Hacking What to buy ? Sky3DS+ (plus) VS Gateway 3DS

[Genjutsuhh]

So I'm planning on buying either of the two and had some questions regarding both that I could not find
elsewhere so I needed some help deciding which one to get.

I'm looking for a cart that can play online with ease. I'm aware of how Sky3ds allows the use of private headers for safer online experience but does Gateway offer anything of the sort ? Plus I heard Nintendo implemented some Anti-Piracy checks in their newer games (Fire Emblem if/Fates , Animal Crossing: Happy Home Decor etc.) so has any of the two carts done anything to get over that ?

I'd appreciate it if you could share your reasons or the pros of whichever cart it is that you would recommend or why I shouldn't get the other.

Also keep in mind that I have a New 3DS XL on Firmware 9.0.0U. Thank you for any help provided

 

[izy]

sky3ds is really only for if you have higher than 9.2 FW. Gateway is for 9.2 and lower




Honestly you can just get CFW on your firmware level, you wont need to buy Flashcarts you get all the features of gateway/sky3ds.

Only downside is you have to install the games as CIA files but this is also better as they stay on your homemenu so no button/switching that and you dont need to patch the Games for online play
they just work.
You can set it up to autoboot also.
Yes newer games have AP checks but they can be patched *well for CFW* as i know
if you mess up your CFW it doesnt break your system so you are safe also.


Heres the guide
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-install-a-cfw-on-a-9-0-9-2-n3ds-without-cn-oot.398394/

 

[wurstpistole]

you don't need a flashcard. Follow my guide in the signature, it will set you up completely

 

[Genjutsuhh]

sky3ds is really only for if you have higher than 9.2 FW. Gateway is for 9.2 and lower




Honestly you can just get CFW on your firmware level, you wont need to buy Flashcarts you get all the features of gateway/sky3ds.

Only downside is you have to install the games as CIA files but this is also better as they stay on your homemenu so no button/switching that and you dont need to patch the Games for online play
they just work.
You can set it up to autoboot also.
Yes newer games have AP checks but they can be patched *well for CFW* as i know
if you mess up your CFW it doesnt break your system so you are safe also.


Heres the guide
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-install-a-cfw-on-a-9-0-9-2-n3ds-without-cn-oot.398394/

you don't need a flashcard. Follow my guide in the signature, it will set you up completely

I am completely aware of the fact that I can use CFWs as well and have used CFWs in the past but I am in need of a Flashcart right now..

 

[izy]

I am completely aware of the fact that I can use CFWs as well and have used CFWs in the past but I am in need of a Flashcart right now..

Why do you need a flash cart to be exact. It is way less convenient and its gonna cost your a chunk for something that will get outdated or stop working (especially in the case of sky3ds)

Especially when you dont even need it in the first place

 

[Genjutsuhh]

Why do you need a flash cart to be exact. It is way less convenient and its gonna cost your a chunk for something that will get outdated or stop working (especially in the case of sky3ds)

Especially when you dont even need it in the first place

Its somewhat hard to explain. This is for someone else actually and money isn't really a problem. Plus I always had problems with CFWs with trying t find certain .cia files and everytime I was received with the "Invalid .cia" error.

On a side note I don't get what you mean by what you said about sky3ds, with their latest product, the firmware is update able now so there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[izy]

Its somewhat hard to explain. This is for someone else actually and money isn't really a problem. Plus I always had problems with CFWs with trying t find certain .cia files and everytime I was received with the "Invalid .cia" error.

On a side note I don't get what you mean by what you said about sky3ds, with their latest product, the firmware is update able now so there shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah but that doesnt mean that nintendo are not gonna do another AP check which kills newer games on this new Sky3ds+
Considering the fact they had to make a new card it means either its a money sink or they just cant fix it either way its bad.


