3DS Hacks - Convert 3DS ROMs to.cia Nintendo 3DS games can often be found in the.3ds format, which is intended for emulators like Citra. Nintendo 3DS consoles cannot load.3ds ROM files, however they can be converted to.cia format which can be installed on hacked 3DS consoles with FBI. 3DS games can also be found in.3ds format, however this is not compatible with 3DS consoles and is generally intended for 3DS emulators such as Citra.3ds files must be converted to.cia before they can be installed on your 3DS. Follow this guide on Converting 3DS ROMs to.cia with GodMode9.
.cia files) is a simple process using the FBI application, many homebrew applications also come in .cia format and will appear in the Home menu once installed. Homebrew applications in .3dsx format are not installed, instead, they must be copied to your SD card and loaded via the Homebrew Launcher. This guide will show you how to install backup games and homebrew applications from your SD card onto your hacked 3DS.Hacked (New) Nintendo 3DS (XL) Console
- A hacked 3DS with FBI and the Homebrew Launcher are required to install games and homebrew applications
- These are usually installed as part of the hacking process for 3DS
- Follow this guide (with pictures) or Plailect’s guide on hacking your 3DS if you have not done so before
- An SD Card is required to store the exploit files and homebrew apps
- 32GB or more is recommended to store games
- The SD card must be formatted to FAT32
- MicroSD cards are compatible with Old 3DS consoles via a MicroSD to SD adapter
- Place any
.ciafiles you wish to install in the/cia/folder on your SD card - Insert your SD card into your 3DS and power it on
- Launch FBI and navigate to
SD->cia - Select your
.cia-> [Install and delete CIA] - Once installed, press [Home] your game can be found in the home menu
.3ds format, however this is not compatible with 3DS consoles and is generally intended for 3DS emulators such as Citra. .3ds files must be converted to .cia before they can be installed on your 3DS. Follow this guide on Converting 3DS ROMs to .cia with GodMode9.3DS Homebrew Application come in the form of .3dsx files and can be run via the Homebrew Launcher
- Place your
.3dsxfile in the/3ds/folder on your 3DS SD card - Insert your SD card into your 3DS and power it on
- Launch the Homebrew Launcher from the home menu
- Select your app from the list to launch it
Convert 3DS ROMs for Installation
- Use GodMode9 to convert your
.3dsROM’s to.ciafiles that can be installed on your 3DS
Dump Cartridges to SD
- Play your games without the cartridge inserted by dumping them directly to your SD card with GodMode9
- Cartridges can be dumped as multiple formats:
.ciafor 3DS consoles,.3dsfor emulators or.ndsfor Nintendo DS games
Play DS Games with TWiLight Menu++
- Play Nintendo DS ROM’s flawlessly using TWiLight Menu++
- The application also features a built-in cheats manager
Install Virtual Console Games (GBC, GBA, SNES etc)
- Convert ROM’s to Virtual Console titles and install them directly to your Home menu using New Super Ultimate Injector
Luma3DS Cheats with Checkpoint
- Easily load game cheats with Checkpoint and activate them using the cheat manager in the Rosalina menu (Luma3DS)
The New Super Ultimate Injector can be used to create installable games from certain older consoles on a 3DS Family system. The 3DS natively contains hardware to run such games, which is why VC Injects (which is what these are) are more desirable than emulators, as they automatically get better performance and compatibility.
For this example, I will be making a VC inject of Pokemon Emerald for the Game Boy Advance. Broadly speaking, the steps will not differ too much for other supported VC injectable consoles.
To begin, open New Super Ultimate Injector for 3DS.exe, and create a new project.
Once the project loads, import your legally dumped GBA rom by navigating to it in the window that appears when you click this button.
Most of the information about your rom will be automatically prefilled. You may customise it as you wish. The options are reasonably self-explanatory, however if you are unsure, hover your mouse over a box or button for a short explanation of what it does.
Most of the customisation is up to you. You can pick a long and short name, change the game icon, choose a title ID, modify the CIA banner, etc, etc. If you are lazy, most of these options can be left unchanged, but you should click 'Download title screen from database' under icon settings and banner settings in order to get a half decent icon and banner image that you don't have to go hunting for.
Importantly, at this time, there is no way to change button mapping for a VC inject.
Under 'Edit content options' at the bottom, you can apply a hard reset and or a sleep patch, if you want to do that.
Once you have finished customising your rom, export it.
It can then be installed to your console via FBI, which by this point you should already have.
Here is an example of what the database title screen import looks like on a console. It's pretty good, for something that takes no effort on the user's behalf.