R4i – Make Sure you Buy an R4 DSi that Works
Buying an R4i can be tricky since there are no well known retailers selling them. All but a handful of stores have no reputation at all. We’ve gathered as much information as we could find on those that sell the R4i in the UK to compile a customer satisfaction table. This can be used as a guide to who sells good quality reliable models and who are more likely to supply dodgy alternatives.
| R4 & R4i Retailer Customer Satisfaction Survey | |||||
| Store (click below to visit store) | Amazon Marketplace | Dooyoo | Price Grabber | Price Runner | Review Center |
| *** BEST BUY *** www.m3izero.co.uk |
98% | - | 4.9/5 | - | 9.2/10 |
| *** RECOMMENDED *** www.r4-r4.co.uk |
95% | - | 4.9/5 | - | 9.0/10 |
| My Memory | 94% | 4.0/5 | - | - | 3.9/10 |
| r4ds.co.uk, r4i.co.uk, Memory Bits | - | 2.0/5 | 4.65/5 | 2.8/5 | - |
| nintendodsr4.co.uk | - | - | - | - | - |
| stuff4dsi.co.uk | - | - | - | - | - |
| r4cardz.co.uk | - | - | - | - | - |
| allcards4u.com | - | - | - | - | - |
| stuffs2play.com | - | - | - | - | - |
| buylay.com | - | - | - | - | - |
| ds-cards.com | - | - | - | - | - |
| Flash-Gadget.co.uk | - | - | - | - | - |
| bycardshop.com | - | - | - | - | - |
| r4gift.com | - | - | - | - | - |
Why You Need an R4i (R4 DSi) Card
The Nintendo DSi surpassed all expectations and is the fastest selling handheld console of all time. It has a number of nifty features that aren’t found in the previous versions, but unfortunately it still lacks some features that you might have expected like the ability to run homebrew games through the SD card reader. This is why you need an R4 DSi. The R4 for DSi is cleverly named the R4i.
The R4DSi is a cartridge that is roughly the same size as a standard cartridge for the DSi. The cartridge has a small slot where you can insert a MicroSD card which is required to take advantage of many of its features. Nothing is installed or modified in the Nintendo DSi so it is completely safe to use and all the action is done within the cartridge.
Enhance Your experience with an DSi R4
If you’ve had the luxury of playing video games on the latest Nintendo console, you may want to enhance your experience with an R4 DSi. We’ll go into details momentarily, but first it’s important to understand how you can change the way you use that hand held console of yours. To be frank, with an R4 for DSi you’ll have the opportunity to transform it into a high-tech device.
Playing Homebrew Games with an R4i
If you haven’t had a chance to see our DS Homebrew Top 20 poll which was carried out in 2009, I really suggest you check it out. There are so many great homebrew games that people simply aren’t aware of. They can be played on any variation of the DS, personally I play them on a pink DSI (my daughter picked the colour). Even if you’re experienced with DS homebrew, you’ll probably find a few you’ve missed in the chart. With over 200 votes the poll gives a really good impression of what is the best available.
MP3 Players
Annoyingly for many the console won’t let you play every type of audio file. With an R4 NDSi that’s no longer a problem. We’ve always thought that music can change a person’s personality in just a few minutes, and this cartridge does the trick. If you have a set of tiny headphones you can change your console into an instant music player that you can take on your next run. Whatever the case may be you have to realize you’re not just going to be able to get a few titles, but hundreds on your R4DSi.
The Internet
Many once simple devices are now capable of doing many of the tasks once reserved for home PCs. With an R4 DSi you will find yourself with the ability to use the Internet just as you would at home or in a library. This means when you need to keep up with MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter, you can scan them throughout the day with your R4i wherever you are at that time. Plus, college students are finding the R4i very useful (they can pretend they are researching topics on the Internet while really just playing games).
Other Options Available
We don’t want to spoil all the excitement of the R4 DSi, but there several different ways you can use the two of these together to make one great product. Whether it be for school, work, or play, just having the opportunity at your fingertips with an R4i is a great benefit. Other options available are anything from a Word Processor or video player, to even using it as a mobile phone.
So the next time you take out your DSi R4DS have a look online for some of the free to download homebrew applications available.