You have 3 options

1. Stay on CFW and fix the problems you seem to have

2. Get a SkyDS+ if you plan to let the ds get firmware updated and hope no more AP checks arrive

3. Get a gateway and only use it for Roms not Emunand because if you start using Emunand you may aswell stay on option 1

 

[Psi-hate]

Yeah but that doesnt mean that nintendo are not gonna do another AP check which kills newer games on this new Sky3ds+
Considering the fact they had to make a new card it means either its a money sink or they just cant fix it either way its bad.


You have 3 options

1. Stay on CFW and fix the problems you seem to have

2. Get a SkyDS+ if you plan to let the ds get firmware updated and hope no more AP checks arrive

3. Get a gateway and only use it for Roms not Emunand because if you start using Emunand you may aswell stay on option 1

1) He says that it isn't just for him. You cant take out a cfw and plop it into another system to play on and it's not as convenient.

2) The whole point of the sky3ds+ is that it bypasses future AP checks. Nintendo can't permenantly stop the Sky3ds+ without changing how the actual 3ds game slot functions.

3) Options 1 and 3 can fail due to accidental firmware updates or bricks. Option 2 works along side Option 1 too. It's his preference and honestly, I recommend getting the Sky3ds+ and CFW for emunand and Cias.

 

[izy]

1) He says that it isn't just for him. You cant take out a cfw and plop it into another system to play on and it's not as convenient.

2) The whole point of the sky3ds+ is that it bypasses future AP checks. Nintendo can't permenantly stop the Sky3ds+ without changing how the actual 3ds game slot functions.

3) Options 1 and 3 can fail due to accidental firmware updates or bricks. Option 2 works along side Option 1 too. It's his preference and honestly, I recommend getting the Sky3ds+ and CFW for emunand and Cias.

Well he did say that the 3ds its going on is on 9.0.0 installing CFW is always an option, besudes its not for him its for a friend so really it should be the friends preferences not his, he could initialy set it up, unless this person he gives it too isnt the savviest on tech

 

[Tony_93]

Well he did say that the 3ds its going on is on 9.0.0 installing CFW is always an option, besudes its not for him its for a friend so really it should be the friends preferences not his, he could initialy set it up, unless this person he gives it too isnt the savviest on tech

If he wants to go the flashcart way I don't know what's your problem dude, seriously he said that:

1)Is not for him
2)Money is not a problem

It is dead obvious he wants an easy way to do things for whoever the system is for, it is easier to just put a Sky3ds in the game slot and play for some people, there is so many bumps that you hit when dealing with CFW's sooner or later and he doesn't want that for the person he is setting the thing up for.

I gave my nephew a CFW 2DS and had trouble explaining all the do's and don'ts myself so i understand the hassle it is for some people who desn't care about tge way hacks work and just want to sit and play rather than learn all kind of complex things to do and avoid, he doesn't want that.

Yet you have to argue why he shouldn't get a flashcart, ask for details as of why he exactly needs it and post all the cons of flashcarts... Just stop

 

[izy]

the thing is i already recommended he get a sky3ds regardless he should know all of the Cons because cmon when it comes down to it

Gateway Pros= You can play 3ds games in 3ds/3dz format and use Emunand but only works on 9.2 or below
Sky3ds+ Pros= You can play 3ds/3dz games on any firmware above 9.2

Because when it boils down to it that is literally what flashcarts are for except one comes with CFW option and requires you not to update, in which you may aswell CFW
There are way more cons because when it boils down, that is literally the only pro

He didnt mention it was for a friend initially, he also stated the Firmware it was on which and didnt say he was CFW wasnt an option



He didnt mention what his friend is gonna do with the 3ds his age or his technical knowledge. neither did you for all i know he could be 5 years old


I did say CFW is always an OPTION, its ultimately comes down to his friends preferences in the end because he receives it but i also said its up to him for the initial setup.

I also did give him 3 options number 2 being *Get a SkyDS+ if you plan to let the 3ds get firmware updated

So its up to him what the safest bet is.


