Hacking Need advice, going to buy 3DS!

[f1steve]

Hello,

I am planning on buying myself a 3dsxl (the new ones) and I want to run downloaded games on it.
is this possible without a flashcard?

I am not totally a newbie and I did manage to install custom firmware and a usb game loader on my wii, so I am able to read and follow a guide

Can I just buy the 3ds or do I need to buy other things too?
also if you have a link to a step-by-step guide to setting it up, that would be superb.

Thank you

 

[satan89]

https://3ds.guide/ follow this guide.

Depending on your console firmware you may or may not have to buy anything extra, either a physical cart or a DSi game.

 

[proflayton123]

You're wanting to get a console with <10.7 or if you get one with 11.0/11.1 DO NOT update it

 

[f1steve]

Thanks for the help, I'll buy the 3ds xl tomorrow but until I get it, I have no idea what firmware version it'll be.

 

[satan89]

Thanks for the help, I'll buy the 3ds xl tomorrow but until I get it, I have no idea what firmware version it'll be.

Look for bundled sets, people have reported what firmware it's very likely to be on.

 

[f1steve]

oh dear

I've been reading the guide satan89 linked and it seems if I buy a 3ds with 11.0.0 or above firmware then I either need to open it and do some soldering or connect it to a 2nd 3ds.. Neither is doable really. I wouldn't open a brand new device and risk breaking it and I don't have a 2nd 3ds or even know anyone with one.

So it seems it would be a lottery, get a 3ds with firmware under 11.0.0 and all is well, get one with 11.0.0 and I'm pretty much stuffed.

Sadly I think I will have to not buy one, I just can't afford £170 on a 'gamble'.

Thank you all for your help. I guess its better to find this out before buying it, but it still sucks

 

[Distrance]

oh dear

I've been reading the guide satan89 linked and it seems if I buy a 3ds with 11.0.0 or above firmware then I either need to open it and do some soldering or connect it to a 2nd 3ds.. Neither is doable really. I wouldn't open a brand new device and risk breaking it and I don't have a 2nd 3ds or even know anyone with one.

So it seems it would be a lottery, get a 3ds with firmware under 11.0.0 and all is well, get one with 11.0.0 and I'm pretty much stuffed.

Sadly I think I will have to not buy one, I just can't afford £170 on a 'gamble'.

Thank you all for your help. I guess its better to find this out before buying it, but it still sucks

Tbh I think it's pretty unlikely that you'd get a 3DS with 11.0 or higher if you buy it from a store - unused. As said above, if you buy it in a bundle it's even less likely - especially if it's an older bundle. It may be a gamble but I'd say the odds are greatly in your favour. Alternatively you might want to seek out an used 3DS with older firmware. Also A9LH can be installed later on 11.0 and 11.1 firmwares without downgrading or hardmod so if you buy one, and it's either of those, just wait few months and the hack should be around then. But the longer you wait to buy a 3DS the higher the odds that the 3DS is indeed on 11.2 ..

Also shouldn't you be allowed to return the 3DS to the store within uh, 7 days of the purchase? If you literally just buy it, open it, check the FW and put it back in the box as if it was never opened they should let you return it ..

 

[thisisallowed]

oh dear

I've been reading the guide satan89 linked and it seems if I buy a 3ds with 11.0.0 or above firmware then I either need to open it and do some soldering or connect it to a 2nd 3ds.. Neither is doable really. I wouldn't open a brand new device and risk breaking it and I don't have a 2nd 3ds or even know anyone with one.

So it seems it would be a lottery, get a 3ds with firmware under 11.0.0 and all is well, get one with 11.0.0 and I'm pretty much stuffed.

Sadly I think I will have to not buy one, I just can't afford £170 on a 'gamble'.

Thank you all for your help. I guess its better to find this out before buying it, but it still sucks

You can see the serial on the side of the box-determines the firmware

 

[Gamingmeteor]

oh dear

I've been reading the guide satan89 linked and it seems if I buy a 3ds with 11.0.0 or above firmware then I either need to open it and do some soldering or connect it to a 2nd 3ds.. Neither is doable really. I wouldn't open a brand new device and risk breaking it and I don't have a 2nd 3ds or even know anyone with one.

So it seems it would be a lottery, get a 3ds with firmware under 11.0.0 and all is well, get one with 11.0.0 and I'm pretty much stuffed.

Sadly I think I will have to not buy one, I just can't afford £170 on a 'gamble'.

