A few days ago the Nintendo eShop for the WiiU and 3DS closed permanently. But that does not mean that the 3ds is a brick, far from it. Enter homebrewing.

Homebrewing

Homebrewing is very simple on the 3ds, in fact, one of the most simple consoles to soft mod. But you may not know what homebrewing is. Homebrewing can be defined as cracking through a system’s security in such a way that allows you to execute custom code. This typically refers to gaming consoles as personal computers and most other computational devices allow you to run custom code anyways.

What of it?

You might be wondering, okay, I can run custom code on my 3ds easily, but what is the point?

The point of homebrewing your 3ds is that it allows you to do things that were previously impossible or restricted by Nintendo’s proprietary software. The 3ds can handle emulators for some more classic games like GBA, NES, and SNES. You can also install custom themes and back up your game saves.

One of the more important homebrew apps for the 3ds is called Checkpoint, which allows you to back up and restore your game saves. This is especially nice if you’re worried about losing game progress or if you intend to transfer your game saves to another 3ds.

Another popular homebrew app is Anemone, which lets you install custom themes on your 3ds. Themes can be applied specifically, or you can cycle through a random set of them. You can even add a startup image for your 3ds. Your custom themes can be made using tools like Usagi, which is a theme editor specifically designed for the 3ds.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even create your games using tools like Petit Computer or SmileBASIC, both of which were available on the 3ds eShop and can be found using “questionable means”. These allow you to make your basic games that while being games that could run on a really old computer, are a neat distraction.

The Future of Homebrewing

As the 3ds get older and newer consoles take their place, the homebrewing scene will likely continue to evolve. Already, there are tools available that allow you to play 3ds games on computers with the 3D effect missing. With the rising scene again for the 3ds as people are getting back to the system with nostalgia we might see an increase in homebrew software, allowing for more access to the 3ds’ hardware.

As the homebrewing community continues to develop, its fundamental idea will remain centered around empowering users with greater control over their devices, enabling them to accomplish things that were once deemed impossible or limited. And given that the console is now in its later stage, there is no better moment than now to explore and discover what the homebrewing community can offer.

The 3ds is not the only console that can be homebrewed, however. Other consoles like the WiiU, Wii, Vita, and Xbox, can be homebrewed as well. And with stuff like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, modding a console has never been easier.

But despite the availability of other homebrewing options, the 3ds remains one of the most popular consoles to homebrew.

While many Nintendo fans may have been disappointed by the closure of the Nintendo eShop, thanks to homebrewing, the 3ds can continue to provide new experiences and opportunities for users. Whether you’re looking to play classic games or have a mini handheld computer.

Choosing a 3ds and Homebrewing It

After reading the previous sections, you may be left with some lingering questions, such as, “How can I obtain a 3ds suitable for modding, and which specific model should I go for given the plethora of options?” Alternatively, you may have a 3ds that has been gathering dust in your attic, and you are now wondering how to go about homebrewing it. Don’t worry, as this section is just for that.

Choosing a 3ds

Starting with choosing a 3ds is mostly a personal preference with a bit of a price tag difference. Usually, people argue that either getting the new 2ds XL or the new 3ds XL. The main difference is obviously, the 3d functionality.

I will not get into too much detail here but I will link this amazing video by Neander Meander which covers the topic in detail.

The main important thing to consider is whether or not you want a ‘new’ model as those models have more homebrew functionality.

Another thing to consider is the size of your SD card. You can get up to 128 GB before you start to lose functionality (specifically GBA support) check out this FAQ on what to do with SD cards.

Homebrewing your console

Since the best way to homebrew your console changes a lot and can depend on the firmware of your console, I recommend checking out the website: 3ds.hacks.guide. This website covers almost everything one would need to start their modding career, and most definitely make sure not to follow a video on youtube as those have a chance of bricking your console with their outdated information.

After you are done with that I recommend you look at this list of homebrew that are useful:

• hShop -> With the 3ds eShop closed down hShop is a backup of updates for every 3ds game (and other things ; )
• FTPD -> Especially if you are using a new 3ds it’s a bit hard to access the MicroSD this helps access it remotely using FTP. Related to that I recommend MobaXTerm for accessing the 3ds.
• Universal Updater -> Can install a set of certain homebrew and allows you to automatically update them.
• EULA Setter -> Especially useful if you are trying to run games outside of your region. Allows you to accept the EULA for the other regions which some games may require for some features.
• Pinbox -> turns your 3ds into a remote computer (similar to steam play) that can view and control your computer.

Other useful websites:

• GBAtemp -> very useful for finding homebrew you need or solving problems that you have
• GameBrew -> a Wikipedia for homebrew.
• ThemePlaza -> a collection of tonnes of custom themes that people made and uploaded. You can also upload your own.
• 3ds.hacks.guide -> a guide for homebrewing and some troubleshooting.
• Nintendo Homebrew -> a nice and useful discord server that helps with 3ds, Wii U, and Switch homebrew.