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Trying to make a long story short: I have had my 3DS since December 2011 (got it as a Christmas gift), and I've played it with varying frequency throughout the years. It was around 2017 that I started noticing that my 3DS battery tended to run out faster than it had before, and that it charged more quickly than what I was used to as well. At the time, I simply chalked it up as my 3DS getting old, as well as some games being more graphically intense than others, since some games lasted one hour before needing to be recharged while others took 2 or 3, and the graphics and animations of said games varied wildly. While I was surprised by how quickly I needed to charge my 3DS when playing Fates back in July, it was during the month of October that I thought it was becoming a more serious issue. I had bought Metal Gear Solid 3D and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (As I decided I wouldn't have much luck hoping they would eventually show up some time at a game store, much less at a reasonable price, so I bought physical copies online), and when I started playing the former, my 3DS ran out of power in the middle of the first cutscene. Even when playing Shadow Dragon, the game barely lasted 10 minutes before the red light blinked desperately, and it charged in less time than that. Since I never had issue with DS games draining the batter quickly, I knew something was up. I still managed to play these games, but I had to be permanently have my 3DS hooked up to a charger, and now my 3DS can barely stay on for more than 5 seconds before turning off again if it's not plugged in. Today, when trying to complete Metal Gear Solid 3D, my 3DS quit in the middle of the session. I don't know if I bumped something or what, but I decided enough was enough, and opened the back of the case to see what had happened to the battery. I took some pictures, which are shown in the spoiler below: Since this is the first time I've encountered a technical issue like this before, I have a few questions: - Are there any dangers I should know about from playing with a possibly swollen battery? - Could I keep using this one until I replace it, or should I throw it out? - Would it even be worthwhile to replace the battery, or am I better off just getting a new 3DS? - Are there any specific things may have caused this issue (like the surrounding temperature or how long I kept it charged and so on) or is it just a result of my 3DS being nearly 8 years old? Thanks in advance for your answers. If there are any other things you believe I should know or questions you have to ask, feel free to put them down.