Part 2 (Downgrading)

This part of the guide will take you through the process of downgrading to 9.2.0 (the latest version which gives us full control of the system) using PlaiSysUpdater.

This version of PlaiSysUpdater (which is compatible with >9.2.0 systems) uses an unstable exploit, and because of this it may take many tries just to load the button prompts.

If PlaiSysUpdater crashes at any point during the downgrade (which can happen occasionally), you can power off the system by holding the power button. You will be left with what's called a "partial downgrade" or "partial", which is recoverable.

Although a partially downgraded system may show 9.2.0 as the system version, you are not done. You must restart from the beginning and downgrade a second time to install any files that were not installed. Browserhax will work for partial downgrades as long as you are using the recommended version of PlaiSysUpdater.

You MUST downgrade with the correct pack for your console/region or you will BRICK.

What you need

• The Homebrew Launcher and an installed entrypoint (such as menuhax)
• The latest release of PlaiSysUpdater
• The latest release of EmuNAND9
• The 9.2.0 firmware pack zip file for your device and region:
  • New 3DS 9.2.0 - EUR (Mirror)
    
  • New 3DS 9.2.0 - JAP (Mirror)
    
  • New 3DS 9.2.0 - USA (Mirror)
    ~
    
  • Old 3DS or 2DS 9.2.0 - EUR (Mirror)
    
  • Old 3DS or 2DS 9.2.0 - JAP (Mirror)
    
  • Old 3DS or 2DS 9.2.0 - USA (Mirror)

Instructions

If you are already on 9.2.0-20, skip to step 18.

1. Copy and merge the 3ds folder from the PlaiSysUpdater zip to root of your SD card
2. Copy and merge the 3ds folder from the EmuNAND9 zip to root of your SD card
3. Delete any existing updates folder from your SD card if there is one
4. Copy the updates folder from the 9.2.0 firmware zip to the root of your SD card
5. Eject your SD card and put it back in your 3DS
6. Boot into the Homebrew Launcher (if you followed the previous part, you can do this by holding D-Pad down on boot)
7. Open PlaiSysUpdater
8. If you do not see the button prompts, power off your 3DS by holding the power button and try again (this can take many tries)
9. If you see button prompts, proceed
10. Press Y to downgrade to 9.2.0
11. Wait; do not touch anything even if it appears to freeze
12. If, after around 30 seconds, it is still frozen, it is safe to power off and try again
13. If you get an error before installation, power off your 3DS by holding the power button and try again (this can take many tries)
14. If you get an error in the middle of installation, follow the instructions in the beginning for partial downgrades
15. If you freeze on the "Rebooting in 10 seconds" line for longer than 10 seconds, it is safe to power off your 3DS by holding the power button
16. If you get a black screen after downgrading, follow this troubleshooting guide
17. When you have booted, change your theme to anything else, then change it back to remove the old menuhax version
18. Reinstall menuhax using browserhax and the HomeBrew Launcher (you do not need to reconfigure, just press install in menuhax_manager)
19. Check the system settings, you should be on 9.2.0
20. Launch the Homebrew Launcher using the entrypoint of your choice (such as menuhax)
21. Open EmuNAND9 (This can sometimes take a few tries)
22. Go to EmuNAND Manager Options, then backup SysNAND to sysNAND.bin
23. Press Select on the main menu to eject your SD card
24. Put your SD card in your computer, then copy sysNAND.bin to a safe location; make backups in multiple locations; this backup will save you from a brick if anything goes wrong in the future (Your backup should match one of the sizes on this page; if it does not, you should delete it and make a new one!)
25. You can delete sysNAND.bin from your SD card after copying it
26. Reinsert your SD card into your 3DS, then press Start to reboot