Hey folks, been away for a bit, but I'm back!

I've got a question here about DS games. So, I was cleaning one with a tiny q-tip, but even that was way too big to actually properly get between the plastic strands on the pins of the DS game. In the process of cleaning I accidentally snapped two of those strands off.

My question is, what's the point of them? I put the game in and it runs fine, but is there any risk to either the game or the system to keep using it with a couple plastic strands gone? They don't seem to have any purpose, but I figured I'd ask.

Before anyone says, next time I clean a DS game I'll use a toothbrush probably, so as to get in between the strands more safely!

Hey guys, so after a little observation and deduction, I believe I have figured out the purpose of those plastic strands... I guess we can call this a "self-help" thread from now on, lol!

Initially, I was concerned that perhaps the strands acted as some sort of necessary guide-rail for either the cart itself or the pin connector inside the DS. However, the flimsiness of the strands combined with the fact that the pin connector never actually touches them quickly ruled out this possibility. I then figured perhaps there was an electronic purpose to the strands, separating the pins on the cart, but the strands are neither integrated into the PCB nor even attached to it, and there is already a space between where each pin is printed anyway, so again this seemed ridiculous.

So, what are they for? Other than being a relatively neat design feature, functionally they would seem to act as a sort of finger/foreign object guard for the pins. Obviously the DS was designed for use in a wide range of environments and by a wide range of people, particularly children. So, the plastic strands simply prevent stubby, jelly-coated little fingers from prodding the pins! The guard is also sufficient, it would seem, to prevent ease of access by q-tips, so lesson learned!




Oh, and if anyone was wondering, the game I broke the strands off is Ecolis: Save the Forest, which I picked up for around 2.50 on a recent trip to the UK. So, no great loss!  

They are there to help DS consoles that have slightly bent pins. They simply act as guides.

I noticed that on the leading edge of the cart the strands connect to the plastic shell to create a series of small ridges that do correspond to the gaps between each pin in the connector. (See the photo to get what I mean.) These would seem to help align the cart in the DS properly, and fortunately they have not been affected or impeded by the strands breaking off.

I'm not sure if the strands themselves would be necessary for guiding DS games into proper contact with the pin connector, I would assume that the ridges and remaining strands on this particular cart would be sufficient to do that?

they dont have a purpose. i have an action replay and flash cards with out plastic guides.