Hacking Which version should I be looking to buy?

[dacore84]

Hey guys, kind of a jungle so I hope anyone could answer this couple of questions.
I got a Gateway card since a few years but now I would like to buy a NEW 3DS XL instead of my old one.
But I don´t know which one to buy since I want to use homebrew. When I visit the Gateway site it says it works up to 10.7

1. Is that "up to 10.7" just for emunand or also sysnand?

2. If I´d buy a New 3DS XL that is shipped with 10.7. Is it possible to downgrade that one to 9.2? Or is it impossible if the native FW is higher when shipped to me? Just read that 9.2 is the best FW to be at...

3. Is it even possible to downgrade 11.0 or 11.2 (if it´s shipped with that FW) to 10.7 or 9.2? Just want to know which version of N3DS I should buy (maybe Monster Hunter bundle which I guess is shipped with 10.7 in EUR?)

4. Is Gateway the best solution? Or could a CFW be a better choice since those woulld work on a higher FW than the Gateway card?

5. Could this: https://3ds.guide/ be used even if the console is shipped with 11.2?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Mikemk]

Stop using the Gateway, use Luma and freeshop.

1. Is that "up to 10.7" just for emunand or also sysnand?

IDK

2. If I´d buy a New 3DS XL that is shipped with 10.7. Is it possible to downgrade that one to 9.2? Or is it impossible if the native FW is higher when shipped to me? Just read that 9.2 is the best FW to be at...

All firmwares are currently exploitable and down-gradable for free. Don't worry about getting 10.7.

3. Is it even possible to downgrade 11.0 or 11.2 (if it´s shipped with that FW) to 10.7 or 9.2? Just want to know which version of N3DS I should buy (maybe Monster Hunter bundle which I guess is shipped with 10.7 in EUR?)

See above

4. Is Gateway the best solution?

No

5. Could this: https://3ds.guide/ be used even if the console is shipped with 11.2?

Hmm...
Does it have a link you can click on for an 11.2 N3DS? Yes? Guess so.

 

[offpir]

5. YES and use it

 

[dacore84]

Thank you so much!

1. But every firware up to date (11.2) is downgradable without any hardmods needed?

2. You are saying that Luma and freeshop is far superior than Gateway?

3. Also, Luma, is the best CFW around?

4. I thought this "arm9loaderhax" was needed. But that isn´t the case?

 

[offpir]

1. yes
2. yes
3. Depends what you want from it (if you just want to play games then Luma is what you want)
4. It's needed to install the exploit

 

[dacore84]

1. yes
2. yes
3. Depends what you want from it (if you just want to play games then Luma is what you want)
4. It's needed to install the exploit

Ok great, thank you guys so much! Really appreciate it!

 

[davhuit]

Gateway emunand support the last up-to-date firmware.

But yeah, it might be better to directly switch to something else.

I kept my gateway when I switched to the N3DS because when I did it, such things like "luma/arm9loaderhax" didn't exist (and I'm the kind of guy to think "If it ain't broke, don't fix it")

But if I had to buy another N3DS, I would probably directly install a CFW instead.

 

[Smash Br0]

...Isn't Gateway still worth using if you want to use cheats? Or is it completely obsolete now?

 

[Hayleia]

...Isn't Gateway still worth using if you want to use cheats? Or is it completely obsolete now?

For cheats yeah. People who would say "NTR does the same" never tried a Gateway. But even in the case you use GW cheats, a9lh is still recommended. But not in sysNAND then due to Gateway not having protections (and you could brick a N3DS when updating if you do it from sysNAND and not emuNAND).
If you want to use Gateway on a9lh, use this https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-using-luma3ds-with-gateway-on-v2-a9lh.431691/
(Note, I quoted you but at least half of this information is for OP )

...and if you don't use cheats, Gateway is completely useless and will give you more problems than satisfaction.

 

[dacore84]

Thansk guys for all your answers!

