Hacking Proof that almost all R4i-SDHC/R4iSDHC carts are literally the same carts.

[kuwanger]

Thanks for the info. Now if at some point one of the sellers ever release a non-timebomb firmware we can all just flash that one. I know personally I bought 3 of them back when I was looking for additional flash carts and before I was aware of the timebomb. That's probably the biggest thing that sadly should be included in every product description of all these carts.

 

[The Catboy]

Thanks for the info. Now if at some point one of the sellers ever release a non-timebomb firmware we can all just flash that one. I know personally I bought 3 of them back when I was looking for additional flash carts and before I was aware of the timebomb. That's probably the biggest thing that sadly should be included in every product description of all these carts.

It's not actually the firmware that contains the timebomb code, it's the kernel. Although it is true if one released a kernel without a timebomb, we can just flash the firmware from that cart to all of them, then use that kernel.

 

[kuwanger]

Although it is true if one released a kernel without a timebomb, we can just flash the firmware from that cart to all of them, then use that kernel.

Yea, that's what I meant.

 

[The Catboy]

Yea, that's what I meant.

Well they will have to release something in 2019 because they won't be making anymore money if people can't use their cart.

 

[kuwanger]

Well they will have to release something in 2019 because they won't be making anymore money if people can't use their cart.

You'd think, but I wouldn't put it past them to just tell people to set their time two years behind. Seriously, though, any sort of update is likely to just be another two year extension to the time bomb. :/

 

[AkikoKumagara]

I think my presumably fake DSTTi card is using a similar (if not the same) board. I'm not really willing to take it apart to find out any more, but I was always suspicious of its legitimacy, especially when I couldn't find any examples of genuine cards that look the same as mine (no plastic cover between cartridge pins, red PCB, etc.). Edit: Got this quite a while before the 3DS, I think, but during the DSi's lifespan.
Here's some photos of it if anyone is curious:

 

[The Catboy]

You'd think, but I wouldn't put it past them to just tell people to set their time two years behind. Seriously, though, any sort of update is likely to just be another two year extension to the time bomb. :/

Do consider, I was one the major players who caused them to release their flasher and firmware way before they planned on it doing it. They even kept claiming that the R4i-B9S wasn't going to play DS games. I kept the heat on them until they cracked and we got what we wanted. We can did this before and we can do it again

I think my presumably fake DSTTi card is using a similar (if not the same) board. I'm not really willing to take it apart to find out any more, but I was always suspicious of its legitimacy, especially when I couldn't find any examples of genuine cards that look the same as mine (no plastic cover between cartridge pins, red PCB, etc.). Edit: Got this quite a while before the 3DS, I think, but during the DSi's lifespan.
Here's some photos of it if anyone is curious:
View attachment 139765 View attachment 139766

Actually that is a legit DSTT. The DSTT team (which was actually the Supercard Team,) outsourced the cart to different manufacturers. So there's a wide verity of builds that all work the same.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Actually that is a legit DSTT. The DSTT team (which was actually the Supercard Team,) outsourced the cart to different manufacturers. So there's a wide verity of builds that all work the same.

Very interesting. Well I'm glad to hear that, even though it honestly never mattered to me either way. Thanks for the info.

 

[The Catboy]

Very interesting. Well I'm glad to hear that, even though it honestly never mattered to me either way. Thanks for the info.

It's worth noting that you can run Supercard DSOnei's version of EOS on the DSTT, you just can't launch ROMs with it. You can also run the DSTT kernel/Ysmenu on the DSONEi and launch ROMs with them too.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

It's worth noting that you can run Supercard DSOnei's version of EOS on the DSTT, you just can't launch ROMs with it. You can also run the DSTT kernel/Ysmenu on the DSONEi and launch ROMs with them too.

Oh, that's pretty cool. I use RGF's stuff usually on that card.
I also have a DSTWO (the old black revision that seems cheaply built) but it kind of fell apart so I have to put the casing together and make it fit in the console to use it.

On a side note, I recently saw something marked on the box as a SuperCard DSTWOi being sold on eBay. Was interesting to finally see a fake SC DSTWO being sold somewhere. Apparently the DSTWOi fake has been around for a few years, but it eluded me.

