ArticBase, a tool to broadcast your 3DS games to an emulator, has been released

logo.png
Artic Base, an open source tool for broadcasting games from your Nintendo 3DS to an emulator, has been released! Artic Base allows playing your owned collection of 3DS games, physical or digital, on a compatible emulator without having to dump them first. Furthermore, the tool syncs the save data, so you can resume your progress at any time from the console. Below is the list of features this tool provides, coming from the Artic Base Server github repository.

Features​

  • Play games from your console without having to dump them.
  • Sync the savedata/extdata of the broadcasted game during the play session.
  • Load shared ext data and NCCH archives from your console.
  • Remove the need to dump AES keys, as the decryption is done by the console's OS.

Advantages over playing on real console​

  • Play your games at higher resolutions.
  • Use external controllers that may better fit your playstyle.
  • Switch between playing on your PC at home and your console on the go.
  • Reduce e-waste by reusing partially broken consoles to broadcast your games to your PC.
  • Allow museums or non-profit game preservation organizations to have a centralised database of preserved games, while using an Artic Base Server + a compatible emulator to do research as needed.

As the tool author claims, Artic Base aims to help players enjoy their collection of Nintendo 3DS games with several advantages, such as being able to play at higher resolutions, switch between playing on a 3DS on the go and and a PC at home, and using their preferred external controllers. Furthermore, it helps reducing e-waste by allowing the use of partially broken consoles to act as a server instead of having to toss/replace them. The tool also removes the need of having to deal with classic emulator shenenigans, such as having to dump games or getting cryptographic keys. Keep in mind however that due to the network speed of the 3DS, slower loading times may be experienced.

At the time of writing, the only emulator supporting Artic Base is a forked version of the former 3DS emulator Citra, maintained by PabloMK7.

A demonstration of Artic Base was posted to PabloMK7's YouTube channel a few days ago, showcasing Shovel Knight being broadcasted to a PC.


What do you think? Will you do another playthrough of your collected 3DS games using this tool? Leave your thoughts in the replies!

:arrow: Artic Base Server (3DS application)
:arrow: PabloMK7's Citra fork with Artic Base support
 

SecureBoot

Your friendly neighborhood idiot
Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2016
Messages
1,794
Trophies
1
XP
4,709
Country
United States
You're basically playing your 3DS as usual but the game appears on the emulator rather than on the 3DS's screen.

ROFL moment
No that would be a tool like snickerstream. From what I can tell, this streams the assets required for the game to your computer in real time. This means the computer is running the game which allows for things like upscaling and controller support
 

BlusterBong

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
57
Trophies
0
Age
30
XP
242
Country
United States
Yeah... No, this should have been how pretty much every emulator should have be doing things to ensure complete and total legality and it took a lawsuit from a multi-million dollar company for someone to try this.
 

FanNintendo

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
1,597
Trophies
0
Age
51
XP
2,563
Country
United States
Me, realizing that "Artic" is "Citra" backwards

View attachment 436952
Artic also is the area around the North Pole not to be confused with the Artctic too
Post automatically merged:

Save states don't work with artic base currently. There is some state in the server side that cannot be saved.

In any case, I didn't experience a single server crash, and you can connect your console to the PC hotspot so you never lose connection.
I have ran on 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz wifi and keep saying 'An error has occurred whilst communicating with the Artic Base Server.' with new update Artic Base. Also i tried with my Tab S9+ and it came with same result with laptop and tablet.
Post automatically merged:

@PabloMK7 I just figured out and got it working on both laptop and tablet! Great job and Im loving it!!
 
Last edited by FanNintendo,

PabloMK7

Red Yoshi! ^ω^
OP
Developer
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Messages
2,616
Trophies
2
Age
24
Location
Yoshi's Island
XP
5,182
Country
Spain
The concept of this is super cool and works with a game like Shovel Knight, but trying out 3D Land and Alpha Sapphire, more complicated games are basically unplayable
I've tried 3D Land and it's perfectly playable, the loading times are even faster than the average, no idea what you are talking about. If you have a potato computer that's not powerful enough to do emulation that's another story...

Please send the log as it's also posible something is not properly configured, the log can be found by going to File -> Open Citra Folder and then going to the logs folder.
 

SDA

Wanderin' Jelly Boy
Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
698
Trophies
0
Age
19
Location
Parete, Italy
XP
2,293
Country
Italy
No that would be a tool like snickerstream. From what I can tell, this streams the assets required for the game to your computer in real time. This means the computer is running the game which allows for things like upscaling and controller support
I know. Only that you use the 3DS as a controller like you would do on a Wii U.
 

