Since the question "is XXX ntrboot compatible" comes up way too often and since there was/is much missinformation (even in the "holy guide"), I decided to make a list of all flashcards currently known to be ntrboot compatible.
Only flashcards from the specified websites are supported. Cards from similar websites are not supported.
Last update of this post: 3.3.2018.
You have absolutely no clue about "flashcards"?
The following cards are known to be compatible (either supported by the NTRTeam or by the manufacturer).
Acekard 2.i (acekard.com)
Some rare clones might be bricked at the flashing process. This card can be used for DS games while it is flashed for NTRBoot as long as it's beeing used with the Luma CFW or with an original DS/DS Lite.
R4i Ultra (r4ultra.com)
This is a rebrand of the Acekard 2.i (acekard.com). Make sure that your flashcard has the URL "r4ultra.com" and not another domain.
R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) (r4ids.cn)
Also known as R4i Gold 3DS, R4i Gold 3DS RTS, R4i Gold 3DS V6.1 R4i Gold and R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe (NOT the white-golden "STARTER" card)
Revisions earlier than "4" might not be supported. Faulty revision C cards are supported. You can see the revision of the card above the rightest DS contact. It's a white letter/number ("1"-"9"; "A"-"D").
Shops started to sell r4i Gold 3ds Plus cards as R4i Gold 3DS RTS cards. They have the revision "NTR boot".
R4i Gold 3DS Plus (r4ids.cn)
This flashcard does not have to be flashed. There is an internal switch to change between DS games and NTRBoot mode.
R4i 3D Revolution for DS (r4idsn.com)
This is a rebrand of the R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) from r4ids.cn.
Infinity 3 R4i (r4infinity.com)
This is a rebrand or clone of the R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) from r4ids.cn.
DSTT (ndstt.com and serveral clones)
There have been many different DSTT hardware revisions and clones over the years. Not all are supported.
R4(i) SDHC (r4isdhc.com)
Also known as: R4(i) SDHC RTS Lite, R4(i) SDHC Dual-Core, R4(i) SDHC Gold Pro, R4(i) SDHC Snoopy and R4(i) SDHC Upgrade.
All cards from this team with "2014", "2015", "2016", "2017", "2018" and "2019", "2020", "2021", "2021" and probably all future ones are supported. All of these cards have the same hardware and are a rebrand of the "R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)".
This card has a timebomb.
Cards with "2013" or "New" label are NOT supported. Cards with similar names that have websites that are not in this list are NOT supported. Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)
This also comes preflashed with NTRBoot as "R4i 3DS B9S". It doesn't matter if the card has a "games engine" or a "wifi" logo.
This card has a timebomb.
R4i 3DS non-RTS cards from r4i-sdhc.com are NOT supported. Non-3ds cards from r4i-sdhc.com are NOT supported. Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i-Gold 3DS (r4i-gold.eu)
Only cards with "Touch! Bomberman Land" icon are supported. This is a rebrand of the "R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)".
This card has a timebomb.
Unsuppored cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i Max (r4imax.com)
This seems to be yet another rebrand of r4isdhc.com/r4i-sdhc.com. Only cards with "Touch! Bomberman Land" icon are supported. See http://gbatemp.net/threads/r4imax-ntrboot-backup.488988/ and https://github.com/ntrteam/flashcart_core/issues/16 for more information.
This card has a timebomb (if it's really a r4i-sdhc.com clone).
Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
Stargate 3DS (stargate-3ds.com)
This card switches automatically between DS games and NTRBoot. It does not have to be reflashed. It does currently not work for DS games under Luma CFW.
Ace3DS X (ace3ds.com)
This card has a switch to change between NTRBoot and DS games. It does not have to be reflashed.
You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
Ace3DS Plus (ace3ds.com)
You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
R4(i) SDHC RTS Lite (r4isdhc.com.cn)
This is an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
Gateway 3DS blue card
Not all gateway blue cards are supported. Test at own risk. The supported blue cards (and maybe some/all of the unsuppored, too) are an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
MT-Card blue card
This card is an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
R4i-Kit B9S
There is only one retailer selling it. See the review for more information.
The following cards are either in BETA or not officially supported and might have serveral issues. They are not supported by the latest NTRBoot Flasher release.
M3i Zero GMP-Z003 (m3adapter.com)
Only the GMP-Z003 model is supported! Cards with the "1.4.5/4.5.0" update can't be flashed with NTRBoot! This is not a solution for end users!
