Hacking Fake DSTWO? Clone?? New revision???

[SonicRings]

Hey all,

I managed to pick up a second DSTWO to gift to my friend. However, the DSTWO I got is grey instead of black, and the PCB is green instead of blue. See images below, with my old one on the left:

Spoiler

Is this a fake? I doubt it because the GBA emulator still plays GBA games on a DSi XL just fine. However, some other differences include the game icon being the Alex Rider Storm Breaker logo on a DS Lite as opposed to the Supercard DSTWO logo (the Alex Rider logo still shows on DSi and DSi XL just fine just like my old DSTWO though).
Is this due to this DSTWO having been updated to the latest firmware? My old one is not up to date.

The reason I'm asking this is because I couldn't find any info at all regarding any of this. Never knew a grey card existed until now. It definitely fits more snugly in the card slot which I suspect is the reason the revision was made. Any thoughts?

 

[bobmcjr]

Hey all,

I managed to pick up a second DSTWO to gift to my friend. However, the DSTWO I got is grey instead of black, and the PCB is green instead of blue. See images below, with my old one on the left:

Spoiler

Is this a fake? I doubt it because the GBA emulator still plays GBA games on a DSi XL just fine. However, some other differences include the game icon being the Alex Rider Storm Breaker logo on a DS Lite as opposed to the Supercard DSTWO logo (the Alex Rider logo still shows on DSi and DSi XL just fine just like my old DSTWO though).
Is this due to this DSTWO having been updated to the latest firmware? My old one is not up to date.

The reason I'm asking this is because I couldn't find any info at all regarding any of this. Never knew a grey card existed until now. It definitely fits more snugly in the card slot which I suspect is the reason the revision was made. Any thoughts?

I believe this is basically one of the later/last DSTWOs right before the DSTWO Plus was announced, so technically you could probably use its iffy Gateway emulation if you really felt like it.
The new grey revision is a lot better built than the old black version with the screw, which broke for me soon after I got it.

 

[SonicRings]

I believe this is basically one of the later/last DSTWOs right before the DSTWO Plus was announced, so technically you could probably use its iffy Gateway emulation if you really felt like it.
The new grey revision is a lot better built than the old black version with the screw, which broke for me soon after I got it.

Ah, thanks for the info! That must explain the lack of a screw on the back as well.

Just wondering (and don't want to search 4+ year old threads for info that might be irrelevant now), is it possible to downgrade the version of this DSTWO? I just want it to be the same version as my old one (and I don't want to update my old one) so that in the event my friend runs into any trouble with hers I can more easily help her since we'll be on the same version.

 

[CeeDee]

Ah, thanks for the info! That must explain the lack of a screw on the back as well.

Just wondering (and don't want to search 4+ year old threads for info that might be irrelevant now), is it possible to downgrade the version of this DSTWO? I just want it to be the same version as my old one (and I don't want to update my old one) so that in the event my friend runs into any trouble with hers I can more easily help her since we'll be on the same version.

I am curious, why don't you want to update your old one?

I think you can downgrade if you put an older update file on it, but I can't recall, it's been a while since I owned a DSTWO.

 

[SonicRings]

I am curious, why don't you want to update your old one?

I think you can downgrade if you put an older update file on it, but I can't recall, it's been a while since I owned a DSTWO.

Well, what does the updated version add that is lacking in the outdated version? Mine has served me well with no issues for 5+ years so I know first-hand that it works with no issues and should my friend have any problems it will be easier to troubleshoot.

 

[Pleng]

Well, what does the updated version add that is lacking in the outdated version? Mine has served me well with no issues for 5+ years so I know first-hand that it works with no issues and should my friend have any problems it will be easier to troubleshoot.

What sort of problems are you envisioning? And if you've never had any problems before, how does that give you experience to help troubleshoot problems that may occur with this one, regardless of software version??

 

[SonicRings]

What sort of problems are you envisioning? And if you've never had any problems before, how does that give you experience to help troubleshoot problems that may occur with this one, regardless of software version??

I don't know what to expect with the new version. I haven't had problems in the past so I know that there won't be any problems if she runs the same version. Make sense?

 

[Pleng]

Yes that sounds a little more reasonable. Overly paranoid, perhaps, but rational at least.

