Hacking Firmware version 3DS XL and Gateway card

[slowmario]

Hello everyone,
I am from Italy and this is my first message. Sorry for my poor English
I was going to buy a used 3DS XL, but because, here in Italy, owners sell it at prices equal to the new (150-160 €, even more), I thought to buy it new in a store.
I have discarded the DSi and the DSi XL because I could not play all the new games released for the 3DS.

I read on the internet that the Gateway cards, the ones able to run games with extension .3 ds, only work on consoles with firmware from 4.0 to 4.5.

So, the question is: what firmware version has a Nintendo 3DS XL bought today, Oct. 2014, in a store?
I would take the Gateway card just to run the games released for the Nintendo 3DS. I'm not interest in 3D feature, so I do not care if with the Gateway card I won't be able to play in 3D.

Thanks!!

 

[Huntereb]

Depends on what year it was produced, and serial on the box. You're less likely to get a compatible XL from the store than an Original 3DS due to the demand for XL's being higher, and more of them being produced nowadays.

 

[slowmario]

Thanks Huntereb.
So the trick is to check the year of production before I buy?

I read that the white version, with Super Mario 3D Land in bundle, is 4.5. Even this versione could be higher than 4.5 if it has been produced in 2013-14?

 

[gamesquest1]

http://gbatemp.net/threads/where-to-get-a-firmware-4-5-or-below-3ds-xl.352360/
there is a serial number guide in there.....and do not that all these thing only apply to brand new and sealed consoles, for second hand consoles you would have to checked the FW in the system settings

 

[slowmario]

http://gbatemp.net/threads/where-to-get-a-firmware-4-5-or-below-3ds-xl.352360/
there is a serial number guide in there.....and do not that all these thing only apply to brand new and sealed consoles, for second hand consoles you would have to checked the FW in the system settings

Thanks! That topic is very helpful
So, the good ones are that with SW12xxxxx or below. Then is very simple, because the serial number is on the box.

 

[mvmiranda]

Thanks! That topic is very helpful
So, the good ones are that with SW12xxxxx or below. Then is very simple, because the serial number is on the box.

Assuming the box is sealed, you'll be fine. If not, you'll have to manually check the system info.

Cheers!

BTW, it's still fairly easy to find new and used systems under 4.5 here at Brazil.
I just bought two new used ones normal 3DS saturday under 4.5.

Also, go for the "flashcart bricked" ones. Usually they sell for a low price and are somewhat easy and cheap to fix. I've bought two of these "bricked" units and fixed them myself. It's still an option, though.

 

[slowmario]

Thanks MV Miranda!

BTW, is it possible that a 3DS XL cracked with Gateway card, will be bricked if I install an original and just released game, like Sonic Boom or others?
Original games update automatically firmware to the latest version?

 

[Huntereb]

Thanks MV Miranda!

BTW, is it possible that a 3DS XL cracked with Gateway card, will be bricked if I install an original and just released game, like Sonic Boom or others?
Original games update automatically firmware to the latest version?

Cartridges can be run in Classic Mode. Just make sure to set up emunand before attempting to launch them so that the update included with the game won't update your sysnand.

 

[GorTesK]

make a backup of your 4.x NAND, so in case you ever derp it up and end up with an updated NAND, you can get someone to do a hardware mod for you and downgrade it again

 

[Mira]

Thanks! That topic is very helpful
So, the good ones are that with SW12xxxxx or below. Then is very simple, because the serial number is on the box.

for the serial numbers SW is for USA in EU is SE or SU
(SW12xxxxx è per l'america,in italia devi vedere codici inferiori di SEx1153xxxxx o di SUx1035xxxxx)

 

[Dualin]

How is it useless. Im playing Monster Hunter 4G which came out 3 days ago.

 

[slowmario]

Hi guys,
how about these serials? Are they ok?
SEF107281xxx
SEF115244xxx

Today I went at a local store and I found this promo: 3DS XL + 1 game of your choice at 169,90€. Colors are silver/black and black.
The first serial, SEF107...., seems quite old. May be they are stock funds?

In addition I found 3DS XL Yoshi's Special Edition with this serial: SEF12056xxx, but at the regular price (199,99€), no offer.

 

[DragonSky]

What I feel sorry for the most is the people that have paid mega bucks for an Gateway card and now its practically useless, unless of course you want to play older 3DS roms.

Gateway 9.x will coming soon probably next month.

 

[Huntereb]

Gateway 9.x will coming soon probably next month.

"Soon".

 

[Mira]

Hi guys,
how about these serials? Are they ok?
SEF107281xxx
SEF115244xxx

Today I went at a local store and I found this promo: 3DS XL + 1 game of your choice at 169,90€. Colors are silver/black and black.
The first serial, SEF107...., seems quite old. May be they are stock funds?

In addition I found 3DS XL Yoshi's Special Edition with this serial: SEF12056xxx, but at the regular price (199,99€), no offer.

buy the SEF1152 one,being close to the border is not necessary bad,if you buy the sef107 you may need to buy another game to update to 4.1-4.5

 

[slowmario]

buy the SEF1152 one,being close to the border is not necessary bad,if you buy the sef107 you may need to buy another game to update to 4.1-4.5

Why not the SEF107? According to this list
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...rue&sortcolid=-1&sortasc=true&rowsperpage=250

it would be 4.3

 

[Mira]

Why not the SEF107? According to this list
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...rue&sortcolid=-1&sortasc=true&rowsperpage=250

it would be 4.3

never mind then...just a precaution

 

[davhuit]

Thanks MV Miranda!
BTW, is it possible that a 3DS XL cracked with Gateway card, will be bricked if I install an original and just released game, like Sonic Boom or others?
Original games update automatically firmware to the latest version?

Cartridges can be run in Classic Mode. Just make sure to set up emunand before attempting to launch them so that the update included with the game won't update your sysnand.

Gateway spoof the firmware so updates from carts/roms are disabled in default mode. To enable them, you have to hold "L" before you launch "gateway or classic mode". If you run a game that require a new firmware (like "Smash Bros") in default mode, it won't update anything and will just not work (black screen or error).

Even a real cart on a non-hacked 3Ds wouldn't update automaticaly (I'm not even sure that would be legal). It display a windows saying there is an firmware update on the cart and ask you if you want to do it, but it don't update it without your consent).

So even if you would run a recent game on the system nand, it wouldn't brick anything. It would just ask you if you want to update and you could still say "no" to avoid problems.[/quote]

What I feel sorry for the most is the people that have paid mega bucks for an Gateway card and now its practically useless, unless of course you want to play older 3DS roms.

Useless? All the roms up-to-date are still working, even without emunand 9.x. Online is still working for every games (as long as you have updated the games that require an update before the release of 9.x).

The only thing that you can't do without emunand 9.x is accessing the eshop, which is a bit useless except for game updates (why people using a piracy device would want to access an online shop? Okay, some people might have bought it because it also read import games and don't want to give any money to nintendo for those imported games when they region-locked the 3DS on purpose. I'm one of them, but it might be pretty rare I think. For the european/original games, I have another 3DS up-to-date).

 

[slowmario]

Hi guys,
finally I bought the SEF1072xxxx 3DSXL, it's a 4.2-9.0E firmware. 179€ for 3DS XL black/silver, New Super Mario2, original Nintendo AC battery charger, soft cover. Not so bad!

Thanks to davhuit fr help! I will avoid to update!

If, for the moment, i would just run .nds games, what card could i buy? R43DS is good?

 

[davhuit]

Depend of how much money you want to put in.

If you plan to play 3DS games sooner or later, I would say Gateway as it include both (a blue card for NDS games and a red card for 3DS games).