what is the difference between hard-mod and soft-mod on the 3ds?

[ultradens]

what is the difference between hard-mod and soft-mod on the 3ds?
is there any difference?

 

[smileyhead]

Hardmod (hardware modification) means you modify the hardware, so install a mod chip, or do some other modification.
Softmod (software modification) means you modify the software through the use of programs that run on a PC and/or the console.

 

[ultradens]

I wonder how do we hard-mod the 3ds
Thanks for answering by the way.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I wonder how do we hard-mod the 3ds
Thanks for answering by the way.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-noob-friendly-nand-dumping-2ds-3ds-3ds-xl-n3ds-n3ds-xl.414498/

Do yourself a favor and don't attempt hardmodding a 3DS. Virtually nothing to gain, very dangerous if you aren't VERY good and experienced at soldering.

 

[Ondrashek06]

It is completely pointless to hardmod a 3DS. You can install homebrew without hardmodding, as softmods are available, unlike for the Switch where hardmodding is the only way.

 

[metroid maniac]

Hardmods for the 3DS are obsolete at this point. The main hardmod was a NAND mod, and it was most useful for unbricking. Nowadays even this isn't necessary for anything, because ntrboothax can function on a bricked 3DS even when NAND is corrupted.

 

[nl255]

Hardmodding is entirely obsolete when it comes to custom firmware and unbricking as the only brick that can't be fixed via a ntrboot flash cart is a MCU brick which can only be fixed by replacing the entire MCU. The only hardmod even worth considering is a video capture board as software based solutions are nowhere as good not even on the new 3DS and even then unless you are planning on streaming via twitch or doing a let's play on youtube and not using an emulator there is no real point.

 

[ultradens]

I guess I won’t hard-mod.

 

[ultradens]

By ntrboot do you mean using the r4 flash card ?

 

[metroid maniac]

By ntrboot do you mean using the r4 flash card ?

Yes.

 

[nl255]

By ntrboot do you mean using the r4 flash card ?

Yes, by using the custom firmware for a R4 or Ak2i or other compatible flash card. Note that cards other than the Ak2i will have to be flashed back in order to actually use it as a DS flash cart again. Also note that nds-bootstrap, which lets you run many DS games right off the 3DS sd card, still has compatibility issues and some games including Saga 3 won't work properly at all so if you want to play DS games you still need an unmodded DS flash cart.

 

[BlackBerriGames]

hard mod is going into the motherboard and soft mod is just modding the firmware and not the entire console