Hacking New to the whole 3ds scene, some help would be appreciated.

[Dvir]

Hello, first off i have a n3ds xl euro on 9.8 firmware, i saw that theres ways to downgrade to 9.2 and theres alot of custom firmwares but i dont want to risk it, especially since its a n3ds and those apparently can get bricked with ease. Anyway i saw that gateway is about to release their new update for up to w/e firmware it is that can be downgraded and was wondering if i should get a sky3ds+ or a gateway 3ds? or maybe something else? Thank you for your time.

 

[Hayleia]

You should follow this guide https://github.com/Plailect/Guide/wiki
No need to buy a Sky, no need to buy a GW.

You can stop the guide shortly after Part 3 (just follow the steps in Part 4 that tell you how to inject FBI) if you're too scared about arm9loaderhax (though, no real reason to be if you can read a guide).

Though if you really don't want a CFW, then Sky3DS+ is the only "solution" (with quotes due to the lack of features compared to a CFW (Gateway is a CFW)).

 

[Tomy Sakazaki]

Hello, first off i have a n3ds xl euro on 9.8 firmware, i saw that theres ways to downgrade to 9.2 and theres alot of custom firmwares but i dont want to risk it, especially since its a n3ds and those apparently can get bricked with ease. Anyway i saw that gateway is about to release their new update for up to w/e firmware it is that can be downgraded and was wondering if i should get a sky3ds+ or a gateway 3ds? or maybe something else? Thank you for your time.

If you want ease of use and not wanting to downgrade, Sky 3DS+ is the way to go, it works even on system menu 11.
Gateway is obsolete and their implementation on A9LH is risky for now and not worth (and I'm an actual Gateway user). And it requires downgrading to at least 9.2 anyway to get working, since it requires kernel exploits.
I've done downgrading on N3DS twice (mine and wife's) and nothing happened, installed A9LHax on both.


If you don't want risking a double downgrading process, you can do the Plailect guide https://github.com/Plailect/Guide/wiki until the end of part 3 (RedNand), doing the guide to this point will leave you at 9.2 with menuhax+CFW. If you want to stop there I suggest setting CTRBootManager so it autoloads luma3ds for you alongside menuhax.
But if you follow all the guide properly (including steps like "double system formatting the emunand") the risk of having bricks (softbricks including) are very low.

EDIT: While Sky3DS is easy to use for offline gaming, when you try to play online it's another matter, since you're going to need to mess with the template file that the writer use. Gateway is drag-and-drop after setting up the environment but also requires patching the ROMs for online play.
CFW is the way to go nowadays, it's free and give less hassle to deal after setting up.

 

[cbxero]

FWIW, I bought a Sky3DS last summer, when I wasn't able to use any other solution. At the time, it was fantastic for me. Now that I followed the guide and downgraded to install CFW, I haven't used my Sky3DS at all. It's nice having it for a little extra storage I guess, but I would highly recommend CFW over that card now. If I didn't already have the card, I wouldn't be buying one now.

 

[Quantumcat]

Follow https://github.com/Plailect/Guide/wiki/.

If you want to use GW you'll have to downgrade anyway. And Sky3DS limits you to commercially available game cartridges, no eShop games or romhacks or anything.

 

[Dvir]

Thanks for the quick replies, probably seems like a stupid question but whats the difference between A9LH that gateway is going to use in their next patch to downgrade to 9.2 and A9LHhax? what do i actually get for buying a gateway? i mean you say its easy enough to use a cfw then why do people still buy flashcarts? Whats the actual pros of a flashcart over doing some other cfw?

 

[Quantumcat]

Thanks for the quick replies, probably seems like a stupid question but whats the difference between A9LH that gateway is going to use in their next patch to downgrade to 9.2 and A9LHhax? what do i actually get for buying a gateway? i mean you say its easy enough to use a cfw then why do people still buy flashcarts? Whats the actual pros of a flashcart over doing some other cfw?

Well, long story short, not many people would be buying them today. Sky3DS is still useful for emulating Cubic Ninja and other cartridges like that. And you need DS flashcarts to play DS games. The only people using Gateway right now are the people that bought it back when it was the only thing you could use, and those who didn't do their homework before buying (they didn't find gbatemp.net and give it a good read before buying). Before A9LH they might get bought by parents looking for a simple, easy solution for their kids, but now A9LH is way safer (no need to avoid updating sysNAND and if the kid manages to screw something up, you can easily restore). Gateway does have the pro of easily using cheats but that's not really worthwhile spending a lot of money on (there are other ways to cheat, but less convenient). The A9LH that Gateway is going to implement might tie you to their cart forever (you'd effectively have a brick if you lost your card) and not let you uninstall it. The other bugs that have turned up I'm sure will be fixed. Hopefully a dev will reverse engineer their stuff and make a .bin that you can choose to boot by holding a particular button. Then it would be just like Gateway mode is already, except updated sysNAND.

 

[cbxero]

I know nothing about Gateway, at the time when I bought my Sky it seemed to be a more advanced cart than Sky did. All Sky3ds does is play games. If you want a plug-and-play, offline solution, it's fine. Perfect for kids or people who don't want anything else, which is what I wanted at the time.

Aside from simplicity, there is no other pro. More features, more customization, online play, more games, more support... all features of a CFW.

Gateway, from what I can tell, has a real negative reputation within the community now. I'm saying that just as an observer though. No personal experience with their card, and I'm sure there are some who would happily tell you otherwise.

