Nyko built an 8x optical zoom lens for the Nintendo DSi, a handheld with a 640x480 pixel camera. The lens clipped onto a purpose-built case that wrapped the original DSi shell. The console launched in November 2008 with two cameras as a selling point, but the hardware was underpowered from day one.
YouTuber gavff dug up this accessory and tested it, then went further, mounting a full telescopic lens to shoot the Moon. The Moon shot matters for one specific reason: no AI post-processing, no computational photography faking detail that was never captured. What you see is what the sensor actually resolved. The video also covers the Mad Catz flash unit that drew power directly from the DSi charge port.
Read the full Hackaday writeup and watch the video to see how far usable image quality actually extends on a 640x480 sensor with real optical magnification, and what the Mad Catz flash physically looks like attached to the console. It sits alongside a growing wave of DS hardware hacks in 2026, including a multiplayer port of Super Mario 64.
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