3DS CFWs

This is a list of all the CFWs that exist for the 3DS. CFW is an acronym for Custom FirmWare, which means a customization of the stock 3ds's firmware. Because of bootloader checks, these firmwares can't be installed directly onto the 3ds, and need loaders to modify the firmware in memory.

For some of the words used here, please refer to the 3DS Glossary.

The CFW term

The name "Custom Firmware" (CFW) is widely used by the users but doesn't really reflect what the tools are nor what they are doing.

Users are using the term "custom Firmware" to name different things, like rebooting the console in a redirected NAND environment (emuNAND) or being able to install signed cia packages on SysNAND or emuNAND.

These applications are only patching the 3DS files (mainly the firmware.bin) and are not real "custom made" firmwares. They are only patches applied in memory to edit exiting function in order to bypass some checks, allowing installation of unsigned apps, redirecting NAND access, etc.

Gateway 3DS team released these patches by integrating Nintendo files directly into their launcher.dat file with hard patches applied to them, making the launcher.dat file illegal to share on GBATemp. Nintendo sent a C&D letter asking to not host these files anymore.

The user's "cfw" projects are instead patching the files in real time. No official or patched firmware.bin files are provided, allowing their releases to be posted publicly. Some of the projects are open source and available on github.

These so called "Custom firmware" can be compared to the Wii's homebrew: Priiloader or GeckoOS.

They are only rebooters or real time patchers and are not, by themselves, considered a custom firmware.

List of patcher/rebooter

This paragraph only lists all existing firmware patcher without descriptions. For more information, see the next section.

Yellows8's CFW
Palantine's CFW
Hemlok grove
PBT-CFW
Dual-emuNAND CFW
TRICK CFW
rxMode
NTR-CFW 1.0 (old 3ds)
NTR-CFW 2.0 (new 3ds)
Gateway
MT-card
Some more clones, not as widely used. (please specify?)
Pasta
Pasta MSET version
Cake CFW
Unreleased: KARL
Unreleased: Govanify's CFW (He teased it on his site, so I guess it gets a place here)
Unreleased: ReiNAND
Unreleased: Some other private CFWs. (please specify?)

Patcher/rebooter with Descriptions

This section sorts the existing projects by groups and has additional descriptions.

4.x only

These patch signature checks = illegal games, and provide DevMenu installation, and only load with MSET on 4.x. These are pretty hard to set up and a bit unstable when booting.

Yellows8's CFW (Leaked by govanify) (Boots emuNAND)
Palantine's CFW (Modified from yellows8's) (Boots emuNAND, more stable than Yellows8's)
Hemlock Grove CFW (Modified from palantine to add better boot success rate) (Boots emuNAND)
PBT-CFW (Modified from palantine's) (Boots sysNAND)
Dual-emuNAND CFW (Modified from palantine's) (Boots second emuNAND)
TRICK CFW (PBT + Dual-emuNAND + Palantine)

Piracy

Gateway (Patches signature checks = free games and emuNAND support via MSET + spider on firmware 4.0-9.2. Requires DRM card. Classic mode only does the emuNAND stuff and supports emuNAND without DRM card until something like 7.x.)
MT-card (Was used for cartless emuNAND on 4.5 before rxMode came to life) (Same stuff as gateway, only boots via MSET on 4.x, supports emuNAND until 9.5, Classic mode works without DRM card)
Some more Flashcart clones, not as widely used.
Pasta (Only patches signature checks on firmware 4.0-9.2 via CN, boots to sysNAND)
Pasta MSET version (old 3ds) (Only patches signature checks on firmware 4.x via MSET, boots to sysNAND)

Misc

rxMode (old 3ds) (emuNAND via MSET + spider + CN on firmware 4.0-9.2)
NTR-CFW 1.0 (old 3ds) (Region free, cheats and plugins for MSET on 4.x. Boots sysNAND and emuNAND)
NTR-CFW 2.0 (new 3ds) (Region free, cheats and plugins for CN on 9.x. Boots sysNAND)

Unreleased

KARL
Govanify's CFW (He teased it on his site, so I guess it gets a place here)
Smea's CFW (Teased on his site)
Some other private CFWs.