---
title: "Homebrew Launcher (PicHaxx)"
---

{% include toc title="Table of Contents" %}

{% capture technical_info %}
<summary><em>Technical Details (optional)</em></summary>
[PicHaxx](https://github.com/zoogie/pichaxx) is an exploit for the game Pokémon Picross released by [zoogie](https://github.com/zoogie), originally discovered and [demonstrated](https://twitter.com/mrnbayoh/status/744899681663258624) by [MrNbaYoh](https://github.com/MrNbaYoh).

This method of using Seedminer for further exploitation uses your `movable.sed` file to write a custom save file for Pokémon Picross, which can then be used to launch the Homebrew Launcher.
{% endcapture %}
<details>{{ technical_info | markdownify }}</details>
{: .notice--info}

This process will overwrite your Pokémon Picross save file, if you have one. If you wish to preserve your Pokémon Picross game data, you should make a backup of your `00000001.sav` file before overwriting it.
{: .notice--warning}

### What You Need

+ The game "Pokémon Picross" installed on your console
  + If you have downloaded it before, you can [redownload it](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/607/~/how-to-download-or-redownload-content-in-nintendo-3ds-eshop)
  + Your SD card must be inserted in your console to install Pokémon Picross
+ Your `movable.sed` file from completing [Seedminer](seedminer-(alternate))
+ The latest release of [Luma3DS](https://github.com/LumaTeam/Luma3DS/releases/latest) (the Luma3DS `.zip` file)
+ [otherapps.zip]({{ base_path }}/assets/otherapps.zip) (direct download)


### Instructions

#### Section I - Prep Work

In this section, you will copy some of the files that will be used to launch the Homebrew Launcher.

1. Power off your console
1. Insert your SD card into your computer
1. Copy `boot.firm` and `boot.3dsx` from the Luma3DS `.zip` to the root of your SD card
  + The root of the SD card refers to the initial directory on your SD card where you can see the Nintendo 3DS folder, but are not inside of it
1. Copy the otherapp payload for your model/region/version from `otherapps.zip` to the root of your SD card, then rename the payload to `otherapp.bin`
  + Do not add the `.bin` extension if you do not already see it
1. Copy `movable.sed` from your computer to the root of your SD card

![]({{ "/images/screenshots/hblpichaxx-root-layout.png" | absolute_url }})
{: .notice--info}


#### Section II - PicHaxx

In this section, you will create a hacked Pokémon Picross save file that, when loaded, will run the Homebrew Launcher on your console.

1. Open [the PicHaxx Injector website](https://3dstools.nhnarwhal.com/#/pichaxx) on your computer
1. Select your `movable.sed` file
1. Select "Build and Download"
1. Wait for the process to complete
1. Navigate to `Nintendo 3DS` -> `<ID0>` -> `<ID1>` -> `title` -> `00040000` -> `0017c100` -> `data` on your SD card
  + The `<ID0>` will be the same one that you used in Seedminer
  + The `<ID1>` is a 32 character long folder inside of the `<ID0>`
1. Copy the newly downloaded `00000001.sav` file to the `data` folder on your SD card
  + Overwrite the old save file when prompted

    ![]({{ "/images/screenshots/pichaxx-save-location.png" | absolute_url }})
    {: .notice--info}

1. Reinsert your SD card into your console
1. Power on your console
1. Launch "Pokémon Picross"
1. If the exploit was successful, your console will have booted into the Homebrew Launcher
  + If you get an error message, [follow this troubleshooting guide](troubleshooting#homebrew-launcher-pichaxx)
1. Power off your console

#### Section III - Hardware Button Check

In this section, you will see whether you can access Safe Mode on your console. This will determine which method you will follow on the next page.

{% include_relative include/safemodecheck.txt %}

___

{% include_relative include/hbl-common-exploits.txt %}