I got an Old 3DS XL already but I´m kind of interested in buying a New 3DS XL also.
So my idea was to use the Gateway on the Old 3DS (just leave it as it is, thinks it´s fw 4.5 or similar) and just install a CFW on the New 3DS.
But I haven´t been involved in the 3DS scene for a couple of years so this was like a jungle. Read and read but couldn´t understand all of it.
So hopefully I can buy a New 3DS and install a CFW on it since it doens´t matter which FW it ships with.
I thought I had to buy an older unit (like the Monster Hunter bundle) to get an exploitable FW. So I´m very glad that is not the case.

 

[proflayton123]

All current firmwares are exploitable including 11.2, follow the bible hacking guide::

HTTPS://3ds.guide

 

[dacore84]

All current firmwares are exploitable including 11.2, follow the bible hacking guide::

HTTPS://3ds.guide

Thanks! I was afraid newer firmwares requiered hardmods. But this is great!

 

[davhuit]

For cheats yeah. People who would say "NTR does the same" never tried a Gateway. But even in the case you use GW cheats, a9lh is still recommended. But not in sysNAND then due to Gateway not having protections (and you could brick a N3DS when updating if you do it from sysNAND and not emuNAND).
If you want to use Gateway on a9lh, use this https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-using-luma3ds-with-gateway-on-v2-a9lh.431691/
(Note, I quoted you but at least half of this information is for OP )

...and if you don't use cheats, Gateway is completely useless and will give you more problems than satisfaction.

I would not say that much, I never got a problem with Gateway personally. It's not that much useful now but it still works fine (the only thing Gateway don't like is decrypted games. Once you know that, it's not a problem anymore).

 

[DarkCrudus]

gateway's cheat menu is very good.

The main reason I keep it around is cuz I can download a rom and put in on my sd card and play it faster than my 3ds will download a cia and install it. Which I like a lot

 

[Hayleia]

I would not say that much, I never got a problem with Gateway personally. It's not that much useful now but it still works fine (the only thing Gateway don't like is decrypted games. Once you know that, it's not a problem anymore).

I never said it didn't work or brought problems intrinsically. I never had any problem with mine either. But when you use a Gateway and don't use cheats, you have 0 benefit compared to a free CFW*, and you have downsides like needing a red cart to boot your 3DS, having the choice between "have to install GBA VC on two NANDs" or "live on sysNAND with a nag and risk of bricking when updating", lacking features other CFWs have like Luma's region/language emulation. So these are the "problems" I'm talking about. You can perfectly live without meeting them (if you don't care about GBA or language emulation)... but you still didn't get more satisfaction than with a free CFW.

*the only "benefit" you could get from Gateway except cheats is .3ds rom loading. But

1. cias are easier to find for most games (that title key site used with freeShop/FunKeyCIA)
   
2. cias aren't harder to produce from retail games (just select the right option in Decrypt9)
   
3. in case you didn't dump your own game, you don't need a private header with a cia to play online
   
4. it's easier to manage your games on the 3DS's home menu with folders

And yeah, there could be arguments in favor of .3ds, such as

1. no install time
2. smaller internal SD so the 3DS boots in 4 seconds instead of 8 (for a 64GB SD)

But the install time isn't a real argument. I mean, you can install directly while downloading with freeShop, and that's still both safer and not necessarily slower than downloading from shady sites linked by that iso site. Can't deny the second argument but I'm not sure who cares as long as the 3DS actually boots 100% of the time, unlike what used to happen when menuhax was the standard.

 

[davhuit]

Gateway can have language emulation as you can use NTR on Gateway Emunand.

About GBA, it's true for O3DS owners. For N3DS, there is a fullspeed emulator so VC is not really required.

I never said it give more satisfaction, I was just answering about the "useless and give more problems" which is not really true (especially the "give more problems" part).

But as I said upper, for someone who is now buying a 3DS, yeah it's better and cheaper to directly install a CFW.

But for someone (like me) who already have a Gateway (when I bought it, it was the Gateway or nothing and also had to buy a 4.x 3Ds because again, it was that or nothing), it doesn't really worth the risk/time spent if you are used to use your Gateway (especially if the 3DS doesn't have a harmod).

For the nag, I don't really see what you mean, because :

- If you don't setup any connection settings on sysnand, you'll never get an update nag.
- Even if you get one, you can easily get rid of it by booting into the recovery mode and select "no" when it ask if you want to update (this method delete the already downloaded update and so get rid of the nag).
- Even if you update, it shouldn't brick your 3DS as it's the sysnand and an official update, it would just update the 3DS to the last firmware available.