An R4 DSi is the Answer
An R4 DSi is the answer many people have been looking for, for a long time. The reason you need this device is because it is much cheaper than you would pay for an original DS game, and it lets your Nintendo DSi do some amazing things! Some of these include that it can be used as a Web Browser, PDA, MP3 Player, Word Processor and Video Player. Last but not least, with the R4NDSi you can play free homebrew games too.
There is one thing though that you will have to be careful of, and that is fake R4i. Many people have come across R4 NDSi but they do not perform as they should, which means they are not the original ones and you have probably been scammed. Be sure of your source when you are looking into investing in something like this, because it is very easy to be given something that looks the same but doesn’t perform the same. It is difficult to get the correct item from the same place once you have been sold a dud, so it is advised to avoid places like this in the first place.
Nintendo DS games are sometimes difficult to keep track of, especially if the kids have had a hold of them. Have you ever had a time when all you feel like doing is relaxing and playing your favourite game, only to be looking for it for an hour? Then once you find it you really don’t feel like playing any more… or what about when the dog has gotten hold of your favourite game? The list of things that go wrong with Nintendo games is almost endless! With the DSi R4, which is a 2GB SD memory card, you can save all your games and you only have one item to look after and keep away from dogs and kids!
An R4 DSi is a great invest for any gaming family to have. Even if you don’t play games as often as others do, it is nice to know that you have all your games safe and sound for that rainy day when you feel like doing nothing but sitting under a blanket and playing games on your Nintendo. Or the kids Nintendo…
can i just ask why you said the R4 DSi card is a 2GB SD memory card? does it not depend on which micro sd card you insert into it? for the dsi xl, can you put into a R4 DSi card upto a 32gb micro card?
Also, I would like to ask Adam (admin) which r4i card works with the dsi xl. Is it the one with a v1.4 label or not? Is there any way you can explain which firmware on the r4i webpage i need to download to be compatible with the dsi xl. Tahnks.
Sorry Peter I’ll have to read through this post again and update it. I bought my r4i from memory card zoo and it did have the v1.4 label on it. I also downloaded my firmware from memory card zoo (in a customers’ only area) so I can’t help with that. Sorry.
Thanks for the info. Just need to clarify, if you don’t mind, if the DSi XL then comes as v1.4? Maybe then, anR4i card without v1.4 on it may not work with the XL?If you can help with this will be most grateful. Thanks for all your trouble.
No problem. My Japanese DSi XL (LL) came with 1.4 so it only worked with a 1.4 R4i card.
Hi I’ve just bought my son a dsi to replace his ds. on his ds he has an m3 real card with all his games on it. I assumed that this would just work on the dsi and it doesn’t!! do I need an r4 card? please help it’s his birthday in a week and I’d like to get it sorted before then! Thanks for your help.
Hi there,
I bought an R4i but can’t get it to work in the DSi – it shows 1 game in the slot & then just says loading forever… Am I doing something wrong?
@Gracw
Where did you get your R4i from?
Could someone inform me if there is a software download for the r4i sdhc christmas version for the dsi xl please?
Hi Good day. i have a sd card is it still necessary to use a r4i? but when i remove the r4i and use the sd card itself i cant find the games.
hi
I have an R4i it’s working very well with all nds files but I can’t play any games with ndsi file. What’s the problem???
@Peter
hey peter it depends on which r4i you buy its the same as when you buy a regular r4 they come with a limit i bought a r4 and it came with a 2GB SD card and then i went to a store and bought the same exact SD but for 4GB and it didn’t work even when i downloads everything the same way the r4 that you buy can only play the same amount of GB that came with the first SD card
at least thats what happened to me and when i bought another 2GB SD card it worked perfectly so thats what i think i hope that this helps
My R4i worked perfectly until one day I put the SD card in my laptop,i never did anything to it and now when I try to start it says an Error.
to solve the problem of when loading and you get the “ERROR” message across the screen simply change the date on your DS console, i have found that every three months i have to do this, so roll back the date by 3 months on the dsconsole and you will find it all works again,
you will have to remove the R4 card first to access the system settings menu
have you tried changing the date?
my lads stopped working and when i researched i found if you change the date on the ds it worked perfect again.
