Hacking Is this a fake R4DS?

[Supa_S]

I'm currently in Thailand and my bro decided to get a R4DS. We bought one and it looks a little different from the one I've got. We told the lady at the shop that if we found out it's fake, we'd return it and she agreed. You be the judge!

The box

The microSD logo

Made in China

What's inside

(left to right) Suspicious R4 versus my R4 (which I imported from Japan about a few months back)

Also, just thought I'd note that the writing on the back cover is in English not Japanese

 

[laurenz]

I thought the only fake ones are the ones with build-in flash memory. This one seems to have a MicroSD slot so my guess is that it's legimate.

 

[kobykaan]

Its a LEGIT REAL V2 R4 fakes dont come with printed disks either

theres a comprehensive guide to real LEGIT cards in my signature

 

[Krazplay]

I thought the only fake ones are the ones with build-in flash memory. This one seems to have a MicroSD slot so my guess is that it's legimate.That's what I thought too, but I saw pictures of a fake R4 with sd slot, I don't know if it was a hoax but I don't think so.

QUOTEWe bought one and it looks a little different from the one I've got

There are multiple version of the R4 DS, there are not all 100% identical.
The fake one I saw (if it was real) had the connectors not as sharp as the real one, so for me yours is good.

 

[Supa_S]

Well here's what's bothering me right now

1- I've read here that if the R4 comes with a CD, then it's fake. Others say that older versions of the R4 came with the CD. Now kobykaan said that this is a V2 R4. Did the V2 R4 come with a CD?

2- If you look at the pic with both R4s nxt to each other, you'll notice that the suspcious one has a dodgy looking motherboard processor (whatever it's called) thingy.

3- The guy in this video tells you how to spot a fake R4. He said that the box should have Japanese writing (my brother's has English) and no I'm not gonna remove the sticker.. (okay i might) and I'm not sure if this guy is actually correct about some of the stuff he says

anyone? :/

 

[Joe88]

I think if it comes with a burnt disk (with no label) then its fake
and it says like R4 tools or some junk like that written with a red marker

 

[jan777]

yours looks exactly like mine

i think that is a no spring version with the blue strap,blue r4 case,gray and black usb reader

and the disc is v1.11

 

[BiscuitCookie]

completely real and legit v2 R4

 

[neoice]

From the pictures it looks real.

 

[AndreXL]

Yup. Your R4 is real. Same as mine.
I'm still using the included card reader and the strap is on my DS.

 

[NeSchn]

Its real. I looks like all the other V2 R4's.

 

[SavageWaffle]

I think if it comes with a burnt disk (with no label) then its fake
and it says like R4 tools or some junk like that written with a red marker

Actually it has a label, well mine does,

 

[Joe88]

yea thats what I was saying
the fakes dont usually go that far as to label the CD's also or they dont just include one

 

[PyroJames]

Well here's what's bothering me right now

I've read here that if the R4 comes with a CD, then it's fake. Others say that older versions of the R4 came with the CD. Now kobykaan said that this is a V2 R4. Did the V2 R4 come with a CD?

anyone? :/

Yes, early R4 Ver. 2 did come with the CD. I ordered my R4 from DealExtreme last September/early October just as the springless ver. 2 R4s were still fairly new and DealExtreme shipped me a Ver. 2 R4 (to my surprise) and it came with the CD.

 

[sychotik]

Just wondering what the final census was on if this was a fake R4DS. I picked up the same one your bro got in Thailand, but got mine here in Pasadena, California off Craigs list. Take a look at the pics of my real one compared to the possible fake one. The box and everything else was just as yours was without any Japanese writing on it, so I didn't post those pics.

I did peel off the sticker on the new one, and it wasn't hard to do, since the chipset made the sticker bulge up on one end.

The one in question is on the right in all the photos.


Notice how the sticker isn't flush on the plastic on the cart on the right.


FRONT


BACK

I then went ahead and peeled my original one off as well to compare. The difference is obvious.



Is it possible that the R4DS team changed something that made it no longer fit inside the cartridge so had to leave part of it exposed? Below these two exposed chips you see the cart is covered which is why it feels uneven on the front.

It actually works fine when i popped in my microsd card running 1.18 from my old R4DS. I tried a few games and they all ran, but Im just worried about the rumors of fuses burning out in the DS itself, and bricking the system. It's actually a gift, so I don't wanna kill someone else's DS if this is a clone that can break the system.

Opinions?

 

[thieves like us]

the one on the right is fake (probably an N5 rebadged). the real R4's do not have any chips on the back side of the pc board (the side that faces the front of the cartridge).

 

[Splych]

i got the same R4 as your fake one sychotik .

what i did with it was leave it there and don't give it to anyone . but i used it for 3 months with 1.18 firmware and nothing happened ? but i wouldn't take risks if i were you . and i wouldn't sell it either . cause if they find out ... something bad can happen =(

 

[sychotik]

Thanks theives and Holt. I guess i'll be looking into the Cyclo. Seems like there's too much to worry about with all the fake R4s floating around.

 

[abubin]

fake or real but what about it's performance in software? If it works almost like real then it isn't that bad , right?

What about Games compatibility? Firmware update from r4ds site works on this fake one?