirements aren’t too steep though. You need an R4 card (which acts as a microSD card reader), paired with a Macintosh Plus emulator and a program called Mini vMac DS.

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When it’s finished, the emulation setup basically makes your DS a tiny Apple Macintosh laptop, with a keyboard and trackpad system on the bottom touch screen, and the top display looking more like a laptop’s screen.

Of course, once you’ve finished this little tinkerer’s challenge you might be left wondering what to do with the thing you’ve built, and the answer might be a little bit of exploring and nostalgia tripping, and not much more.

Still, this is a really nice reminder of how adaptable some older bits of gaming hardware can be when the community has time to really figure out what they’re capable of.

Today’s best MacBook Pro dealsApple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all pricesApple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Today’s best MacBook Pro dealsApple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all pricesApple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Today’s best MacBook Pro dealsApple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all pricesApple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Today’s best MacBook Pro deals

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all pricesApple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)$1,399ViewSee all prices

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop…

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 (2023)

Amazon

$1,399View

$1,399

$1,399

See all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all prices

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)$2,798ViewSee all prices

Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop…

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 (2023)

Amazon

$2,798View

$2,798

$2,798

See all prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

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