Almost All Flash Kits Blocked Permanently

[Another World]

While there are a few discussions about this topic going on throughout GBAtemp, I felt that one centralized post would benefit our community. According to Team SuperCard, the 3DS v4.4.0-10 firmware update will permanently block all but 2 Flash Kits. Please keep in mind that these numbers and this news are not yet fact, we are awaiting responses from various teams, but looking at the information it seems this was the intended outcome of the new firmware update.

Be advised, do not update to 3DS v4.4.0-10

1. From the current market, most of the cards are without save IC, so be blocked now. Therefore, this is the hardware defect, software can not solve.
2. Part of the card on the market have save IC, but the main control program has been burned to fixed (FPGA program). So user can not solve this problem too, unless return to the factory.

From now on, flash card support 3DS 4.4.0-10x " are DSTWO (released upgrade file already here..) and a xxx r4 (released video only, no upgrade file released).

Thanks to Rydian for the tip!​

Edit #1

Which R4i Gold/R4iDSN are supported? Above is an image that recently popped up that shows how to tell what unit you have. Updatable units include 9, A, B, and C. (Thanks exangel).

Edit #2
A patch for the R4i Gold (R4ids.cn) has been released. Grab it HERE.

Source

 

[chavosaur]

So glad I have not updated, I would be doomed...
I feel so sorry for those that have updated though. I feel a storm of whining flashcard threads approaching...

 

[Tom]

Well that sucks, now we need to wait for a new card and buy that correct? It can't be fixed with software but with new hardware/ BIOS in a sense(FPGA Program not firmware)

 

[Terminator02]

Thanks for this centralized post, I've been trying to follow this but there isn't much info on it. The DSTWO already has firmware 1.18 which should work with this latest 3DS firmware: http://down.supercard.sc/download/dstwo/Firmware/Firmware_v1.18_eng.zip

 

[The Catboy]

This was bound to happen. It has been said several times before that this kinda thing was going to happen. :/

 

[qlum]

Nintendo seems to be winning the fight not because they fix their issues but because flashcard makers stop supporting their cards. Quite funny indeed. I do expect EZ-flash to get back someday as a dev supporting an outdated system like they did with the gba for a long long time.

 

[Dork]

Good thing I didn't update. I really need to buy a Supercard, my Acekard is kind of shit anyway.

 

[Another World]

We knew this was possible for years. I'm not surprised that they chose to do this now. the wii u is on the horizon. what better way to distance themselves from all the past piracy then to give the 3DS a clean start.

What will be interesting is to see what the active flash kit teams decide to do. this could either mean a new round of kits from the active teams (of which there are only a few left) or this could mean the end of an era is finally upon us.

Either way, I predict SCDS2 sales to rise rather quickly.

-another world

 

[DaggerV]

Why I don't sell old consoles in favor of new ones. No need to taint the 3DS with this kind of stuff yet until the hardware is there. Willing to wait, have before, not like I'm not already playing the games, I just like convenience, though 3DS homebrews will be badass.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

In all seriousness, I'm glad I bought a Supercard DSTWO a few years back. Especially since many online stores selling flashcarts do not accept PayPal anymore.

 

[BORTZ]

Well that sucks, now we need to wait for a new card and buy that correct? It can't be fixed with software but with new hardware/ BIOS in a sense(FPGA Program not firmware)

God no. What the 3DS needs is CFW. We can store games on the SD card, hopefully it's only a matter of time.

 

[Terminator02]

Although I would like to know why Nintendo F'ed up their firmware naming scheme. The trailing number always went up by 1 with every update except for this one firmware update, which stayed at 10.

 

[Foxi4]

Took them long enough - now they figured out how to block flashcarts based on their hardware, not their headers? Well done. I guess Nintendo's R&D was so busy with it that it practically steamed up the entire facility.

In any case, I too predict DSTwo and "certain R4 cards" to sell like cure for cancer if this happens to be true... but... perhaps it's a good thing.

More protection means more drive to hack the device. Let's face it - flashcarts are a thing of the past, it's about time for a Custom Firmware. This will become a real hacker-magnet now, things might get interesting.

 

[Janthran]

This makes me very glad that I have a DStwo.
My friends who I bought Acekards for, thought.. :/

 

[Gahars]

And they're gone, like a flash (kit) in the pan...

 

[saintrobyn]

Took them long enough - now they figured out how to block flashcarts based on their hardware, not their headers? Well done. I guess Nintendo's R&D was so busy with it that it practically steamed up the entire facility.

In any case, I too predict DSTwo and "certain R4 cards" to sell like cure for cancer if this happens to be true... but... perhaps it's a good thing.

More protection means more drive to hack the device. Let's face it - flashcarts are a thing of the past, it's about time for a Custom Firmware. This will become a real hacker-magnet now, things might get interesting.

I have been thinking the same thing. I have a feeling the secret to hacking the 3DS is in focusing on the differences between the retail cart and DL version of NSMB2. I am not a code monkey so I wouldn't know what to look for but something tells me that the difference between how these interact with the system is the key.

 

[insidexdeath]

Even the R4i Gold(r4ids.cn) team confirmed they got the flashcart working on the 4.4.0-10

 

[Foxi4]

I'm just going to wait for Team Acekard's stance on this one and whether their I.C's will turn out to be compatible with this new AP method. We already know that they switched I.C's numerous times, so certain batches of the cart may require different updates, if any carts are compatible, that is. I predict a mess.

 

[shoyrumaster11]

what will be interesting is to see what the active flash kit teams decide to do. this could either mean a new round of kits from the active teams (of which there are only a few left) or this could mean the end of an era is finally upon us.

Well, If the old teams die out (excluding the SC team, always on the ball when there's a new update) and we do get new cards. (Like maybe a couple of R4's,

Spoiler

I have a friend who has CFW on his PSP! Maybe it would be nice to hack the 3DS to give it the CFW life!

 

[ferret7463]

It's not like the cards are useless, they will still play on the phat and lite.