The orange Sky3ds+ is a brand new flash card for all Nintendo 3DS devices, including the 2DS and New 3DS models. With a flash card like this Sky3DS+ you can play a list of backups, so you don’t always have to switch between the different games.
The Sky3DS plus can also be very useful in combination with homebrew, for example, to play games from another region. In the past, we have the Sky3ds blue button card, but now, the second generation Sky3ds+ released, it brings a number of improvements. Let’s take a look.
Introduction
With the Sky3DS+ it is possible to play all Nintendo 3DS games. There are also two other Sky3DS variants on the market: one with a red button, the other with a blue button. The red button was fairly primitive and only allowed ten games, but that limit was raised by the Sky3DS Blue to around 40 games. The games that were launched from the second half of 2015, however, did not work on the old Sky3DS Red and Blue flash cards, due to extra security measures.
The Sky3DS+ is the ultimate solution: the new card supports all 3DS games and can therefore easily play games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes or Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.
Moreover, there are a lot of other noticeable improvements. For example, the Sky3DS+ contains two physical buttons so that you can navigate more easily between the different games. The Sky3DS+ emulates a normal 3DS cartridge, and switching between games is not done via a menu but via the two physical buttons.
You will also notice that the Sky3DS+ has been given a MicroUSB input: with this you can update the firmware of the device and the port also serves as a card reader. Because you can always update the firmware, the Sky3DS+ is definitely a “futureproof” flash card.
In summary, what can you do with the Sky3DS+?
Play back
backups of 3DS games via a MicroSD card on the Sky3DS + cartridge
The ability to play games from another region via
RegionFour (requires homebrew)
Take advantage of online opportunities
Works on any 3DS, you can use the latest software
from the 3DS
Plays the latest 3DS games such as Happy Home
Designer and Tri Force Heroes
Updateable via the internet
Packaging and content
The Sky3DS+ is packed perfectly by the webshop with sufficient protection. The card itself is supplied in a simple cardboard with plastic cover for the card. In the box we also find a short included MicroUSB cable. The front and back of the package is decorated with a number of well-known spaceships, but fortunately it is the Sky3DS+ itself that really matters.
At first glance the Sky3DS+ looks like a normal 3DS cartridge and with the build quality everything is fine. The card feels sturdy and robust and, both the USB input and the MicroSD card slot are securely attached.
If you do not yet have a MicroSD card, you can order one yourself. Most formats are supported, but 32 gigabytes is more than sufficient for a large number of games.
At the bottom we find the two orange buttons. The Sky3DS+ does not have a graphical interface in which you can choose from your different games, but you have to “scroll” with the built-in buttons. That sounds a bit cumbersome, but it is also why the Sky3DS+ works so well: emulating a normal 3DS cartridge ensures that the Sky3DS + card can work on any software version of the Nintendo 3DS.
Setup
Compared with the previous versions of the Sky3DS, the setup of the Sky3DS plus has been greatly simplified. First of all, your MicroSD card must be formatted to FAT32 or exFat, all other file formats are not supported.
Furthermore, roms on a Sky3DS+ behave exactly like “real” cartridges, game saves are taken and you can play online with the games. Although in principle “out of the box” it is possible to play online, it is best to use your own online header: a kind of unique code with which Nintendo can see whether you are the actual owner of the game in question.
You can find the 3DS games on the internet in the form of ROMS. Once the SD card has been formatted, all you have to do is download the Sky3DS+ firmware from the official website sky3dsplus.net and place it on the SD card. Furthermore, you can then put your desired games as ROM on your SD card and of course you can also transfer game saves.
Test
Enough talk about the functionalities and possibilities of the device, let’s take a look at the Sky3DS+ card. Which games can the Sky3DS Plus actually play? All games that have ever appeared on a 3DS card are playable. The latest games such as Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Monster Hunter X and TLOZ: Tri Force Heroes with extra security measures are also perfectly playable. And thanks to the upgradable firmware, it will probably always remain that way. Because the Sky3DS+ can perfectly emulate a 3DS cartridge, all games work perfectly and as they should.
The two buttons also work a lot faster than the previous version of the Sky3DS with blue button. Where with the Sky3DS Blue you had to wait a good three seconds to scroll between games, with Sky3DS+ this often happens in half the time. It is of course easier to navigate thanks to two buttons and you can choose in which order the games appear on your 3DS. A handy LED light tells you when the card is ready to switch games.
We have tested the Sky3DS Plus with a New Nintendo 2DS XL on the most recent firmware at the time of writing, version 11.10. Another 3DS model or different firmware? No problem, the Sky3DS+ flash card can handle all 3DS consoles and all firmware.
Conclusion
The Sky3DS Plus flashcart is a remarkable improvement over its predecessor, the Sky3DS Blue. Thanks to the possibility to play the latest games, firmware updates in the future, faster operation with two buttons and a much user-friendly method to put games on the flash card, the Sky3DS+ is without a doubt the most powerful 3DS flash card on the market.
Where to buy
You can buy them from reliable European resellers, such as the Italiamods.com, which is for people living in Italy, the NXmodificar.com, that one is for customers located in Spain. They are both reputable sites to buy Sky3ds+ card, support shipping from EU, No Tax, and allow Paypal payment.