Action Replay DS (Datel)
Also known as/also supported: Acion Replay DS EZ, Action Replay DS ME and some Action Replay DSi cards. It has to be flashed via PC, not via NDS.
R4i Gold (r4igold.cc)
The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
R4 SDHC Dual-Core (r4isdhc.hk)
This seems to be a rebrand of the r4igold.cc cards. The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
R4iTT 3DS (r4itt.net)
This seems to be a rebrand of the r4igold.cc cards. The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
Gamecard 3D (n3dstt.com)
This has not been tested! This seems to be a rebrand of r4igold.cc cards.
Only flashcards from the specified websites are supported. Cards from similar websites are not supported.
Last update of this post: 3.3.2018.
You have absolutely no clue about "flashcards"?
What is a flashcard?
A flashcard (also commonly known as "R4") is a device which serves as adapter between a DS/3DS console and a MicroSD card. It can be used to play ROMs, Homebrew (games made by independend hobby developers), emulators, music, movies and much more.
The term "R4"
The term "R4" got used by many, many different flashcards and does not stand for a specific manufacturer. The first, "original" R4 card is not compatible with NTRBoot.
How does a flashcard work?
A modern flashcard tells the console that it's an official game. That's the reason why you see a game name and icon in the 3DS menu and not the name of the flashcard. Older cards (like the DSTT and the original R4) have their own icons and are incompatible with DSi and 3DS consoles because of that. Many DSi/3DS system updates blocked flashcards either rendering them useless or forcing the manufacturer to make an update for the flashcard. Most of the flashcards have to be updated on a console that they still work on.
What is a firmware?
This is the official term for the data that is stored on the flashcard itself required to bypass the security of the DS console. It contains the icon and the name of the game the flashcard mimics in addition to some additional data. Some flashcard (most DSi/3DS compatible ones) have a firmware that can be upgraded; most of the times by a .nds file that has to be launched on a compatible console.
Most of the cards use a storage technology called "flash" for the interal memory. That's the reason why they are called flashcards. Another term you might hear is NOR.
What is NTRBoot?
It's a flaw in the 3DS Bootrom that allows a user to boot from a NTR card (aka DS card) instead of the console memory (namely the NAND). You can use it for many things including to install a custom firmware (cfw) for the 3DS.
How do I use NTRBoot?
It's not possible to rewrite the content of a DS game because it's a ROM, a "Read Only Memory". That's the reason why we use flashcards (with a rewriteable flash memory) as DS cards to serve the code we want to run to the 3DS console (aka the CFW installer). You can check 3ds.guide for a NTRBoot tutorial.
Is my flashcard compatible with NTRBoot?
Check the list below. Your flashcard is not compatible if it's not on the list.
Why is my flashcard not compatible?
The flashcard market is very covered due to it's nature. There are no real standards on how a flashcard has to function. So every team kinda brews it's own beer; uses it's own ways to write to the flash memory etc. Someone with enough knowledge has to research, document and implement all the different ways to access the memory. No one added support for your card yet. It's practically impossible to add support for a card if the manufacturer never released an update himself. The NTRTeam is a group of people who wrote the tools and added support for almost all of the supported fashcards.
What is a kernel?
The kernel files are stored on the MicroSD card that gets plugged into the flashcard (as opposite to the firmware that is stored on the flashcard itself). They supply the menu to select games etc.
Some kernels are compatible with more than one flashcard. Two examples are YSMenu with RetroGameFan Updates (which covers many DSTT clones) and Wood R4.
Where can I get the kernel?
You can download it from the website URL that is printed on the sticker of the flashcard in most cases. However some older websites are offline. You can look for the kernel at linfoxdomain, filetrip or you can see if your card is compatible with YSMenu. Another option is to check if archive.org has a backup of the manufacturer's website.
Is there any difference between the kernels?
The kernel has a huge impact on the public opinion on the flashcard. It determines the design of the menus, often the features of the flashcard, the ROM and Homebrew compatibility and much more. Some of them have so called timebombs, are slow and unresponsive etc.
What is a timebomb?
It means that the kernel refuses to boot after a specified date. You can either download a new kernel when it's avaible, use another kernel to bypass it or set the console date back to a time when the flashcard worked. Only very few flashcards actually have timebombs.