But yes he will have to deal with all those bumps for using a sky3ds mainly being private header injecting and if his friend ever wants to remove a game the entire sd card needs formatted and everything copied over again

But hey if his friend doesnt want to update the 3ds he will end up posting here for all the bumps anyhow.

 

[Tony_93]

@squee666 Have you even used a Sky3ds before? You don't need to format the whole thing when you want to delete a single game and copy everything over... You are just spreading missinformation...

 

[izy]

@squee666 Have you even used a Sky3ds before? You don't need to format the whole thing when you want to delete a single game and copy everything over... You are just spreading missinformation...

Sky3ds uses diskwriter to install games if it was a simple case of drag and drop this wouldnt be needed.

This is because it acts exactly like a retail cart

Explanation on how Diskwriters Optimize function works

It's for when you say, remove a game in the middle of the game list and want to add another one. If you don't optimize you'll have less space available because of the way Disk Writer handles space. From what I can tell, it needs the data to all be clumped together in one consecutive space so if you erase a 2 GB game(when it's not the last game on the list) and then add a 3 GB game, the 3 GB game doesn't actually take up any of the space that the 2 GB game used, that space gets ignored. If you want that space back to actually use, you'll have to remove all the games and add them all back.

Sky3ds requires continuous rom that can be read byte after byte, just like the real cart.

 

[wurstpistole]

The new sky3DS plus doesn't use diskwriter anymore. It's not yet available but should be around.

 

[Hayleia]

If CFW isn't an option, then I'd say choose Gateway. Because the only thing Sky does is run .3ds files, which Gateway can do among lots of other things.

 

[Tony_93]

Sky3ds uses diskwriter to install games if it was a simple case of drag and drop this wouldnt be needed.

This is because it acts exactly like a retail cart

Explanation on how Diskwriters Optimize function works

Ok I know what you mean now and it sucks to do that in order to optimize all the space but you frased it so wrongly that even changes it's meaning:

But yes he will have to deal with all those bumps for using a sky3ds mainly being private header injecting and if his friend ever wants to remove a game the entire sd card needs formatted and everything copied over again.

That line clearly implies that in order to simply delete a game you need to format the card... Which is not the case.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

@Genjutsuhh back on topic, totally go for the Gateway cart, can't compare them when you have a system with kernel access.

 

[leonmagnus99]

CFW > the flashcarts for the FW you got you cant go wrong with using CFW man, look it up and read everywhere!

but if you want to play .3ds roms then go for the GW , it is way better than Sky imo. unless your fw is above 9.2.

so if you are a lazy person go with the GW cheers

 

[Quantumcat]

Don't waste this 9.0 n3ds by updating it. Sell it for an inflated price and buy one that isn't exploitable. Assuming you are going to buy a Sky3DS.

It's like finding a rare stamp that's worth $50 and sticking it on a letter to use it at its face value of 60c.

 

[Genjutsuhh]

Well this turned out to be a long argument.. I'm sorry if the info I provided was insufficient or you guys got into all that fuss over that.
But yeah, Tony_93 pretty much understood my situation pretty well although I guess it was my fault for not explaining everything in detail, sorry about that squee666, I understand you were only trying to help out and I truly appreciate that.

So yeah at this point I'll most probably go for the Gateway now. Thanks a lot to everyone who provided their information and recommendations

 

[Psi-hate]

Well this turned out to be a long argument.. I'm sorry if the info I provided was insufficient or you guys got into all that fuss over that.
But yeah, Tony_93 pretty much understood my situation pretty well although I guess it was my fault for not explaining everything in detail, sorry about that squee666, I understand you were only trying to help out and I truly appreciate that.

So yeah at this point I'll most probably go for the Gateway now. Thanks a lot to everyone who provided their information and recommendations

Actually, gateway carts only work on Gateway emunand where sky3ds+ works on any emunand and sysnand. Unless you dont want to use other CFW for their features, gateway is good, but at the cost that you can only use their card to access it and only able to use it in their emunand.