FanNintendo

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2018
Messages
1,597
Trophies
0
Age
51
XP
2,563
Country
United States
Just finished C-3 Roadhouse Brawl Level in Luigi's Manison - Dark Moon with Artic Base. it is still awesome with PS4 controller better than using NTR CFW with Slipstream.
 

gnmmarechal

Well-Known Member
Member
GBAtemp Patron
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Messages
6,044
Trophies
2
Age
25
Location
https://gs2012.xyz
Website
gs2012.xyz
XP
6,020
Country
Portugal

xsdfr

Well-Known Member
Newcomer
Joined
Mar 1, 2023
Messages
48
Trophies
0
XP
302
Country
Bosnia and Herzegovina
this seems like a really cool piece of software, but i don't really understand the purpose of it? streaming game data directly from the 3DS seems kinda inefficient as opposed to just dumping the game onto your PC.
 

OfcaTBS

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 14, 2024
Messages
2
Trophies
0
Age
24
XP
4
Country
Poland
The concept of this is super cool and works with a game like Shovel Knight, but trying out 3D Land and Alpha Sapphire, more complicated games are basically unplayable
The problem with the Pokemon XY games (and perhaps ORAS) is that you need an HLE AAC Decoder for proper emulation. Unfortunately, all links to download this are no longer active. I have not been able to find any working link. Perhaps someone will put it online again soon.

My colleague tested Pokemon Ultra Sun on it and said that the game works very well. I myself have tested Pokemon X (indeed it works badly), Super Mario 3D Land (works very well) and Shantae (also works very well).
 

linkinworm

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
1,607
Trophies
1
Age
33
Location
Birmingham (England)
XP
2,019
Country
this seems like a really cool piece of software, but i don't really understand the purpose of it? streaming game data directly from the 3DS seems kinda inefficient as opposed to just dumping the game onto your PC.
basially makes your 3ds, switch like, so you could play on a bigger screen at home, then if you need to go out and have chance to play while out you don't have to mess with moving saves and files around
 

TinchoX

Azure Flame Kite
Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
629
Trophies
0
Age
35
XP
499
Country
Argentina
Cool and all... but I was hoping I could use this to "stream" TwilightMenu++ to my PC, too ambitious, not how it works I know...
Still, not a bad thing to have around and mess with from time to time.
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    I've been taking fiber pills, eating more grapes, switched to wheat bread in hopes to lower it
    +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    I like wheat bread, I even like the chunky wheat bread with pieces of whole grain in it.
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Been getting this honey wheat bread from aldis pretty decent not very sweet to out do it
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Me making any food at home is an improvement to how I use to be
    +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    I have an bread machine and use it alot, better than breads you buy, but don't last as long, cause no bs preservatives
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    I got compliments about my weight loss and thought well guess I can pig out again now I'm the piggy
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    My biggest prob is alcohol, definitely is fattening
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    I know when to stop at least honestly don't get those that go and go with food
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Or those that order 2 big macs , large fry, ice cream sundie, then a diet coke
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    I might get downing two big macs but nah that's it
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Ok that will be $15.99, cash or charge?
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    My go to orders usually a mcdouble and a mcchicken and I'm happy rarely mess with fries
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Pro tip ask for that clowns jizzmac sauce on your mcdouble
    +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Do they charge extra when you add sauce,etc? I know burger king used to not, but don't know nowadays
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    They may squrit it for free if you ask nice
    +1
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    Last time I got bk it was 35c per sauce fuck you king of my nutsack
    +1
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    I'll buy a bottle of baby rays BBQ for $2 and add it from home out of spite
    +1
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    I like baby rays, my favorite is KC masterpiece tho. Figured all you could buy is that there.
  • K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2:
    The metro doesn't discriminate good sauce
    +1
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Baby Rays isn't that what killed the crocodile hunter?
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    If only he had done an endorsement for them....
  • Psionic Roshambo @ Psionic Roshambo:
    Oy mate don't let a bad bbq sauce kill your party! Baby Rays are killing it!! The flavor hits you right in the chest!
    +1
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    My phone only has 13% battery so i don't have much time left
  • Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty:
    Now 12%
  • BigOnYa @ BigOnYa:
    Happy birthday, btw
    BigOnYa @ BigOnYa: Happy birthday, btw