A Downgrader coming for the Nintendo 3DS?
Developer JustPingo has been working on KernelTimeMachine, a downgrader for the 3DS. Although the application is not stable for now, it promises people will be able to downgrade from the latest 3DS Firmware 10.3, to the much more vulnerable Firmware 9.2.
KernelTimeMachine will let users on 3DS Firmwares 9.3 to 10.3 downgrade to firmware 9.2, without the need for a NAND Backup. The program will use TPP files for the downgrade, but again, it is not finalized as of yet. JustPingo announced that downgrade packs will be made available soon (the site he pointed to specialized in copyright infringement so we won’t send you there).
According to the readme, the process to Downgrade your 3DS with KernelTimeMachine is extremely simple: Install the correct files on your SDCard, and launch KernelTimeMachine with the Homebrew Launcher. The application will then guide you through the Downgrade process.
3DS Downgrader – some tools already available?
Some people are reporting 3DS Downgrade success with the tools that surfaced this week
Some other tools have apparently already surfaced on the net that supposedly let you downgrade your 3DS to Firmware 9.2. JustPingo and other developers have warned against using those tools though, as apparently a significant amount of bricks have been reported already.
DO NOT TRY TO DOWNGRADE WITH THE CURRENT TOOLS. Already 8 known bricks.
— JustPingo (@JustPingo) January 3, 2016
The consensus seems to be that it’s better to wait for KernelTimeMachine to be officially released and people to confirm if this works, before you attempt to downgrade your own 3DS. However, some people on GBATemp are reporting success with those other tools.
And because no work in progress comes without drama, several people are calling out JustPingo, saying his work is just a false promise and will never actually be released. At this point I can’t guess if things will go one way or the other, but the source code on JustPingo’s github looks legit enough though, at the very least it’s not random garbage but actual code that makes sense.
The source code from the KernelTimeMachine 3DS Downgrader can be found on JustPingo’s github here.
Source: JustPingo’s github, via 8BitBang on hackinformer
Very interesting indeed! Wasn’t 9.2 the firmware that allows for a custom firmware installation? Does anyone know if it is like how on the Ps3 scene where they make spoofs in order to go online on the latest firmware?
That’s exactly what emunand is: A emulated higher firmware running on top of a much lower and much more vulnerable firmware.
Thank you. I shall look into that before hand.
Or is it like the PS3 scene where the 3DS had to have come with 9.2 or lower to downgrade.
No they said the downgrade works up to 10.3, but as others have said it is probably best to wait for release to be safe.
I know they say it works UP TO 10.3 but is that accurate?
I want to know because I have a n3ds XL at 9.9 and if it would be better for me to update to 10.3 instead so I could be sure to be able to use the downgrade method
I cant wait for this
First XD
Had to do that.
Finally, we are seeing proper progress in the 3DS scene.
Hopefully someone will finally figure out a way to obtain all needed keys to future proof these exploits.
Of course, this is easier said in words than done IRL.
How I miss the Wii scene.
Hope not to get a brick in the near future… Also I tried the current *hax on the latest firmware on a N3DS and they seems to work like a charm… Or is there any issue I didn’t see?
My New 3DS XL came with 9.4 from factory.
Could I downgrade?
Just got a new 3ds regular came with 9.9.0 factory. Could downgrade as well?
Talking about *hax, which one you recommend the most?
Might want to just straight up delete this article.
JustPingo is a 16 year old with zero credibility and no prior releases. He’s tried to hype people for his releases since October, but his only release to date is a menu which didn’t even compile until someone fixed his errors, some of which were syntax. This is a menu, all he has ever made is a menu. There is no downgrade coming from this person.
I’d have thought a fairly reputable site like Wololo would easily be able to spot this kind of ruse, it has so many red alarms; hyping up releases, back-pedalling on those releases, continuously talking about his work without any evidence or POC, crying about the community and threatening to cease development (which is likely not happening anyway), asking community to name his non-existent work.
