Tri-wing Y: three sizes, three families of machines

The three-wing screw doesn't come in a single size, and that is the most common source of mistakes when taking apart handheld consoles. The Y 0.6 is found on small mechanisms and controllers, the Y 1.5 on mainstream handhelds, the Y 2.0 on the thickest shells. All three are offered here, individually or together.

What it does

• The three common sizes: 0.6, 1.5 and 2.0 mm, where most general-purpose sets include only one.
• Sold individually: get the size you're missing, not a whole kit.
• Set of three: the full variant covers nearly every three-wing screw you'll come across on gaming hardware.

What it doesn't do

• Does not open home console cartridges or shells: those use 3.8 and 4.5 mm cylindrical security screws, a completely different screw head.
• Contains no Phillips screwdriver: once the shell is open, the motherboard needs another screwdriver.
• The size is read on the screw, not on the console: the same machine can use different screws depending on the revision.
• Entry-level steel: a tri-wing tip is thin by nature and rounds off quickly if you turn before pressing down.
• Supplied without console and without games.

Compatibility

Y 0.6: small internal screws, controllers and compact modules.
Y 1.5: Game Boy Advance SP, DS, DS Lite shells and most clamshell handhelds.
Y 2.0: thicker shells, including some Game Boy and Game Boy Color revisions.
Does not cover 3.8 and 4.5 mm security screws, Phillips screws or Torx screws.

Skill level

No soldering, no cutting. The right habit: look at the screw before ordering. A tip that's too big won't go in; a tip that's too small spins in the screw head and destroys it in two turns. Have a plastic spudger on hand to separate the shell halves.

In the box

• Depending on the variant chosen: a tri-wing Y 0.6, Y 1.5 or Y 2.0 screwdriver, or the set of three.

Read before ordering: Screwdrivers & bits · Workshop & modding