 

[Hayleia]

Gateway can have language emulation as you can use NTR on Gateway Emunand.

But NTR though. I wanted to record a video of my progress to showcase to another developper and ask them if they were interested in a collaboration and I spend 50 seconds launching NTR and launching the homebrew. 50 seconds. The video lasts 1 minute and 13 seconds. So really, if I can avoid NTR, I do.

About GBA, it's true for O3DS owners. For N3DS, there is a fullspeed emulator so VC is not really required.

True this. Another way to "avoid" the downside, but it doesn't mean the downside isn't there.

But for someone (like me) who already have a Gateway (when I bought it, it was the Gateway or nothing and also had to buy a 4.x 3Ds because again, it was that or nothing), it doesn't really worth the risk/time spent if you are used to use your Gateway (especially if the 3DS doesn't have a harmod).

Well I got it when it was the only alternative too, though it was during the 9.2 era. And still, I found other alternatives more convenient (except for cheats). But that may just be me with my cartridges (if you're a "full pirate", you don't mind the red cart always in the slot, but I mind).

For the nag, I don't really see what you mean, because :

- If you don't setup any connection settings on sysnand, you'll never get an update nag.
- Even if you get one, you can easily get rid of it by booting into the recovery mode and select "no" when it ask if you want to update (this method delete the already downloaded update and so get rid of the nag).
- Even if you update, it shouldn't brick your 3DS as it's the sysnand and an official update, it would just update the 3DS to the last firmware available.

I'm talking about the "really want to boot a9lh on sysNAND?" nag, not update nags. And yes, the update does brick sysNAND if performed on a New 3DS. On an old 3DS it only uninstalls a9lh though (and update to latest firmware obviously).

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

For cheats yeah. People who would say "NTR does the same" never tried a Gateway.

I never used a gateway, didn't hear about it until recently when people importing ntr cheats or whatever. If is anything like Dstwo and how it has real time cheats, then i still say is useful and worth it at least to me, like people say r4 is better choice over dstwo even though is a bit more expensive but has good cheat support, slow down and save states all in one.

 

[davhuit]

Well I got it when it was the only alternative too, though it was during the 9.2 era. And still, I found other alternatives more convenient (except for cheats). But that may just be me with my cartridges (if you're a "full pirate", you don't mind the red cart always in the slot, but I mind).

No, I'm not but I would say since I have gateway, I don't use my carts anymore. It more convenient to have my 35 games installed as cia rather than using 35 different carts.

I never leave the red card on the slot as it has an impact on the battery if you leave it (the battery is drained faster because of the chip in the cart). So once the 3DS is booted, I remove the red cart.

I'm talking about the "really want to boot a9lh on sysNAND?" nag, not update nags. And yes, the update does brick sysNAND if performed on a New 3DS. On an old 3DS it only uninstalls a9lh though (and update to latest firmware obviously).

Ah, you meant on a9lh. Because with the Gateway, if you update the sysnand, it doesn't brick the 3DS at all (With the Gateway, the sysnand is not modified) and that was what I was talking about.

But as I said before, I'm not saying people should use a gateway, I adviced the contrary to the op. Just saying it still fully working after all those years and the amount of time when I still use my 3DS doesn't really worth the change (especially as I use the sleep mode when I know I'll reuse it a bit later, rather than having to boot it again each time).

But yeah, for newcomers, it's better to avoid buying a flashcard for nothing.

The only "big" downside I see would be DS/GBA games not working on emunand. About GBA games, I don't think it was fixed yet. GBA ambassadors games weren't working on emunand a few years ago, same for DS cart (which seems normal as the GBA games use the DS backward compatiblity to run so if one doesn't work, the other won't).

But for the DS, as DS carts (and the blue card) works on sysnand, it's not a big deal at all.

 

[Hayleia]

Well if you have your 35 games installed as cia and only use the red cart to boot a CFW, that's the kind of "problem" that Gateway brings you without any advantage
You could use any free CFW, still on your Gateway emuNAND, with your 35 games still here, and never have to use that red cart to boot your 3DS anymore.