You might stumble across flashcards that do some of this stuff slightly different if you dig a bit into the scene.
A flashcard (also commonly known as "R4") is a device which serves as adapter between a DS/3DS console and a MicroSD card. It can be used to play ROMs, Homebrew (games made by independend hobby developers), emulators, music, movies and much more.
The term "R4"
The term "R4" got used by many, many different flashcards and does not stand for a specific manufacturer. The first, "original" R4 card is not compatible with NTRBoot.
How does a flashcard work?
A modern flashcard tells the console that it's an official game. That's the reason why you see a game name and icon in the 3DS menu and not the name of the flashcard. Older cards (like the DSTT and the original R4) have their own icons and are incompatible with DSi and 3DS consoles because of that. Many DSi/3DS system updates blocked flashcards either rendering them useless or forcing the manufacturer to make an update for the flashcard. Most of the flashcards have to be updated on a console that they still work on.
What is a firmware?
This is the official term for the data that is stored on the flashcard itself required to bypass the security of the DS console. It contains the icon and the name of the game the flashcard mimics in addition to some additional data. Some flashcard (most DSi/3DS compatible ones) have a firmware that can be upgraded; most of the times by a .nds file that has to be launched on a compatible console.
Most of the cards use a storage technology called "flash" for the interal memory. That's the reason why they are called flashcards. Another term you might hear is NOR.
What is NTRBoot?
It's a flaw in the 3DS Bootrom that allows a user to boot from a NTR card (aka DS card) instead of the console memory (namely the NAND). You can use it for many things including to install a custom firmware (cfw) for the 3DS.
How do I use NTRBoot?
It's not possible to rewrite the content of a DS game because it's a ROM, a "Read Only Memory". That's the reason why we use flashcards (with a rewriteable flash memory) as DS cards to serve the code we want to run to the 3DS console (aka the CFW installer). You can check 3ds.guide for a NTRBoot tutorial.
Is my flashcard compatible with NTRBoot?
Check the list below. Your flashcard is not compatible if it's not on the list.
Why is my flashcard not compatible?
The flashcard market is very covered due to it's nature. There are no real standards on how a flashcard has to function. So every team kinda brews it's own beer; uses it's own ways to write to the flash memory etc. Someone with enough knowledge has to research, document and implement all the different ways to access the memory. No one added support for your card yet. It's practically impossible to add support for a card if the manufacturer never released an update himself. The NTRTeam is a group of people who wrote the tools and added support for almost all of the supported fashcards.
What is a kernel?
The kernel files are stored on the MicroSD card that gets plugged into the flashcard (as opposite to the firmware that is stored on the flashcard itself). They supply the menu to select games etc.
Some kernels are compatible with more than one flashcard. Two examples are YSMenu with RetroGameFan Updates (which covers many DSTT clones) and Wood R4.
Where can I get the kernel?
You can download it from the website URL that is printed on the sticker of the flashcard in most cases. However some older websites are offline. You can look for the kernel at linfoxdomain, filetrip or you can see if your card is compatible with YSMenu. Another option is to check if archive.org has a backup of the manufacturer's website.
Is there any difference between the kernels?
The kernel has a huge impact on the public opinion on the flashcard. It determines the design of the menus, often the features of the flashcard, the ROM and Homebrew compatibility and much more. Some of them have so called timebombs, are slow and unresponsive etc.
What is a timebomb?
It means that the kernel refuses to boot after a specified date. You can either download a new kernel when it's avaible, use another kernel to bypass it or set the console date back to a time when the flashcard worked. Only very few flashcards actually have timebombs.
You might stumble across flashcards that do some of this stuff slightly different if you dig a bit into the scene.
Compatible cards
The following cards are known to be compatible (either supported by the NTRTeam or by the manufacturer).
Acekard 2.i (acekard.com)
Some rare clones might be bricked at the flashing process. This card can be used for DS games while it is flashed for NTRBoot as long as it's beeing used with the Luma CFW or with an original DS/DS Lite.
R4i Ultra (r4ultra.com)
This is a rebrand of the Acekard 2.i (acekard.com). Make sure that your flashcard has the URL "r4ultra.com" and not another domain.
R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) (r4ids.cn)
Also known as R4i Gold 3DS, R4i Gold 3DS RTS, R4i Gold 3DS V6.1 R4i Gold and R4i Gold 3DS Deluxe (NOT the white-golden "STARTER" card)
Revisions earlier than "4" might not be supported. Faulty revision C cards are supported. You can see the revision of the card above the rightest DS contact. It's a white letter/number ("1"-"9"; "A"-"D").