 

[Dvir]

Thanks again for the replies. googled luma 3ds and looked at the github page and tried to find it on youtube but the description is too vague. I mean people just know its a cfw and know what cfw can do but i dont, so i want to ask, what can they do? or cant do. Can i just put any region of game on my 3ds sd card slot and play it? saw gateway has a cheat feature, not that i think id use it but just wondering if luma has that too.. i dont know what kind of reply im looking for but i guess im looking for a rundown of what cfw can do. Thanks again.

 

[Uwabami]

Thanks again for the replies. googled luma 3ds and looked at the github page and tried to find it on youtube but the description is too vague. I mean people just know its a cfw and know what cfw can do but i dont, so i want to ask, what can they do? or cant do. Can i just put any region of game on my 3ds sd card slot and play it? saw gateway has a cheat feature, not that i think id use it but just wondering if luma has that too.. i dont know what kind of reply im looking for but i guess im looking for a rundown of what cfw can do. Thanks again.

CFWs patch out signature checks so you can install "backups" to your home menu (you'll need a big sd card). most CFWs have region free and some other minor features as well.

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

Heres the wiki to Luma3DS: https://github.com/AuroraWright/Luma3DS/wiki

Luma3DS will also allow you to play GBA and DSi games, which Gateway/Sky won't.

 

[SomeGamer]

Thanks again for the replies. googled luma 3ds and looked at the github page and tried to find it on youtube but the description is too vague. I mean people just know its a cfw and know what cfw can do but i dont, so i want to ask, what can they do? or cant do. Can i just put any region of game on my 3ds sd card slot and play it? saw gateway has a cheat feature, not that i think id use it but just wondering if luma has that too.. i dont know what kind of reply im looking for but i guess im looking for a rundown of what cfw can do. Thanks again.

You can put .cia files on your SD and install them with a CIA installer on the 3DS. And yes, Luna is region free. NTR has cheats (offline only), which can be launched on top of Luma.

 

[Quantumcat]

Thanks again for the replies. googled luma 3ds and looked at the github page and tried to find it on youtube but the description is too vague. I mean people just know its a cfw and know what cfw can do but i dont, so i want to ask, what can they do? or cant do. Can i just put any region of game on my 3ds sd card slot and play it? saw gateway has a cheat feature, not that i think id use it but just wondering if luma has that too.. i dont know what kind of reply im looking for but i guess im looking for a rundown of what cfw can do. Thanks again.

You can install games in .cia format and they'll appear on your home menu to play. Only gateway has the good cheat feature, but you can still cheat using NTR (you need a computer at the same time).

 

[Kyojin]

Also, with Luma3DS, you can run your N3DS at its real clock speed and thus have some games running smoother, like the Pokémon games (some games do crash with that option though, like Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed)

 

[hobbledehoy899]

you can still cheat using NTR (you need a computer at the same time).

ntr is dead

never totally rad​

 

[Dvir]

I've got a 32gb and a 64gb card lying around, im guessing the 3ds doesnt like exfat so ill have to format to fat32. Since ill be using CIA files to game, arent those safe to use online or something? does this mean i can game online without any issue and on all different types of games?

 

[espen]

I've got a 32gb and a 64gb card lying around, im guessing the 3ds doesnt like exfat so ill have to format to fat32. Since ill be using CIA files to game, arent those safe to use online or something? does this mean i can game online without any issue and on all different types of games?

CIA's should be all good for online

edit: you're also correct on the exfat issue, fat32 is the way to go.

 

[hobbledehoy899]

I've got a 32gb and a 64gb card lying around, im guessing the 3ds doesnt like exfat so ill have to format to fat32.

Use EmuNAND9 to format the 64GB SD-Card, with or without an emu/redNAND.

 

[Dvir]

Okay, but that seems for after i downgrade and do all the process, should i just use the included 4gb card to hack the whole thing then transfer the files over to the 64gb card after i format it using the emunand9. Alo wanted to ask about this, i think im pretty much bought on the whole cfw scene, seems like everyone has done it and everyone seems to like it without exception.
Anyway this:
If you are between versions 9.0.0 and 9.8.0, you should follow this guide, but you can skip changing the date and time in the beginning.

If you are between versions 9.9.0 and 10.5.0, you should follow this guide as written.
my n3ds xl is 9.8.0-025E, I know i should follow the 9-9.8 guide probably but im paranoid so ill ask to make sure i dont have a heart attack from the stress. Thank you again everyone for replying and helping me decide on what to do.

 

[Quantumcat]

Better to do the guide with the 64GB card - with the 4GB card you may find yourself running out of space while making backups. Even 8GB can get a bit uncomfortable.

 

[Kyojin]

Okay, but that seems for after i downgrade and do all the process, should i just use the included 4gb card to hack the whole thing then transfer the files over to the 64gb card after i format it using the emunand9.

Yes, you can do it that way if you feel it is simpler for you. But it's better to have a bigger card.

my n3ds xl is 9.8.0-025E, I know i should follow the 9-9.8 guide

You are on 9.8, so you are in-between 9.0 and 9.9. There no need to stress.

Also, I would recommend backing up all of your data (SD card data, StreetPass data, game saves if you have some eShop games) and format your N3DS using TinyFormat (a homebrew app). This will avoid having a softbrick upon downgrading to 9.2.