Gateway 3DS is a hardware and software solution for backing up and playing 3DS Roms.
The hardware represented by two 3DS cartrigdes (Red and Blue card) with slots for you to insert microSD cards. The software is a file called launcher.dat. As of 10 Jan 2015, the latest version of Gateway 3DS software is “Gateway Ultra 3.0 – Public Beta”.
With each Gateway software update, more features are updated, bugs are fixed. You have to visit the official website to find out more.
What does it do to my console exactly?
1. It runs an exploit on the vulnerable system version to get it the Gateway menu.
2. In Gateway mode, you will be able to access ROMs stored on the RSD by pressing SELECT.
3. If you shutoff your system and turn it back on, it would be like you never used Gateway before.
Caveat emperor: In the past, there were people using clones of Gateway, and the offical Gateway people decided to brick all consoles running the fake Gateway cards. It seems silly to me that there’s a clone of a cloning device, and even more silly that the first clone decided to intentionally brick all consoles using the fake Gateway cards. Well anyway. You have been warned, there is a certain risk to using Gateway.
What is SysNand and what is EmuNand?
In the Gateway menu, there is an option to backup SysNand. It is highly recommended that you do a backup. Doing a backup will create a “NAND.BIN” file on your CSD, and you MUST copy a backup to your computer.
In the Gateway menu, there is also an option to format SysNand (which you should do AFTER you backup SysNand). Formatting the SysNand will split your CSD exactly into 2 portions.
SysNand: The original existing system firmware version on your console.
This is the current System Version of your console. Rebooting at any time, will bring you back to SysNand. Exiting the “System settings” screen at any time will ALSO bring you back to SysNand.
This is used mainly to play original cartridges.
This is where you setup your Gateway related stuff. Updating Gateway card, Boot Classic Mode, Backup SysNand, Format SysNand, etc.
So why do I need two Nands for, exactly?
Gateway will only work on your console’s official system version (SysNand version 4.5 – 9.2). To put it simply: One day, there will be a 3DS game which requires SysNand version 10, and you won’t be able to play that with a Gateway. Gateway’s solution is to configure your console to have an option of updating the system firmware. Hence there is a SysNand environment and a EmuNand environment. When supported, you will be able to update EmuNand’s firmware to a supported version, so you can play new games, visit eShop, download patches.
This feels overly complicated right now. What should I do?
5. Run Gateway Exploit, Press L to get into Gateway Menu, backup SysNand to computer, then format SysNand.
6. Run Gateway Exploit, verify system settings starts with GW, update system online without existing system settings screen.
7. Run Gateway Exploit, verify system settings starts with GW.
1. Run the Gateway Exploit.
2. Press SELECT, choose a ROM, start playing.
3. To exit the ROM, press the HOME button, then A, to exit the ROM. Your save data will THEN be written onto the CSD.
4. Putting your console to sleep while playing a ROM, MAY cause your game to hang. Supposedly, this randomly happens when you sleep for more than a few hours. When in doubt, exit using step 3 before shutting down your system.