Hacking 3DS XL v9.9.0-26U: What are my options?

[Bmilcs]

My stepsons both have a 3DS XL. They're loving my modded Wii and Xbox 360 but now want their 3DS XL's done right. From what I've gathered, there are several 'flashcarts' that allow you to play emulators and homebrew stuff but few that allow you to run actual local region ISO's.

2 Posts below this at the time of my OP contains information on why I shouldn't buy a SKY3DS. However, he did mention needing to PAY for ROMs so I can't say his information is valid LOL.

Anyways, what are my options for a SD card-based means of modding a 3DS and 3DS XL, both with 9.9.0-26U system versions? I have access to infinite ISO's, just need a means to play them!

Links are greatly appreciated --- to reputable vendors / good prices. Thank you all so much, my online friends

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[Rioluwott]

your only answer to play 3ds games with a sd is sky3ds
or buy a cubic ninja copy but you won´t be able to play 3ds roms or cia only homwbrews for what i know sky3ds is a good flashcard he only doesn´t know how to use it or something

 

[NyaakoXD]

For now, you're stuck with Sky3DS.

There have been people saying that Gateway is working on a solution for 9.3+, but don't get your hopes up.

 

[andrew weeks]

With 9.9 firmware there is currently no way of running CFW and installing CIA. Your only choice is sky3ds

 

[MichiS97]

Well if you're searching for a way of running ROMs on your children's 3DS then your only option is the Sky3DS to be honest. A software-based hack called Ninjhax 2.0 was just released but it's capabilities are very limited, so it only allows very basic homebrew. To clarify, this is due to the lack of permissions the hack has on the 3DS and not because it wasn't developed to be more useful. Therefore it will probably take quite a while until we see custom firmwares on firmwares higher than 9.2, if it happens at all. Regarding the Sky3DS: I personally do not own one (yet) but from what I've read it's quite easy to handle but has its problems. Some cards just won't stop cycling through the games, some won't cycle at all, etc. Also, the manufacturers are not trustworthy at all. When the cart was first released it basically had a DRM built into it which would allow users to only write 10 ROMs onto their flashcard. This wasn't about the micro SD in the cards either, you really had to buy a new flashcard if you wanted to have more than 10 games. After they were pressured from their users, the community and some guy who wrote a tool which was able to circumvent their DRM (in a very inconvenient way, if I remember correctly), they released a new version of the card, which now allows as many ROMs as the inserted SD can hold. This proves that the cart itself cannot be updated and therefore you'll always have to buy a new revision of the card, should one be necessary at some point in time again. Another inconvenience is that when a new game is dumped and released as a ROM you'll always have to wait for the team behind Sky to release a template file, which is needed everytime you write a ROM to the microSD card. I could go on for quite a while with all the flaws Sky has (if you want to look it up, search for: public vs. private headers and New 3DS exclusive encryption, also the various discussions about if the card can be blocked by Nintendo) but that would be beside the point of the thread.

Too long, didn't read version of my post: Sky3DS has many flaws but it's your only choice for the time being

 

[Bmilcs]

Well if you're searching for a way of running ROMs on your children's 3DS then your only option is the Sky3DS to be honest. A software-based hack called Ninjhax 2.0 was just released but it's capabilities are very limited, so it only allows very basic homebrew. To clarify, this is due to the lack of permissions the hack has on the 3DS and not because it wasn't developed to be more useful. Therefore it will probably take quite a while until we see custom firmwares on firmwares higher than 9.2, if it happens at all. Regarding the Sky3DS: I personally do not own one (yet) but from what I've read it's quite easy to handle but has its problems. Some cards just won't stop cycling through the games, some won't cycle at all, etc. Also, the manufacturers are not trustworthy at all. When the cart was first released it basically had a DRM built into it which would allow users to only write 10 ROMs onto their flashcard. This wasn't about the micro SD in the cards either, you really had to buy a new flashcard if you wanted to have more than 10 games. After they were pressured from their users, the community and some guy who wrote a tool which was able to circumvent their DRM (in a very inconvenient way, if I remember correctly), they released a new version of the card, which now allows as many ROMs as the inserted SD can hold. This proves that the cart itself cannot be updated and therefore you'll always have to buy a new revision of the card, should one be necessary at some point in time again. Another inconvenience is that when a new game is dumped and released as a ROM you'll always have to wait for the team behind Sky to release a template file, which is needed everytime you write a ROM to the microSD card. I could go on for quite a while with all the flaws Sky has (if you want to look it up, search for: public vs. private headers and New 3DS exclusive encryption, also the various discussions about if the card can be blocked by Nintendo) but that would be beside the point of the thread.

