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DSi Guide

The complete guide to modding your Nintendo DSi

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For complete guides to homebrew and custom firmware for other devices, check out CFW.Guide.

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Thoroughly read all of the introductory pages (including this one!) before proceeding.

What is homebrew?

Homebrew applications are unlicensed software made for closed systems such as the Nintendo DSi. These applications can range from utilities to custom homebrew games.

Homebrew can be run for free on all Nintendo DSi consoles, regardless of firmware version or region. All you need is an entry point and an SD card to store your homebrew. The main entry point used in this guide is called Memory Pit, but there are other entry points you can use if Memory Pit is unusable.

What can I do by modding my system?

  • Run Nintendo DS(i) game backups or ROM hacks from your DSi SD card without the need of a flashcard
  • Launch any DSiWare from your SD card
    • This means out-of-region and 3DS-exclusive DSiWare will also work
  • Boot into DSiWare and homebrew applications by holding specific buttons when turning on your Nintendo DSi
  • Run old-time classics using various emulators
  • Use normally incompatible flashcards
  • Redirect your NAND to the SD card using hiyaCFW
  • Watch your favorite movies using either FastVideoDSPlayer or tuna-viDS
    • FastVideoDSEncoder requires a CPU supporting AVX2 (newer CPUs will likely support it)
  • Display an image (referred to as the boot splash) on system launch
  • Play homebrew games

Where can I find homebrew applications?

  • Universal-DB has most modern homebrew, with nice search and sorting to keep track of what's been updated recently
  • GameBrew has a lot of older homebrew, however many will only work on flashcards

What should I know before starting?

  • On Windows, it's recommended to show file extensions if you are using the default File Explorer
  • The only brick risk comes from installing Unlaunch, and the brick risk is minimal

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