He’s all talk. His github is not legit in the slightest, it’s just a menu – most of which is just code ripped from other homebrew.
Even if the downgrade that is going around appears to work you cant install any cfw because you are left with a broken firmware after downgrade… just wait for the official release of ktm.
There won’t be one lol
well.. i will be using an imaginary ktm then..i hope you dont use it after saying that …
Well I wasn’t an idiot so I never updated either of my consoles.
I’m also not stupid enough to believe some 16 year old kid who has zero credibility and no prior releases. He’s been posting hype-bait since October, and his single release to this date was some source code for a **menu** that didn’t even compile until someone else fixed his errors, which were mainly syntax (embarrassing). Let’s not forget that he’s shown no evidence he has anything substantial, or even a POC, but keeps posting about his ‘work’ and even got people to name his non-existent program.
Whenever he’s questioned on the validity of his work he gives vague answers in the hope that piracy-hungry children will believe his asinine ruse, or simply begins to cry and threaten to cease development; a pretty common occurrence from people such has himself (who there have been countless amounts of across the homebrew scenes).
Oh, an his magical downgrade file format is literally just a renamed .zip containing system title .cias.
Well, thanks for the summary here, I’m seeing that kind of criticism of JustPingo all over the place at GBATemp, so we’ll see where this leads. I’ve done mistakes in the past, mistaking fakers for actual devs, so we’ll see where this goes. I’m not pretending I’m dead sure this thing is for real.
Will this just benefit people with flashcards to play legally owned backups? Or other things? I’m not quite up to date with the 3ds scene so what other things would we be able to do? If people don’t own a flashcart
No you dont need a flashcart, and 3DS is basically blown wide open. You can play back ups on firmware 10.3 and under, homebrew, CFW. This announcement is just about bringing it all to current firmware and is related to the 32C3 information released last week by Smealum et al.
wow! im on the latest firmware so this would be a miracle! if ninty decides to try to update i wont go through ill wait for this instead!
Embarrassing article.
I shoulda got a 3ds……….damn vita!!!!!
si como el exploit de wii u esto es pura especulacion no va a suceder
DO NOT attempt this without a back of of your current NAND, hardmod and dump your NAND first. This was just released hours ago, and there is reports of many many bricks.! You been warned.
Ok, tried the “other tools” with a friend, for me it worked, for him it bricked, same environment, same downloads and homebrews, same procedure. We haven’t figured out what happened, yet. Stay away from unstable releases just to be safe, i feel unbelievably lucky…
Either a purposeful lack of fact-checking went into this article or Wololo’s trolling hardcore today.
The jobs already done and Pingos jockriding the 3DS scene for credit. Use this opportunity to make an article about sysUpdater.
it’s not just justpingo’s work.
he’s writing the downgrader, but there’s a team of developers working on making it usable on recent firmwares.(otherwise you’d have to be on 9.3 to downgrade to 9.3)
the people saying his work is fake do so without any good arguments or reason.
I don’t doubt at all that Gateway 3DS will include a downgrader when they release the firmware that runs on 10.3 just like the one they released for 9.x to downgrade to 4.x. It doesn’t require you to own the cart in order to do so (maybe an oversight or maybe an olive branch to non-owners). It is very easy to do and only caused bricks to those that didn’t follow directions and/or used the wrong system/region files. So then there will be two routes to do go with == win-win for those stuck in 10.x land! But by then 10.3 will have all the exploits and the eShop again so it may be a moot feature.
This CFW will allow for a flash cart like experience right? Isn’t beating Gateway and Sky3DS a good thing even if it allows for, dare I say with great pressure… PIRACY!!! (MIDI style Final Fantasy style boss music plays in the background)
The downgrade is not THE SOLUTION the best choice is wait to CFW like rx tool or other, the downgrade is just for the impacient perso who want play to pirate game now.
I`ll just wait for a CFW running on current firmwares, I have downloaded too much digital content and I dont want to lose it.
I followed the instruction thoroughly and mine got bricked after CIA installation then reboot.