Hi, plz help, i have bought a DSi XL i can not use my old r4 card in it, so i bought a R4i card on the box it also says DSi LL v1.6 on the site i bought it off it said it was compatable with a dsi xl. i have followed all instructions and downloaded the ENG using winram and copied over 1st all files after formatting as instructed, no joy i then refomatted it and copied over the R4.DAT the moonsh12 and the R4i menu and i still get an error when it trys to load it, can anyone tell me where i am going wrong
has anyone bought a r4i card from http://www.r4ishopper.com recently,are they a good reliable website or not?
i got a r4i sdhc upgrade v1.45 but it wont play the game i used for my nds ?
I have an r4 card foir the ds lite. If I buy a dsi do I just buy an r4i card and put the memory card into it? Please help cos the ds just packed in and need to buy new one asap but not sure what to do.
hi, i haven’t bought an r4i yet, but does anyone know that r4ishopper.com is a safe reliable place to get a r4 from? thanks.
Hi I have a r4I card 1.4V that has worked fine in my DSIXl and after connecting to the internet with my DSI it no longer works it just comes up with Error
@tyler
my dsi does no work if i put a game in it nothind happens it will say there nothing enerd in the game slot i need one
You need to download version 1.09d from the r4isdhc website its the official website for r4 cards.(the web address ison your r4 card) it gives you faqs and answers too. You must have the r4i card with the version number 1.4.1 on the front in yellow and the holagram should be on the back of the card if its real.
Thanks.
Darren
can anyone tell me if you can buy ar4 card for the new dsi 3d
I have a dsi with 1.4.2u firmware… i have a R4I Revolution, internet address on card is (www.r4i.ndsi.in), I have tried almost all software from the site along with about 5-10 other kernels/firmware from other sites for the chip and when I turn on my dsi with the r4i card in and click on the icon for my r4 to load it stops at a error screen, an “error has occured”. I did own another dsi previous to this dsi and my card worked perfectly with the correct firmware from the site on my card, now with this new dsi i bought and updated it does not work. From what i have read I’ve come to the realization that once you update your dsi to 1.4.2, no r4i cards will work… can you help me? is there any software or upgrades/updates out there for my R4i revolution game card, make(www.r4i.ndsi.in), so it will work on my recenly updated 1.4.2u dsi? PPLLEEAASSEE help me… I have tried what seem like everything.
can anyone help me. i have two sons with two dsi’s. i have three!! r4i cards 1.41 sdhc upgrade cards and only one of them works – however, i have downloaded all the stuff, they all look the same and the real confusing bit is the sd cards both work in the one working r4i card!! do people think it must be faulty r4i cards if the sd cards are working ok or is there something i am just not doing right!! its driving me nuts!
@sam
Have u looked on the R4? It should have the website address on the front, then you can download the correct firmware onto it.
hi wonder if u can help i have a r4 card and wondered if i can take the sd card out and put it into a r4i card please help
was in the middle of updating my r4i 3ds card and my daughter turned the dsi off and now the dsi will not read the card what can i do to fix this? please help?
Hi all,
I am wondering if anyone can help? I have many games that I got from a friend and used these on my DSi using the R4 card with 2Gb memory card.
I used the same on the 3DS but with no luck. Can anyone advise where I am going wrong?
Question 1. Will the games work on the 3DS even tho old ones.
Question 2. Do I need to buy a new card? If so what one? What size GB card?
Question 3. Anyone know what site to use for the best buy for a card (for 3DS)
hi i have purchased a dsi console v1.42, i have a r4i gold sdhc card i have put on the latest firmaware and downloaded a game to try but i get as far as the games page then when i click the game i get a black loading page and then it freezes there, can any advise me what is wrong?
regards kelly.
My cousins got an R4I card for christmas for their Dsi’s and they both were preloaded with lots of games when bought, but one of the Dsi’s wont accept the card and says that there isnt a card inserted, but it works in the other one! Is there any way of fixing this?
Hello i have just brought an R4 card 1.4.3 but cant get it to work just says menu?
i have a dsi for which i purchased a r43ds card as i read it would be compatible..now ive downloaded the kernel version from the website given..how do i get the games on there to work because ive put some on but am gettin a white screen on the dsi