Too long, didn't read version of my post: Sky3DS has many flaws but it's your only choice for the time being

Wow that barely sounds worth it. Does the company offer these templates for free? Are they plentiful for released games and work with any iso rip or do you need a particular release to match up with the template?

 

[MichiS97]

Wow that barely sounds worth it. Does the company offer these templates for free? Are they plentiful for released games and work with any iso rip or do you need a particular release to match up with the template?

The templates are free and they're usually updated about two days after a new release. You can use them with any rip

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Sky3DS can be problematic if you get a faulty cart. There seem to be a lot of them. But if that happens RMA and try again.
You don't have any other options for playing 3DS ROMs though.

 

[Ronhero]

The nice thing about sky3ds is it does work on 9.9 and can run cubic ninja as a rom to run ninjahax 2.0. This allows for homebrew and region free loading. I also want to say region free loading is sooooooo easy with ninjahax and sky3ds, the rom icon allows you to know what rom you selected opposed to region 3/4

Also why is there a picture of a old school DS with the caption 3ds?

 

[zoogie]

The nice thing about sky3ds is it does work on 9.9 and can run cubic ninja as a rom to run ninjahax 2.0. This allows for homebrew and region free loading. I also want to say region free loading is sooooooo easy with ninjahax and sky3ds, the rom icon allows you to know what rom you selected opposed to region 3/4

Also why is there a picture of a old school DS with the caption 3ds?

Either being stylish or a dad who's not very familiar with the system and just posted what first came up on a google image search.

 

[Ronhero]

Either being stylish or a dad who's not very familiar with the system and just posted what first came up on a google image search.

It looks like someone tried really hard to make that 3

They lose credit for not putting it on the ds

 

[EmceeKerser]

Sky3DS with cubic ninja. Stay on 9.9 just incase downgrading or CFW somehow becomes a thing. If so, then you can ditch SKY3DS

 

[Maximilious]

There was a new exploit posted over the weekend (Ninjhax 2.0) running on version 9.9 code. You could wait it out and see what comes up. I would say the Gateway team will have a new version for updated N3DS consoles in the next 3-6 months. Good luck getting your step sons to not update their systems in that timeframe however.

One other option is purchasing new 3DS consoles, system transferring any legitimate purchases from them and then going about the Gateway route. System transfer requires the latest firmware, but thanks to firmware spoofing, that's not really needed anymore.

Sky3DS is also a good option albeit cumbersome.

 

[wezck]

Hello everybody, I'm on 9.8 but I don't want to update to 9.9 only in case if in the future somebody will release some downgrade or cfw on 9.8 and don't for 9.9, how can I update my games or enter to the eshop without update to 9.9?

 

[Ronhero]

Hello everybody, I'm on 9.8 but I don't want to update to 9.9 only in case if in the future somebody will release some downgrade or cfw on 9.8 and don't for 9.9, how can I update my games or enter to the eshop without update to 9.9?

You don't have eshop ability on 9.8 but not much has changed between 9.8 and 9.9. You might as well update to 9.9 while you can

 

[EmceeKerser]

Hello everybody, I'm on 9.8 but I don't want to update to 9.9 only in case if in the future somebody will release some downgrade or cfw on 9.8 and don't for 9.9, how can I update my games or enter to the eshop without update to 9.9?

You cant

 

[Megaben99]

The real issue here, is that a third 3DS is needed for yourself

 

[Bmilcs]

Either being stylish or a dad who's not very familiar with the system and just posted what first came up on a google image search.

Hahaha busted. Google image search.

I was a big world of warcraft fan. Season 7 and 8 Gladiator Disc Priest =). Now I play Team Fortress 2 casually.

I never really got into any console after Super Nintendo and PS1.

 

[Bmilcs]

The real issue here, is that a third 3DS is needed for yourself

I wish I could get into it but I just don't have it in me anymore =/

I can stomp both kids in Mario Kart n Super Smash Bros though =).

 

[EmceeKerser]

I can stomp both kids in Mario Kart n Super Smash Bros though =).

That's not hard, kids suck at everything