 

[bobmcjr]

Well, what does the updated version add that is lacking in the outdated version? Mine has served me well with no issues for 5+ years so I know first-hand that it works with no issues and should my friend have any problems it will be easier to troubleshoot.

The menu system/"EOS" has not changed at all (at least going by the version number) between the DSTWO and PLUS. This is what more directly affects game compatibility. I would still suggest both cards' microSD's be loaded with the latest 1.14 EOS.
The firmware/bootrom for the DSTWO and its built-in CPU is potentially incompatible between it and the PLUS. There is definitely some difference in hardware between versions due to the lack of 3DS compatibility in the old cards, and the differences with the icon that you saw. There's always a chance that flashing the firmware of the old DSTWO onto the PLUS may result in a brick.
You are far more likely to run into compatibility issues by using older software on newer hardware.
In my experience, the only real problems I've seen on the DSTWO line in general are with bad/cheap/slow microSD cards.

 

[SonicRings]

The menu system/"EOS" has not changed at all (at least going by the version number) between the DSTWO and PLUS. This is what more directly affects game compatibility. I would still suggest both cards' microSD's be loaded with the latest 1.14 EOS.
The firmware/bootrom for the DSTWO and its built-in CPU is potentially incompatible between it and the PLUS. There is definitely some difference in hardware between versions due to the lack of 3DS compatibility in the old cards, and the differences with the icon that you saw. There's always a chance that flashing the firmware of the old DSTWO onto the PLUS may result in a brick.
You are far more likely to run into compatibility issues by using older software on newer hardware.
In my experience, the only real problems I've seen on the DSTWO line in general are with bad/cheap/slow microSD cards.

You keep referencing the DSTWO PLUS but I don't have that, just the regular DSTWO.

Based on your information though, I'll keep the latest fw on the new card as it is a newer revision card. The class 2 microSD it came with definitely needs to be upgraded to a class 10 before I send it out though.

 

[bobmcjr]

You keep referencing the DSTWO PLUS but I don't have that, just the regular DSTWO.

Based on your information though, I'll keep the latest fw on the new card as it is a newer revision card. The class 2 microSD it came with definitely needs to be upgraded to a class 10 before I send it out though.

The grey DSTWO you have is for all intents and purposes a DSTWO PLUS, just with a different sticker.

 

[SonicRings]

The grey DSTWO you have is for all intents and purposes a DSTWO PLUS, just with a different sticker.

For real? So this can be used to play 3DS ROMs on a 3DS?

 

[bobmcjr]

For real? So this can be used to play 3DS ROMs on a 3DS?

Yes, at your own risk. By default it is disabled, and requires an older version of Gateway and a 3DS with firmware 4.1-4.5 last time I checked. For most 3DS titles, you are better off using FBI/freeShop and converting the handful of cartridge-only based games to CIA.

 

[SonicRings]

Yes, at your own risk. By default it is disabled, and requires an older version of Gateway and a 3DS with firmware 4.1-4.5 last time I checked. For most 3DS titles, you are better off using FBI/freeShop and converting the handful of cartridge-only based games to CIA.

Wow, thanks for the info. I won't be using it for 3DS games since I agree that cfw is better in every way but it's nice to know nonetheless. Why doesn't it say Plus on the sticker though?

 

[nl255]

Yes, at your own risk. By default it is disabled, and requires an older version of Gateway and a 3DS with firmware 4.1-4.5 last time I checked. For most 3DS titles, you are better off using FBI/freeShop and converting the handful of cartridge-only based games to CIA.

Yeah, and as I understand it a Gateway brick can't be fixed via ntrboot since the passcode used to lock the NAND chip is still unknown.

 

[bobmcjr]

Wow, thanks for the info. I won't be using it for 3DS games since I agree that cfw is better in every way but it's nice to know nonetheless. Why doesn't it say Plus on the sticker though?

IIRC this was produced a couple months before the PLUS was officially announced. Likely their board production runs finished a couple months before their 3DS-related software was close to being ready.

 

[Technicmaster0]

Yes, the old dstwo stock was empty and the 3ds software was not ready. So they sold a few dstwo plus cards with dstwo label.