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Topic: Hot-Swapping 3DS Cartridges

Posts 1 to 20 of 22

Kit

Does anyone hot-swap their 3DS games (i.e change their cartridges whilst on the 3DS home screen)?

The DSi allows to for hot-swapping games and it works just fine, but I read in the 3DS instruction manual that you are supposed to turn the 3DS off before changing the game cartridge. It seems a bit odd to me if you can hot-swap on the DSi but not the 3DS. I'm wondering whats the worst that can happen if you did do it on the 3DS, potential file/savegame corruption on the 3DS cart or SD Card maybe?!!

Kit

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RudysaurusRex

I hot swap my dsi too. I have seen a guy working at gamestop do it, but I don't think they care about save data.

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warioswoods

You don't have to turn it off, you just have to choose "Close" on the menu to properly shut down the suspended game.

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TeeJay

I always do that on both my 3DS and DSi. Um...I thought this was normal? I just make sure the suspended game is closed, like wariowoods said.

Edited on by TeeJay

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Grayfoxz

I was never able to hotswap with my ds phat, it really annoyed me. Now I do it all the time, but make sure the software is closed before trying!

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ImDiggerDan

Yeah, I think you get a pop-up message warning you if you eject the card when the game is still running, but it's fine to do it when it's closed down.

Worst that could happen if you eject when the game is running (and if it is in the middle of saving data) is that your saved game would get corrupted and be lost. Otherwise the system may hang and need to be turned off.

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retired_account

Yeah, just close the software first and it should be fine. I do it all the time. :3

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Papa_Godzilla

i usually try to close my 3ds before swaping games. but there are times when i dont wanna close thing. swap. re-open thing.
like in the line while waiting the bus.

i usually keep my lid closed for the sleep mode then swap. so far so good, it never failed me or destroyed a savegame.

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TeeJay

Look, I always hot-swap. It's normal and you don't have to have the system closed. Nothing ever happened to any of my save files for any of my games and I've been doing it ever since the DSi came out. Again, it's normal. That's the whole reason Nintendo made it possible in the first place. So we can switch our games without having to turn the system off!

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SuperSpank

I only shut the game down, like most people.

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Neonpowerstar

Actually in the manual it says you should only swap cartridges with the system off OR while on the home menu (or while running non-cartridge sowtware), as long as the game is not suspended. If the game is suspended, then you should close it first or your data could be corrupted. Although once I accidentally removed a game while it was suspended and my saves were fine. I guess it makes sense that the 3DS, the game, or both would have some sort of data protection in case you accidentally eject the cartridge.

My main point is: the manual actually tells you that it's OK to hot swap your games.

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Wheels2050

The DSi manual actually says you need to turn the system off before swapping cartridges - obviously, it's OK to do so, so I don't know why they put that in there (plus, I remember someone saying that Nintendo had officially talked about that as an advantage).

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komicturtle

Wheels2050 wrote:

The DSi manual actually says you need to turn the system off before swapping cartridges - obviously, it's OK to do so, so I don't know why they put that in there (plus, I remember someone saying that Nintendo had officially talked about that as an advantage).

Could be referring to while in gameplay not to switch it. Maybe.

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theblackdragon

@Wheels2050: idk about the wording because I don't have my DSi manual in front of me, but if it said you needed to 'press the Power button' as opposed to 'turning the system off' entirely, it could be referring to the fact that you need to be out of the game and on the DSi Menu before you switch out a game card.

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6ch6ris6

no problems with hotswapping on dsi and 3DS. if the game is closed there wont happen anything.

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Wheels2050

theblackdragon wrote:

@Wheels2050: idk about the wording because I don't have my DSi manual in front of me, but if it said you needed to 'press the Power button' as opposed to 'turning the system off' entirely, it could be referring to the fact that you need to be out of the game and on the DSi Menu before you switch out a game card.

The wording (at least in the DSi XL Operations Manual for the USA) is:
"IMPORTANT: Do not insert or remove Game Cards or accessories when the power is on."

Which threw me for a while...

I used to have a blog link here. I'll put it back up when the blog has something to read.

Kit

Wheels2050 wrote:

The wording (at least in the DSi XL Operations Manual for the USA) is:
"IMPORTANT: Do not insert or remove Game Cards or accessories when the power is on."

Which threw me for a while...

Yep, it is also in the 3DS manual (UK) under Hardware Precautions and Maintenance (p10)

The manual wrote:

2. Always turn the Nintendo 3DS power off before loading or removing a Game Card. Insert the Game Card completely until it clicks into place, without forcing either the Game Card or the Nintendo 3DS system.

Which is why I was asking. I also hot-swap my game cartridges at the home screen (when the game is closed) with no apparent problems, but it's the wording 'Always' which threw me too.

But they give you conflicting advice because they also say later:

"Only insert or remove Game Cards while the
system is turned off or while the HOME Menu
is displayed. (If software is suspended, exit it
first before removing the Game Card."

So perhaps it's just a precautionary best-practice to Always turn off the 3DS before inserting game cartridges.

Edited on by Kit

Kit

3DS Friend Code: 4339-2500-0959

Oregano

I imagine it's just Nintendo covering their in case it causes some problems. I hot swap all the time though, but I always turn it off if I'm changing the SD Card.

Edited on by theblackdragon

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TeeJay

KitBliss wrote:

Wheels2050 wrote:

The wording (at least in the DSi XL Operations Manual for the USA) is:
"IMPORTANT: Do not insert or remove Game Cards or accessories when the power is on."

Which threw me for a while...

Yep, it is also in the 3DS manual (UK) under Hardware Precautions and Maintenance (p10)

The manual wrote:

2. Always turn the Nintendo 3DS power off before loading or removing a Game Card. Insert the Game Card completely until it clicks into place, without forcing either the Game Card or the Nintendo 3DS system.

Which is why I was asking. I also hot-swap my game cartridges at the home screen (when the game is closed) with no apparent problems, but it's the wording 'Always' which threw me too.

But they give you conflicting advice because they also say later:

"Only insert or remove Game Cards while the
system is turned off or while the HOME Menu
is displayed. (If software is suspended, exit it
first before removing the Game Card."

So perhaps it's just a precautionary best-practice to Always turn off the 3DS before inserting game cartridges.

Nah.

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GameLord08

I hate hot-swapping. I find it damaging, even if it works fine. I'm paranoid with expensive technology.

GameLord08

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