Fan-Made Minecraft 3DS Update 1.10 Adds Online Multiplayer and Crossplay
Nearly eight years after official support ended, the Minecraft 3DS Community has released unofficial update 1.10 with online servers, infinite worlds, and crossplay.
9Minecraft Team
The Minecraft 3DS Community has released an unofficial 1.10 update for Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition, bringing true online multiplayer to the handheld port nearly eight years after Mojang ended official development. Detailed on the GBAtemp forum by a user named HPR and reported by minecraft.pl, the fan-made patch introduces peer-to-peer connections and online servers to a game that previously only supported two-player local wireless sessions.
Crossplay with Java 1.12 and Pocket Edition 1.1.5
The standout technical achievement in update 1.10 is a Survival Multiplayer (SMP) server protocol that bridges the handheld version with Minecraft Java Edition 1.12 and Minecraft Pocket Edition 1.1.5. Because the 3DS port was built on an older branch of the Bedrock engine, its network structure aligns with releases from that specific era rather than current builds like Java 26.3 or Bedrock 26.62.
Alongside online connectivity, the patch restores command blocks and in-game chat, two features that Mojang never included on the console. Having access to chat commands and command blocks allows server hosts to run custom minigame maps and automated rulesets just like standard PC and mobile communities.
Official 3DS Update 1.9 (2018)
- Local ad-hoc wireless limited to 2 players
- Maximum world size capped at 2016x2016 blocks
- Maximum build height limited to 128 blocks
- Restricted to New 3DS and New 2DS hardware
- No chat window or command blocks
Fan-Made 3DS Update 1.10
- Online peer-to-peer and crossplay SMP servers
- Infinite worlds generated dynamically
- Maximum build height raised to 256 blocks
- Runs on Original 3DS and Original 2DS consoles
- Full in-game chat, command blocks, and uncapped mobs
Infinite Worlds and Original 3DS Hardware Support
Beyond networking, the community patch overhauls how worlds and hardware resources are handled. The previous 2016 by 2016 block boundary has been removed in favour of dynamically generated infinite worlds, while the vertical build limit has been doubled from 128 to 256 blocks. Players also get working in-game maps, a removed mob cap, extra graphics toggles, and general stability fixes.
Crucially, update 1.10 unlocks compatibility for the Original Nintendo 3DS and Original 2DS. Mojang originally restricted the title to the newer console revisions because it relied on their faster processor and extra C-stick controls. According to technical documentation on GitHub, a related Luma patcher project (version 0.4.19) has also been refining Old 3DS controls and memory usage, freeing up roughly 2.8 MiB in chunk-builder scratch reservations and adding a native mod settings menu for ABXY camera controls, custom button chords, and render-distance adjustments on the European v0.1.0 base game and v9.11.0 update.
Command BlockUnlocked in 1.10 for custom server rules and minigames.
MapFixed and made fully usable alongside infinite terrain.
Shulker BoxAdded in the final official 1.9 update before support ended.
Totem of UndyingIntroduced with woodland mansions and evokers in 1.9.
Community Reaction and Modding Scene Reception
The release followed a community-produced video showcase edited by HPR, sparking immediate excitement across handheld modding forums and GameBanana's MC:NN3DS Hub. Players on GBAtemp praised the scale of the under-the-hood rewrites, with several members arguing that the leap from local two-player worlds to cross-platform infinite servers was substantial enough to be called version 2.0 rather than 1.10.
Commenters noted that while the developers kept the 1.10 numbering to stay consistent with Mojang's original patch sequence, the performance optimisations and Old 3DS compatibility exceeded what many thought the ageing handheld could handle. Some users pointed out that joining crossplay SMP servers still requires specific server-side software to bridge the older protocols, and the GitHub control patcher authors caution that extended long-session hardware testing is still ongoing.
How to Install the Update and the History of the 3DS Port
Installing fan-made patches on the 3DS requires a legally purchased physical cartridge or prior digital download of the original game, as well as a console unlocked with custom firmware (CFW). You can get the necessary patch files and older compatible client builds through our Android download page, or fetch the update directly on a homebrew-enabled console via the MC3DS Unistore inside Universal Updater. As TweakTown notes, the Minecraft 3DS Community also maintains a Discord server where testers report bugs for upcoming builds.
Reaching a public release marks a major milestone after earlier attempts stalled; a previous Wi-Fi multiplayer project called MC3DS-Multiplayer-Mod by developer Cracko298 was eventually abandoned and archived on GitHub before reaching completion.
Mojang launches Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition following a Nintendo Direct announcement.
Official update 1.4 introduces local ad-hoc wireless multiplayer for up to two consoles.
Final official update 1.9 adds woodland mansions, llamas, shulker boxes, concrete, and glazed terracotta before development ends.
The Minecraft 3DS Community releases unofficial update 1.10 with online servers, infinite worlds, and crossplay.
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