Homebrew Advantages of 3dsx over cia

[Mikemk]

The advantages of cia are many and obvious, but are there any significant advantages of homebrew in 3dsx format?

 

[sweis12]

I think (dont quote me!) that .3dsx files have more ram. I think smea said that on twitter once.
Also, for 3dsx you do not need any kernel exploits. CIA require some sort of kernel hack to launch.

 

[DKB]

You can run them with the homebrew launcher. That's about the only difference, I believe.

You can also say they are safer, because, well, they ain't being installed to anything.

 

[zoogie]

The biggest advantage is they can run without sigpatches which makes them ideal for entrypoints. Its because of this fact that it's the only option for people on the latest firmware.

They don't need to be installed as well which is convenient.

 

[Mikemk]

.cia can use up to 96MB on o3ds, 176 on new, 3dsx can use more?

 

[Logan Pockrus]

.cia can use up to 96MB on o3ds, 176 on new, 3dsx can use more?

A CIA file can use up much more than 96/176 MB....

 

[Mikemk]

A CIA file can use up much more than 96/176 MB....

How? Keeping in mind I'm talking about homebrew, not system titles.

 

[Dracari]

How? Keeping in mind I'm talking about homebrew, not system titles.

CIAs arent limited to Ram that the Entrypoint had access to. in terms of Emulators this ment Dynarec as well.

 

[Logan Pockrus]

How? Keeping in mind I'm talking about homebrew, not system titles.

The above answer is correct, but I was thinking about how games in CIA format are much larger than what you said the maximum size was. But it turns out you mean homebrew, so disregard my response.

 

[mehmeh11]

accesibility (for people like me who already had 11.0 when they started being interested in homebrew and can't downgrade)

 

[Mikemk]

The above answer is correct, but I was thinking about how games in CIA format are much larger than what you said the maximum size was. But it turns out you mean homebrew, so disregard my response.

I think you're talking about file size and I'm taking about RAM usage.

CIAs arent limited to Ram that the Entrypoint had access to. in terms of Emulators this ment Dynarec as well.

They are (correct me if wrong) limited to the RAM capacity specified in their header, which has a max of 176MB

 

[TheCruel]

3dsx cannot use more RAM. It's the opposite.

Some advantages:

- Use DSP without dumping a bin.

- Runs without CFW.

- Can utilize pseudo-services and things implemented in payload (see: screenshots and HANS), although CIA users have NTR with plugins...

- Easier installation and no title count limitation

 

[Logan Pockrus]

I think you're talking about file size and I'm taking about RAM usage.


They are (correct me if wrong) limited to the RAM capacity specified in their header, which has a max of 176MB

Damn I completely misread your post. Sorry, I was lost for a little while.

 

[HaloEffect17]

You can run them with the homebrew launcher. That's about the only difference, I believe.

You can also say they are safer, because, well, they ain't being installed to anything.

Exactly this. That's why they say that using a homebrew exploit doesn't have the capacity to brick; it's not messing with the NAND or anything.

 

[configchan]

Being able to be run with only the HBL also means that they can be used by more people. Not everyone can downgrade their 3DS to install CFW.

 

[NekoMichi]

You can drag and drop a .3dsx file to your SD card and launch it directly from there, .cia files need to be installed before they can be used because they require a CFW.

 

[Urbanshadow]

I think you're talking about file size and I'm taking about RAM usage.
They are (correct me if wrong) limited to the RAM capacity specified in their header, which has a max of 176MB

Careful now. A homebrew to run needs to fit in RAM entirely. So file size is a direct hit for ram usage. The two maximums mentioned (96 and 176 MB) are actually also limiting payload size. This is a thing to keep present specially for homebrew games where assets are usually compiled into the homebrew instead of dinamically loaded from SD.

 

[Hayleia]

Even those with a CFW can see an advantage in the .3dsx format if they are devs: you can test your .3dsx file without sending it yourself with 3dslink. Just launch the HBL on your 3DS, press Y, type "3dslink Undertone.3dsx" and the Undertone.3dsx is automatically transferred and launched without you having to get any SD card out or using any FTP software, as long as your PC and 3DS are on the same WiFi network.
Useful for quick testing. But obviously a cia as a release isn't a bad idea.

 

[Urbanshadow]

Even those with a CFW can see an advantage in the .3dsx format if they are devs: you can test your .3dsx file without sending it yourself with 3dslink. Just launch the HBL on your 3DS, press Y, type "3dslink Undertone.3dsx" and the Undertone.3dsx is automatically transferred and launched without you having to get any SD card out or using any FTP software, as long as your PC and 3DS are on the same WiFi network.
Useful for quick testing. But obviously a cia as a release isn't a bad idea.

Yep, for payloads lower than 15 MB this method is great for testing.

 

[The Catboy]

You can run them through homebrew launcher, which means you don't need a CFW. Otherwise, they suck. They don't use as much RAM/resources, so most of the homebrews are simple or lack features. As well emulators run like complete shit and often sound becomes a huge issue.