 

[The Catboy]

Oh, that's pretty cool. I use RGF's stuff usually on that card.
I also have a DSTWO (the old black revision that seems cheaply built) but it kind of fell apart so I have to put the casing together and make it fit in the console to use it.

On a side note, I recently saw something marked on the box as a SuperCard DSTWOi being sold on eBay. Was interesting to finally see a fake SC DSTWO being sold somewhere. Apparently the DSTWOi fake has been around for a few years, but it eluded me.

Well not to drive this topic too off topic, I am going to look into that fake cart and most likely buy one to make an educated post about it. I also have a launch DSTWO that I literally never use and is in near mint condition due to the lack of attention it gets from me. I also use Retro's files for my carts.

 

[Technicmaster0]

Well not to drive this topic too off topic, I am going to look into that fake cart and most likely buy one to make an educated post about it. I also have a launch DSTWO that I literally never use and is in near mint condition due to the lack of attention it gets from me. I also use Retro's files for my carts.

Send me a link to buy one if you find it It was sold for a very short time so it's pretty hard to get one and I never saw someone selling them.
There are PCB pics of it floating around. It's yet another DSTT clone.

 

[The Catboy]

Send me a link to buy one if you find it It was sold for a very short time so it's pretty hard to get one and I never saw someone selling them.
There are PCB pics of it floating around. It's yet another DSTT clone.

If it's a DSTT clone, then it will go full circle. Supercard team makes DSTT and someone else makes a DSTT clone of the Supercard. That's some Inception level of cloning right there.

 

[Technicmaster0]

If it's a DSTT clone, then it will go full circle. Supercard team makes DSTT and someone else makes a DSTT clone of the Supercard. That's some Inception level of cloning right there.

But are you sure that SC made DSTT? The DSONE might be a clone of the DSTT or the other way around without them beeing from the same team.

 

[The Catboy]

But are you sure that SC made DSTT? The DSONE might be a clone of the DSTT or the other way around without them beeing from the same team.

I am actually not sure where I got that information from anymore. I feel like it might have been @DinohScene who told me about them being the same team. It's actually really common for these teams to have multiple projects. Like how the R4i-SDHC and R4iSDHC are the same team, the Acekard team made the R4i Ultra, the Cyclops team made the Edge carts, etc. It was common practice for these teams to also make a cheaper alternative, although most were just better at hiding it.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Send me a link to buy one if you find it It was sold for a very short time so it's pretty hard to get one and I never saw someone selling them.
There are PCB pics of it floating around. It's yet another DSTT clone.

If it's a DSTT clone, then it will go full circle. Supercard team makes DSTT and someone else makes a DSTT clone of the Supercard. That's some Inception level of cloning right there.

It's probably not super helpful because it's already sold (unless you needed pictures of it for some reason), but I ended up tracking down that listing for it I found. Apologies again for derailing the thread.

eBay Listing

 

[Technicmaster0]

It's probably not super helpful because it's already sold (unless you needed pictures of it for some reason), but I ended up tracking down that listing for it I found. Apologies again for derailing the thread.

eBay Listing

Thanks for the pictures nontheless. It's only the second time that I see pictures of it.

/edit
For anyone interested in PCB pics (they are from the first photos I've seen):

Spoiler

 

[kuwanger]

I'm curious, do the timebombs have actually different dates? On my r4isdhc dual core 2015 the soft brick happens on September 3, 2018 (a year earlier than https://3ds.hacks.guide/ lists). Given all the other ones are listed as the same date, I wonder if all the other cards are really the same date. When that date rolls around, I'll probably try out some other firmwares since ysmenu doesn't work properly for me on this one.

 

[MarioFlying]

Nice investigation. I bought a 7,99$ R4-SDHC (non-i) last month, I needed it for a DS Lite and I figured out it was enough for me since I didn't need the functions of the RTS chip anyway. After reading this, turns out It was a fine choice. RetroGameFan's YSMenu works great for me.

Just wondering: should I get my hands on a 3DS in the future, could I backup my card's kernel, flash it with the R4i-B9S kernel file (as it can be done on the Gold Pro and RTS Lite) to use its CFW-enabling function, then flash my own kernel backup back? Or, is its chipset too old for that?

 

[tbb043]

Glad I have a DSTWO. I guarantee that's not the same.