The Chinese Guy has just posted a video showcasing the new backlight mod for Bandai’s Wonderswan. The replacement screen is the same size as the original and seems to be high quality with no screen tearing or shimmering; The video claims the screen is a pixel-perfect, integer scale of the original screen and even includes the same status bar on the side. I’d be interested to see how the mod looks in person, as the original WonderSwan screen runs at 75Hz. Supposedly this screen runs at a higher refresh rate, so I’m not sure if WonderSwan purists would notice a difference.
There are a few downsides of this screen replacement mod. First, you’ll get significantly less battery life after this is installed…and while it is compatible with the Flash Masta ROM cart, that will drain the life even more. Also, you’re required to cut some of the plastic on the inside in order to make it fit (click for full-sized picture):
While inside cuts aren’t as bad as cutting on the outside of a console, what if a few years from now a better screen is released that requires no cutting at all? You’d have damaged your WonderSwan for nothing, which is why I’m such a believer in #nocutmods.
Overall, this seems to be a good upgrade for WS fans, but it’s not perfect. Mike Moffit found some issues with it with one major problem:
“Games that extend the vertical blank, and run at lower rates like 60Hz (like Fire Lancer) show up too low on the screen and can not be played.“
Mike’s still waiting on a reply from the creator about the issues he found, but overall it sounds like a promising solution. If you can’t wait for more info or a future revision, maybe just try to find one that’s already a bit cosmetically damaged so you won’t feel bad cutting the plastic? For lots more details and great footage of the screen in action, check out the video above!
Backlit Screen Purchase Link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=593853017896
