Solved and Fixed: StreetPass stopped working on Nintendo 3DS XL
Yes, this is kind of a silly blog post but it's been bugging me for months so I wanted to get it out there in case it helps someone who is googling for the answer!
I have a little Nintendo 3DS XL (the "new" one) that I bought for long trips. It's a great little device with a large library of games, plus it plays SNES classics like Super Metroid. All in all, I'm thrilled with the purchase.
It has wifi, and both Netflix and Hulu in a pinch for the kids, but it also has some really cool social features using a proprietary wifi connection called "StreetPass." The nutshell is that if you pass by someone (within 30-40 feet in my experience) their "Mii" avatar will jump into your game console and bring with it data from other games.
There's simple stuff like Puzzles, there's mini games like Find Mii, and StreetPass enhances more complex games like Mario World or Resident Evil: Revelations by adding in whole new components. In Resident Evil you'll get communications and weapons drops from your colleagues who are apparently fighting zombies at the same time as you. In Shovel Knight you can race the "ghost" of another player. It's safe and anonymous.
If you travel it's even cooler as you'll StreetPass people in airports and collect their countries or states of origin. I carry my 3DS to conventions and all over the world. It's a hoot.
BUT. A few months back it stopped StreetPassing. Nothing happened, ever. I made sure everything was updated, turned it on and off, but nada.
Recently I fixed it and I'm sure it will fix StreetPass for you also.
- Go into Mii Maker and design a secondary Mii. Doesn't matter what it looks like. I did it quickly.
- Switch to that secondary Mii. You won't lose anything.
- Exit Mii Maker, then go back in and switch back to your original Mii.
- I surmise that this clears things out and re-writes some settings for you.
- I also changed my Mii's hat and outfit just to make sure it was re-written completely.
- Head over to Mii Plaza and you should be all set.
My system started StreetPassing within a few hours.
I hope this helps someone because as a traveller who really digs StreetPass, having it not work was really harshing my mellow. By the way, I REALLY love this "DreamGear" rubber case I got for my 3DS. It changes the shape of it, makes it larger, almost like an Xbox controller. That's an Amazon link that you can use that will help me get more 3DS games. ;)
Sponsor: Big thumbs-up for Kendo UI! They published a comprehensive whitepaper on responsive web design and the best and fastest way to serve desktop and mobile web users in a tailored and cost-effective manner. Check it out!
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
About Newsletter
Comments are closed.
I'd love to see your top x apps and features you love about the thing. I didn't even know something like street pass existed. I guess I jumped right in with the classic mega man, Zelda and of course metriod games - they are entertaining but I feel like I could get more value out of the device. I didn't even take it out of my bag the last time I went to PDX.