3DS:Why not to remove custom firmware

Removing custom firmware (CFW) from your 3DS or 2DS is not recommended for most cases.

The Short Version

Luma3DS is probably your custom firmware. In this case:

• It probably isn't why your game is broken.
• It probably isn't why some part of your console is broken.
• It will not permanently break your console: The worst that would happen is that Luma3DS needs updating (that's the boot.firm file on your SD card).
• It will not delete all your saves; in fact, it provides tools to back them up, which makes them safer than stock firmware could.
• It will not cause you to get banned on its own, but don't cheat in online games.
• If you are selling the console, it might be a good idea to remove it then, but you should check first.
• If you are sending in the console to Nintendo for repair, it might also be a good idea.

Fixing a broken game

Nearly all cases where a game doesn't work are not due to CFW alone. Most commonly, a corrupt game file or a corrupt save file is the cause. Removing CFW would make it harder to diagnose a game's problems. Meanwhile, Luma3DS (the CFW) exposes more details about why a game doesn't work, allowing for more experienced people to figure the problem out, while stock firmware would only show a generic "An error has occurred" screen.

Most of the rest of the cases are due to a plugin or mod that is outdated or for the wrong version of the game. In these cases, removing the offending plugin or mod would fix the game.

There are a few edge cases where games can break due to CFW settings. In particular, a few games crash on New 3DS if the 804MHz clock speed and the L2 cache are enabled. Usually, these can be worked around by temporarily disabling the setting that is breaking the game.

Fixing broken system applications

Sometimes a part of the system software might stop working for some reason. Assuming the system was not updated to a point where Luma3DS is currently not compatible, keeping CFW would mean you can fix the corruption, usually with a CTRTransfer, while removing the CFW will probably keep the system in a broken state with no way to fix it without ntrboot.

Concerns about bricks

CFW has become exceptionally safe to use on the 3DS over the years, both during and after setup: It is nearly impossible to brick your console on accident. GodMode9, the most common tool for interacting with the 3DS NAND, requires unlocking the write protection with a button combination when you are about to do something that could cause damage. The button combination requires deliberate inputs and is impossible to do by accident. Moreover, GodMode9 contains integrated repair features and allows you to run useful tools for troubleshooting and repairing your console software: If your console is already "bricked", removing CFW will prevent you using them to find and resolve the console's possible problems.

If Nintendo ever releases a new system update, there is a chance that Luma3DS will be incompatible with it: It is not a brick as it prevents the complete boot of Luma3DS, but does not break other tools such as GodMode9. Usually a new release is made in about a day and can be fixed by replacing boot.firm on the SD card.

The last update to break Luma3DS was 11.14.0-46, released on 17th of November, 2020. The last one before that was 11.8.0-41, released on 30th July, 2018.

Concerns about data loss

As detailed in the above section, CFW has very few risks associated with it, either when setting it up or using it. If you do not delete random files or titles using GodMode9, FBI, or similar tools, you are not likely to lose things such as game saves which are on the SD card.

CFW provides access to tools to make your own backups of your games, their saves, and the system's internal storage (the NAND). These allow for better backups than what Nintendo normally allows. For example, if your console is ever lost or broken, everything can be manually migrated to a replacement console. SD card data can be migrated if you have the movable.sed from the original console, which is inside the essential.exefs made during setup. NAND data (e.g. Friend List, Mii Maker, StreetPass Mii Plaza) can be transferred from a NAND backup.

Concerns about bans

Nintendo does not focus on 3DS security anymore, as thousands of people use custom firmware on their consoles without issue. Bans are the most likely when cheats are used in public online rooms.

Moreover, Nintendo has shut down online play and services for the 3DS on the 8th of April, 2024: There is be nothing to be banned from anymore.

In the past, there was one well-documented ban wave: when Pokémon Sun and Moon leaked online, some people downloaded it and used its online services before release. Bans were given to those who had done so.

Selling console

This is often considered the only real reason to remove custom firmware. A buyer may not be willing to accept any kind of homebrew, or the platform may remove listings for modified consoles. Notably, eBay removes the listing if there is a mention of homebrew in it.

Sometimes, a workaround to prevent removal is to not mention it, but include telltale signs of custom firmware in pictures (e.g. the "Sys" text in System Settings). If you may not be willing to risk it, removing the CFW is the best option. In this case, you should be careful to not leave remnants that can cause problems on stock, including modified system titles. In particular, make sure the following components work when the console is booted with stock firmware:

• Nintendo 3DS Camera
• Health & Safety Information
• DS Download Play
• DS Internet Settings
• DS Profile Settings (launching and attempting to enter in a name)

Sending console in for repairs

Nintendo might not like receiving a console with boot9strap on it, so removing custom firmware temporarily would be a good idea. In this case you should make backups of the NAND, as Nintendo does not repair consoles, they replace them instead.

As of June 2026, Nintendo of America only repairs the New 2DS XL, while Nintendo of Japan and Nintendo of Europe no longer repair any models.