Region Changing

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Required Reading

This is an add-on section for region changing your CFW SysNAND. This is done by installing the 11.15.0 CTRTransfer image for the region you want to switch to. After installing the image, you can update your device normally to the latest firmware (11.16.0).

Note that region changing is almost completely unnecessary since Luma3DS supports out-of-region games and individual title Locale Emulation. Additionally, running NDS games with alternative out-of-region languages is supported by TWiLight Menu++.

Note that if you have any payload files other than GodMode9.firm in the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card, holding (Start) on boot will display a “chainloader menu” where you will have to use the D-Pad and the (A) button to select “GodMode9” for these instructions.

If you change the region of your device:

  • You will not be able to use your NNID (if you have one). NNIDs are locked to the region that they were created in.
  • You may not be able to access the eShop, even if you delete your eShop account beforehand. This is because certain titles tend to remain linked to the 3DS, even after account deletion (especially on New 3DS).
    • The eShop contains not only games, but also game updates and DLC. Updates are usually required for online play.
  • You will not be able to uninstall custom firmware without bricking the device! If you intend to uninstall custom firmware in the future, you MUST restore your NAND backup that was created before the region change.

You MUST have already installed Luma3DS and boot9strap to use this.

Performing a region change may break extended memory mode games (Monster Hunter, Super Smash Bros, Pokemon Sun/Moon) on Old 3DS/2DS devices. If this occurs, you will need to format the device (using TinyFormat or System Settings) to fix the issue.

What You Need

To use the magnet links on this page, you will need a torrent client like qBittorrent or Deluge.

Instructions

Section I - Prep Work

  1. Power off your device
  2. Insert your SD card into your computer
  3. Create a folder named 3ds on the root of your SD card if it does not already exist
  4. Copy GodMode9.firm from the GodMode9 .zip to the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card
  5. Copy the gm9 folder from the GodMode9 .zip to the root of your SD card
  6. Copy the 11.15.0 CTRTransfer image .bin from the CTRTransfer .zip to the /gm9/ folder on your SD card
  7. Copy FBI.3dsx to the /3ds/ folder on your SD card
  8. Reinsert your SD card into your device

Section II - NAND Backup

  1. Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
  2. If you are prompted to create an essential files backup, press (A) to do so, then press (A) to continue once it is completed
  3. If you are prompted to fix the RTC date&time, press (A) to do so, then set the date and time, then press (A) to continue
    • Note that, if you had to fix the RTC date and time, you will have to fix the time in the System Settings as well after this guide
  4. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  5. Select “Scripts…”
  6. Select “GM9Megascript”
  7. Select “Backup Options”
  8. Select “SysNAND Backup”
  9. Press (A) to confirm
    • This process will take some time
    • If you get an error, make sure that you have at least 1.3GB of free space on your SD card
  10. Press (A) to continue
  11. Press (B) to return to the main menu
  12. Select “Exit”
  13. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
  14. Hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to eject your SD card
  15. Insert your SD card into your computer
  16. Copy <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin and essential.exefs from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card to a safe location on your computer
    • Make backups in multiple locations (such as online file storage)
    • These backups will save you from a brick and/or help you recover files from the NAND image if anything goes wrong in the future
  17. Delete <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin and <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_###.bin.sha from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card after copying it
  18. Reinsert your SD card into your device
    • If your SD card was not detected, hold (R) and press (B) at the same time to remount it

Section III - CTRTransfer

  1. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9
  2. Press (A) on the CTRTransfer .bin to select it
  3. Select “CTRNAND options…”
  4. Select “Transfer image to CTRNAND”
  5. If prompted, select “Transfer to SysNAND”
    • This prompt will only appear if you have an EmuNAND
  6. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
    • This process will take some time
  7. Once the transfer is completed, press (A) to continue
  8. Press (B) to decline relocking write permissions if prompted
  9. Press (B) twice to return to the main menu
  10. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  11. Select “Scripts…”
  12. Select “GM9Megascript”
  13. Select “Scripts from Plailect’s Guide”
  14. Select “CTRTransfer Ticket Copy”
  15. When prompted, press (A) to proceed
  16. Press (A) to continue
  17. Press (B) to return to the main menu
  18. Select “Exit”
  19. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
  20. Press (Start) to reboot your device
  21. Update your device by going to System Settings, then “Other Settings”, then going all the way to the right and using “System Update”
    • Updates while using B9S + Luma (what you have) are safe
    • If this gives you an error, set your DNS settings to “auto”

Section IV - Launching FBI

  1. Launch the Download Play application (this icon)
  2. Press (L) + (Down) + (Select) at the same time to open the Rosalina menu
  3. Select “Miscellaneous options”
  4. Select “Switch the hb. title to the current app.”
  5. Press (B) to continue
  6. Press (B) to return to the Rosalina main menu
  7. Press (B) to exit the Rosalina menu
  8. Press (Home), then close Download Play
  9. Launch the Download Play application
  10. Your device should load the Homebrew Launcher

Section V - Reinstalling Tickets

If the script found no user tickets and told you to skip this section, you can skip this section.

  1. Launch FBI from the list of homebrew
  2. Select “gm9”
  3. Select “out”
  4. Select “ctrtransfer_tickets”
  5. Do the following process for either the eshop folder, unknown folder, or both
    • Navigate to the folder
    • Select “<current directory>”
    • Select “Install and delete all tickets”
    • Wait. The system may appear to freeze, just give it time.
    • Press (A) to confirm
  6. Press (Home) to exit FBI

Section VI - Region settings

  1. Launch the System Settings
  2. Go to “Other Settings”, “Profile”, then “Region Settings”
  3. Select a country from the region you switched to
  4. If prompted, you do not need to set a state

Section VII - Remove CTRTransfer image

  1. Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your device. This will launch GodMode9
  2. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD -> gm9
  3. Press (X) on the CTRTransfer image .bin to delete it
  4. Press (A) to confirm
  5. Press (Start) to reboot your device