Hacking .3ds or cia?

[pLaYeR^^]

Hey guys,
i just want to ask if it is safer to play online with a private header or install the game as cia on the 3DS. I wasn't really active last months and maybe something new came out. My last status is that there are no reports from users being banned by using private headers online.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Deleted User]

Private headers are safe, because since they're private, nobody else will have the same header as you. The way public headers cause people to be banned from using the internet is that Nintendo's servers detect two people using the same header while connected to the internet, and bans you and that other person from using internet communications.
I think I've heard that *.CIAs can cause you to brick your system if they are installed incorrectly, but *.CIAs don't need headers.

 

[Melon__Bread]

I think I've heard that *.CIAs can cause you to brick your system if they are installed incorrectly, but *.CIAs don't need headers.

.Cias can only brick your system if you are playing with .cias relate to your system (internet browser, home menu etc.). Also .cia still use headers, but they use your systems headers (IIRC)

 

[pLaYeR^^]

Private headers are safe, because since they're private, nobody else will have the same header as you. The way public headers cause people to be banned from using the internet is that Nintendo's servers detect two people using the same header while connected to the internet, and bans you and that other person from using internet communications.
I think I've heard that *.CIAs can cause you to brick your system if they are installed incorrectly, but *.CIAs don't need headers.

Ok thank you! It seems nothing has changed and i can use my old private header ^^

 

[thorasgar]

Hey guys,
i just want to ask if it is safer to play online with a private header or install the game as cia on the 3DS. I wasn't really active last months and maybe something new came out. My last status is that there are no reports from users being banned by using private headers online.

Thank you in advance!

Both should be fine but an argument has been made that a private header is safer because with cia Nintendo could cross reference you eshop history and determine you don't own the game. There are no reports of this happening as of yet, it is all just theoretical. Nothing is 100% safe.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

As long as you're using a private header I would argue that .3ds is safer, since Nintendo knows your eShop purchase history and can easily detect when you're playing a .CIA that's not linked to your eShop account. Not to mention not all games are even available on the eShop.

Edit:

 

[Ericzander]

We can't honestly tell for sure if one is safer than the other. While Nintendo might be able to tell if you own the game by cross referencing it... For all we know they can also tell that a header you ripped is used on multiple games or that it doesn't come from the game it's being used on. For all we know Nintendo can't do EITHER of those things. Or don't care enough to do anything about it.

For that reason, I am all .cia baby. The files are smaller so you can fit more... You don't need to have your Gateway card in while playing (which apparently drains the battery faster), and it's all right there on your system nice and pretty.

 

[thorasgar]

If one really wanted to be Evil they could buy a new game, rip the header and game, then malfunction the card by touching a couple of 120V leads to the contacts. Return the card as defective getting an exchange copy and the sell it on eBay for a small loss.

That would be a Dark Side move and is probably not worth the hassle but fun to think about.

 

[pLaYeR^^]

We can't honestly tell for sure if one is safer than the other. While Nintendo might be able to tell if you own the game by cross referencing it... For all we know they can also tell that a header you ripped is used on multiple games or that it doesn't come from the game it's being used on. For all we know Nintendo can't do EITHER of those things. Or don't care enough to do anything about it.

For that reason, I am all .cia baby. The files are smaller so you can fit more... You don't need to have your Gateway card in while playing (which apparently drains the battery faster), and it's all right there on your system nice and pretty.

Ummm, i dont like to install the games as cia, since it takes the home menu longer to boot. Also im too lazy to convert my .3ds files to .cia files XD

 

[Kawaii]

easy. there's only few titles available for multiplayer games. install that as CIA.
The rest use as 3ds.

 

[guitarheroknight]

.Cia FTW! Smaller in size which saves you memory which in terms means more games on the SD card. Also you wont get banned using .cia files, I mean I never did and Ive been using .cia files since january!

 

[marksteele]

.cia for sure, not only are they simpler to use they also tend to be the better choice when it comes to homebrew

 

[pLaYeR^^]

I have a micro SD 64 GB (for gateway) and a normal SD card with 32 GB (in the 3DS). There are so many rumors like nintendo can see that you use a different header for a different game or nintendo can detect that you didn't bought the game from eShop, if you installed it as .cia file. Im confused X.X

 

[marksteele]

I look at it like this:

People have been banned using .3ds files

no ones been banned using cia files

 

[pLaYeR^^]

I look at it like this:

People have been banned using .3ds files

no ones been banned using cia files

Well i wasn't active last months. Are there any new .3ds to .cia converter? I will install the game as .cia than

 

[Ericzander]

Ummm, i dont like to install the games as cia, since it takes the home menu longer to boot. Also im too lazy to convert my .3ds files to .cia files XD

I don't think it takes much longer to boot... If anything it takes an extra second or two to load the icons. I have at least 12 .cia games last I checked and it runs fine for me.

easy. there's only few titles available for multiplayer games. install that as CIA.
The rest use as 3ds.

His concern is if .cia is more risky. In that case he would be better off playing those with private headers. (But realistically, both work just as well.)

I have a micro SD 64 GB (for gateway) and a normal SD card with 32 GB (in the 3DS). There are so many rumors like nintendo can see that you use a different header for a different game or nintendo can detect that you didn't bought the game from eShop, if you installed it as .cia file. Im confused X.X

And they're all rumors homie. We don't know for sure and even if we go the next 5 years without anybody being banned for running .cia/private headers exclusively we still won't know. So for now, just pick which one you prefer with the knowledge that we don't know everything but it seems safe at the moment.

I look at it like this:

People have been banned using .3ds files

no ones been banned using cia files

No. They've been banned using .3dz files or using Sky3DS with the public template.

pLaYeR, if you like using your .3dz roms with private headers, keep on doing that. Only make the switch if you actually want to. But we can't properly tell you it's safer (just in most of our opinions, more convenient.)

 

[pLaYeR^^]

@Ericzander
Thank you man! Thats what i wanted to know. I prefer to use .3DZ files and private headers and won't change to .cia until we know bans of people who used private headers.