Aluminum Switch - WIP

[binkinator]

Just got this for Father’s Day.



My waifu is the uwu-est!

 

[hippy dave]

Ah Boxy Pixel, they're supposed to be good. Let us know how you like it when it's on.

 

[peteruk]

Oooft!! That look's like it's gonna be lovely Binki, really looking forward to seeing your progress

 

[binkinator]

So quick update:

I decided to go whole hog on the joycons. I had an old pair that needed refurbishing anyway.

I went with a monochrome washed out look so I had to wait on the aluminum D pad and buttons.

Picked up some white analog joysticks.

I bought the Extremerate DFS LED kit w/ white buttons (because anything worth doing is worth making it difficult on yourself!)

Since everything else was changing I simply couldn’t keep the green LEDs on the inside of each joycon so I got the white Extremerate Firefly kit.

Had a mishap with the shoulder buttons..smashed one trying to get the new button in place. Ordered a new ”button on a ribbon cable” thingie. Sorted. Then I promptly broke off one of the buttons on the circuit board pulling up traces in the process. throws toys

Bought a $20 used joycon off eBay. waiting intensifies It arrives and is in better shape than mine so I pulled everything out and put in the better parts.

Today I’m essentially done but when I did a dry fire test of everything before buttoning it all up…my Firefly kit turns to be stock green. WTF! In addition, turns out the DFS kit doesn’t do white (reading product descriptions is fundamental!)

Sooooo, I just now pulled everything apart in disbelief and kicked my cat.

I have a replacement Firefly kit in the mail. Will be here this week…at which point I’ll hopefully be done and can publish the finished product.

I’m getting too old for this shit!

 

[binkinator]

Joycons are done…front and back shells are next.

 

[Blauhasenpopo]

Soooo....do you have a link to the boxy pixel thingy

 

[randy_w]

That looks so cool. A full aluminum console would feel awesome in hands, but at the same time I still want to keep the transparent back cover...

Since you are removing the screen to replace the front bezel, I'd like to recommend one of those "fully assembled screens" on aliexpress. Don't think many people talked about them before but it's definitely an upgrade over the stock screen. Basically the LCD screen and digitizer are glued together with UV glue and it has less reflections under sunlight. Bought one several months ago to replace a broken screen and was very happy about the outcome.

 

[linuxares]

hot damn that looks awesome!

 

[peteruk]

That looks absolutely beautiful, you're doing a great job on this project. I'm proper jealous as it's probably the best looing Switch I've seen

 

[rantex92]

Soooo....do you have a link to the boxy pixel thingy

here https://www.boxypixel.com/

 

[hippy dave]

Nifty. How do you rate the d-pad?

 

[DinohScene]

Oh damn that's neat!

 

[lordelan]

Since everything relies on wireless communication (Joy-Cons with Bluetooth, Switch with WiFi) I'm not so sure how wise it is to use a metal shell. Anything I'm overseeing here?

 

[Blauhasenpopo]

I’m getting too old for this shit!

Sums up everything

 

[binkinator]

That looks so cool. A full aluminum console would feel awesome in hands, but at the same time I still want to keep the transparent back cover...

my Trinket soldering job is nothing I want on display! Besides, you already did a fantastic job on the fully transparent look. :-)

Link to transparent shells install w/ white Trinket

Since you are removing the screen to replace the front bezel, I'd like to recommend one of those "fully assembled screens" on aliexpress. Don't think many people talked about them before but it's definitely an upgrade over the stock screen. Basically the LCD screen and digitizer are glued together with UV glue and it has less reflections under sunlight. Bought one several months ago to replace a broken screen and was very happy about the outcome.

This guy?
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803429524571.html
Looks fantastic!
Any issues with digitizer glue misalignment or dead pixels? Hard to install as one unit? Might be with the risk regardless for just 2 yuppie bucks. ;-)

That looks absolutely beautiful, you're doing a great job on this project. I'm proper jealous as it's probably the best looing Switch I've seen

Appreciate the cheers, mate! It’s not so glam behind the scenes, trust. Lots of smashing things (by accident and on purpose).

Nifty. How do you rate the d-pad?

I went out of my way to buy the dpad and buttons and had to wait for them to ship (forgot to ask the waifu) and…well…

…they complete the look of the kit very well but they wobble/rattle around, are a bit “clicky” and make a tiny bit more noise than stock.
Definitely more show than go!
They do have a “silky”(?) feel to them and I think they look cool. So far they don’t adversely impact gameplay but due to the noise I might replace them with the white/transparent set that came with the DFS kit later on. It was one yuppie buck for the set so I’m definitely happy with the purchase. Just being honest.

The boxypixel aluminum shells are the absolute bomb BTW. Love them!

Since everything relies on wireless communication (Joy-Cons with Bluetooth, Switch with WiFi) I'm not so sure how wise it is to use a metal shell. Anything I'm overseeing here?

You’re not wrong. Theres a slight degradation over stock and I’ve only done the joycons. I expect more attenuation when I wrap the Switch itself in metal. A faraday cage around your RF is definitely counter to what most people are looking for. My thoughts are that I play this one in handheld like 99.9% of the time and I sit in the same room as my wifi so I don’t need meters of reception. I have another legit Switch that sits in its dock for playing Online w/ my kid that’s hooked up to the TV that won‘t be getting the same treatment for precisely this reason.

 

[MartyDreamy]

Joycons are done…front and back shells are next.

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Hooooly shit, that looks amazing. Like a completely new console.

 

[BaamAlex]

Link to transparent shells install w/ white Trinket

But the white chip isn't a trinket

 

[binkinator]

But the white chip isn't a trinket

You’re absolutely technically correct! (and I have come to expect nothing less from you.)

@randy_w chose a white RCMX86

(similar to this one but unlikely the exact one)

 

[CompSciOrBust]

Saw the backplate alone on AliExpress a while ago but they were ~£50, which is too much for just a backplate imo. Cool to see someone with everything assembled (minus the faceplate). The LEDs shining from under the Joycon buttons looks really fucking cool contracting with the metal imo.

 

[randy_w]

Any issues with digitizer glue misalignment or dead pixels? Hard to install as one unit? Might be with the risk regardless for just 2 yuppie bucks. ;-)

The one I got is perfect, no issue at all. Installation is easy, just need to use double sided tape to glue the screen to your new front bezel (tape isn't included with the screen). If you do want to get one, try buying from a store with more reviews like this one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003027582486.html