Shops started to sell r4i Gold 3ds Plus cards as R4i Gold 3DS RTS cards. They have the revision "NTR boot".
R4i Gold 3DS Plus (r4ids.cn)
This flashcard does not have to be flashed. There is an internal switch to change between DS games and NTRBoot mode.
R4i 3D Revolution for DS (r4idsn.com)
This is a rebrand of the R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) from r4ids.cn.
Infinity 3 R4i (r4infinity.com)
This is a rebrand or clone of the R4i Gold 3DS (RTS) from r4ids.cn.
DSTT (ndstt.com and serveral clones)
There have been many different DSTT hardware revisions and clones over the years. Not all are supported.
R4(i) SDHC (r4isdhc.com)
Also known as: R4(i) SDHC RTS Lite, R4(i) SDHC Dual-Core, R4(i) SDHC Gold Pro, R4(i) SDHC Snoopy and R4(i) SDHC Upgrade.
All cards from this team with "2014", "2015", "2016", "2017", "2018" and "2019", "2020", "2021", "2021" and probably all future ones are supported. All of these cards have the same hardware and are a rebrand of the "R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)".
This card has a timebomb.
Cards with "2013" or "New" label are NOT supported. Cards with similar names that have websites that are not in this list are NOT supported. Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)
This also comes preflashed with NTRBoot as "R4i 3DS B9S". It doesn't matter if the card has a "games engine" or a "wifi" logo.
This card has a timebomb.
R4i 3DS non-RTS cards from r4i-sdhc.com are NOT supported. Non-3ds cards from r4i-sdhc.com are NOT supported. Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i-Gold 3DS (r4i-gold.eu)
Only cards with "Touch! Bomberman Land" icon are supported. This is a rebrand of the "R4i 3DS RTS (r4i-sdhc.com)".
This card has a timebomb.
Unsuppored cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
R4i Max (r4imax.com)
This seems to be yet another rebrand of r4isdhc.com/r4i-sdhc.com. Only cards with "Touch! Bomberman Land" icon are supported. See http://gbatemp.net/threads/r4imax-ntrboot-backup.488988/ and https://github.com/ntrteam/flashcart_core/issues/16 for more information.
This card has a timebomb (if it's really a r4i-sdhc.com clone).
Unsupported cards might brick when trying to inject NTRBoot.
Stargate 3DS (stargate-3ds.com)
This card switches automatically between DS games and NTRBoot. It does not have to be reflashed. It does currently not work for DS games under Luma CFW.
Ace3DS X (ace3ds.com)
This card has a switch to change between NTRBoot and DS games. It does not have to be reflashed.
You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
Ace3DS Plus (ace3ds.com)
You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
R4(i) SDHC RTS Lite (r4isdhc.com.cn)
This is an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
Gateway 3DS blue card
Not all gateway blue cards are supported. Test at own risk. The supported blue cards (and maybe some/all of the unsuppored, too) are an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
MT-Card blue card
This card is an Ace3DS Plus rebrand. You have to have a MicroSD card in the flashcard in order to run ntrboot.
R4i-Kit B9S
There is only one retailer selling it. See the review for more information.
BETA/unofficially supported cards
The following cards are either in BETA or not officially supported and might have serveral issues. They are not supported by the latest NTRBoot Flasher release.
M3i Zero GMP-Z003 (m3adapter.com)
Only the GMP-Z003 model is supported! Cards with the "1.4.5/4.5.0" update can't be flashed with NTRBoot! This is not a solution for end users!
Action Replay DS (Datel)
Also known as/also supported: Acion Replay DS EZ, Action Replay DS ME and some Action Replay DSi cards. It has to be flashed via PC, not via NDS.
R4i Gold (r4igold.cc)
The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
R4 SDHC Dual-Core (r4isdhc.hk)
This seems to be a rebrand of the r4igold.cc cards. The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
R4iTT 3DS (r4itt.net)
This seems to be a rebrand of the r4igold.cc cards. The support is only experimental. These cards currently can't be detected properly!
Gamecard 3D (n3dstt.com)
This has not been tested! This seems to be a rebrand of r4igold.cc cards.
Last edited by Technicmaster0,