Thank you all for your help. I guess its better to find this out before buying it, but it still sucks

Just check the serial.
https://www.reddit.com/r/3dshacks/comments/5fv3xa/new_3dsxl2ds_firmware_by_serial_december_2016/
Find a serial which matches 10.7 or lower on a new console. And if you screw up and I see you're from the uk as you referred to £. I'd be more than willing to help you downgrade if I can get my hands on Legends of Exidia. If you do need help post on my Profile Page

 

[f1steve]

Thanks for the help guys. its great to know the serial is on the box, that would help a ton.
one last question, before I leave you in peace

I've been reading that guide that satan89 kindly linked and wow.. it seems so much more complex than doing the Wii was.. so many steps, so many different files.. ..so many chances to mess it up. lol

for you that have done it, is it really tricky?

 

[xtheman]

Thanks for the help guys. its great to know the serial is on the box, that would help a ton.
one last question, before I leave you in peace

I've been reading that guide that satan89 kindly linked and wow.. it seems so much more complex than doing the Wii was.. so many steps, so many different files.. ..so many chances to mess it up. lol

for you that have done it, is it really tricky?

It isn't that hard after doing it. Think of it like this.
Downgrade to 9.2 (If you are not on 9.2 that is)
Open a app.
Using the just opened app downgrade to 2.1 to get a file that is needed. (If not already on 2.1)
Update.

I read it like this and the guide was very simple.

 

[Explos]

For you that have done it, is it really tricky?

Not really, So long as you can read and understand how to follow instructions, it isn't really that difficult.

 

[f1steve]

Thanks a lot

 

[bahamut920]

I've done it twice, once on an old 3DS and once on a new 3DS XL, following two different versions of the guide. It's not that difficult, just somewhat time-consuming, as long as you can follow the guide exactly, step-by-step.

A friend of mine did brick his 3DS, but he was following a YT video guide. He actually refused to let me email him a link to that one.

 

[Distrance]

It isn't that hard after doing it. Think of it like this.
Downgrade to 9.2 (If you are not on 9.2 that is)
Open a app.
Using the just opened app downgrade to 2.1 to get a file that is needed. (If not already on 2.1)
Update.

I read it like this and the guide was very simple.

I literally just (few days ago) modded mine and a friend's console with the guide, and did not do anything with relating to 2.1 downgrade .. So I had no idea wtf you're talking about. Now I re-read the guide and it's changed .. No longer it suggests an OTPLess installation for the N3DS .. the one I did. Why? Any idea what happened to that? I don't understand why the guide says that "The OTP is a requirement to use armloader9hax" when I'm not using one ..

 

[Dakota Nix]

I literally just (few days ago) modded mine and a friend's console with the guide, and did not do anything with relating to 2.1 downgrade .. So I had no idea wtf you're talking about. Now I re-read the guide and it's changed .. No longer it suggests an OTPLess installation for the N3DS .. the one I did. Why? Any idea what happened to that? I don't understand why the guide says that "The OTP is a requirement to use armloader9hax" when I'm not using one ..

They removed the OTPLess from the guide due to people reporting bricks from it and they can't find what is causing it. From what I read just people have been reporting bricks due to an unknown reason and each update hasn't fixed and they don't know what is making it break. It's random. That's all I know from reading.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[linuxares]

Don't buy the N3DS Pearl White, Pink or Orange Black. All comes with 11.X, but hey, atleast they had IPS screens so that was a plus. (or me and my girlfriend where lucky)

 

[nero99]

Don't forget to get s 32gb or larger class 10 micro as card. The 4gb that comes with the system is a slow piece of trash.

 

[linuxares]

Don't forget to get s 32gb or larger class 10 micro as card. The 4gb that comes with the system is a slow piece of trash.

They actually steped up their game. A Toshiba this time instead of a noname brand. I was half impressed. (still crap though)

 

[xtheman]

I literally just (few days ago) modded mine and a friend's console with the guide, and did not do anything with relating to 2.1 downgrade .. So I had no idea wtf you're talking about. Now I re-read the guide and it's changed .. No longer it suggests an OTPLess installation for the N3DS .. the one I did. Why? Any idea what happened to that? I don't understand why the guide says that "The OTP is a requirement to use armloader9hax" when I'm not using one ..

OTPless would randomly brick the console so 2 days ago it was removed from the guide as the dev couldn't fix the bricks.