Authenticity guide
How to tell if Pokémon X or Y is real or fake
By Lenn Hodes · founder — every cartridge tested by hand · Updated
X and Y were the first mainline Pokémon games in full 3D, and since the 3DS eShop closed in 2023 a cartridge is the only way left to play them. Counterfeits are far rarer on the 3DS than on the Game Boy Advance or the DS — but they turn up, and a 3DS card is quick to check. These are the six checks we run on every copy.
The 30-second answer
A genuine X or Y is a 3DS card with a small tab on its top edge and a sharp, matte label with the 3DS logo — Xerneas on X, Yveltal on Y. The product code starts with CTR-. In the console it shows its own icon on the HOME menu, starts only on a 3DS or 2DS of its own region, and keeps its save without any battery.
Genuine Pokémon X & Y in stock
Label, code, region and save checked on real hardware before listing — then the rest of our Pokémon 3DS games.
Check it without opening it
The card: a 3DS card, with the tab
A genuine Nintendo 3DS game card has a small tab on its top edge — the reason it will not go into a DS — and clean, even seams all round. Look at the plastic up close: rough seams or a misshapen tab are counterfeit signs.
The label: sharp, matte, with the 3DS logo
A genuine label is lightly matte and sharply printed, and carries the 3DS logo — not the DS or DSi one. Glossy, blurred or washed-out print is the most common counterfeit sign on a 3DS card. Xerneas on X and Yveltal on Y should be crisp, with clean colour edges.
The product code: CTR-
Every 3DS game card carries a product code that starts with CTR- — the internal name of the 3DS — and names the region of the copy. A code without CTR-, a DS-style NTR code, or a region that does not match the copy you were sold means something is wrong.
Switch it on
The HOME menu test
Put the card in a 3DS or 2DS. A genuine card appears on the HOME menu with the game’s own icon and title and opens straight into the game. A card that shows a different name, or a menu of its own, is not a genuine card.
The region test — the 3DS is region-locked
Unlike the DS, every 3DS game is region-locked: a European card starts on a European 3DS or 2DS, an American card only on an American one. Test on a console of the region printed on the label and the box. A card that will not start on a console of its own region is not genuine; a “European” copy that only starts on an American console is not what you were sold.
The save test
3DS cards save to memory on the card itself — there is no battery to run flat. Save, switch the console off, switch it on and load: a genuine card keeps your progress, every time. A card that loses it, or reports a corrupted save, is the counterfeit pattern.
Genuine or fake at a glance
| Check | Genuine | Counterfeit |
|---|---|---|
| Card | Tab on the top edge, clean seams | Rough seams, misshapen tab |
| Label | Sharp, lightly matte, 3DS logo | Glossy or blurred, a DS logo |
| Code | CTR-, region matches the copy | No CTR-, an NTR code, or a mismatch |
| HOME menu | The game’s own icon and title | Another name, or a menu of its own |
| Region | Starts on a 3DS of its own region | Refuses on its own region’s console |
| Save | On the card, survives every power-off | Lost, or “corrupted” |
The games, explained
Pokémon X
Nintendo 3DS · 2013
The sixth generation and the first mainline game in full 3D. It is set in Kalos, a region modelled on France with Lumiose City at its heart, and it introduced Mega Evolution, the Fairy type and a trainer you can dress the way you like. You choose Chespin, Fennekin or Froakie — and later get a Kanto starter as well. Xerneas is X’s legendary.
Pokémon Y
Nintendo 3DS · 2013
The same region and story with Yveltal as the legendary and its own version exclusives. X and Y came out worldwide on the same day — a first for the series. Pick by legendary; Kalos is back in the spotlight since Legends: Z-A (2025) returned to Lumiose City.
Buying one online: the red flags
- A price far below what genuine copies sell for — compare with the cards at the top of this page. A cheap Pokémon X is not a bargain; on the 3DS too, the price is the first warning sign.
- “New” or “factory sealed” copies of a game that left production many years ago, offered in quantity by one seller.
- Only stock photos, or only the front. Ask for a photo of the front and the back of the card — a seller with a genuine copy has no reason to refuse.
- Words like “reproduction”, “repro”, “custom” or “aftermarket” anywhere in the description: those are counterfeits by their own admission.
- Several identical copies with identical label wear in the photos.
Already bought one that fails these checks? Marketplaces and payment providers treat a counterfeit as “not as described”. Open a return or a claim within the buyer-protection window, with photos of the screw, the label and — if you opened it — the board.
Or skip the risk
Every Pokémon X & Y we sell has been checked by hand before it was listed — the points above that apply to it — and save-tested on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 4.8★, and we ship tracked from the Netherlands to the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and most other countries — the rate for your country shows at checkout. If a cartridge ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
See X & Y in stockWe ship exclusively from the Netherlands. Your parcel therefore crosses a border: it takes longer than a domestic delivery, and shipping costs more than it would at a seller in your own country.
Questions we get asked
How do I know if my Pokémon X or Y is real?
Check the card first: a small tab on the top edge, clean seams, and a sharp, lightly matte label with the 3DS logo and a crisp Xerneas or Yveltal. The product code starts with CTR-. Then put it in a 3DS of the same region: a genuine card shows its own icon on the HOME menu, opens straight into the game and keeps its save after you switch off.
Are 3DS Pokémon games faked as often as GBA and DS ones?
No. On the 3DS the copy protection sits in the card’s chip, so counterfeits are far rarer than on the Game Boy Advance or the DS — we see far fewer of them. They do exist, though, and the six checks on this page take a couple of minutes.
My Pokémon Y will not start on my 3DS — is it fake?
Not necessarily. Every 3DS game is region-locked: a European card only starts on a European 3DS or 2DS, an American card only on an American one. Compare the region on the label and the box with your console before you draw conclusions. A card that refuses on a console of its own region is a different story.
Can a seller prove a copy of X or Y is real by trading online?
Not any more. Nintendo switched off online play for 3DS games in April 2024 — the GTS, Wonder Trade and online battles are gone for every copy, genuine or not; only local trading and battling between two consoles still work. A seller cannot prove anything online, and a copy that cannot go online is not suspect for it. Judge the card on the checks above.
Do X and Y have a battery that can run flat?
No. 3DS cards save to memory on the card itself, with no battery — so a genuine X or Y bought today will hold its save for decades. A copy that loses its save is not worn out; it is the counterfeit pattern.
Which consoles play Pokémon X and Y?
Every console in the 3DS family — 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS and New 2DS XL — as long as it is from the same region as the card. A 3DS card does not fit in a DS, and the Switch does not play 3DS games.
Check another Pokémon game
- Fake Pokémon Emerald?
- Fake Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen?
- Fake Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire?
- Fake Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver?
- Fake Pokémon Platinum, Diamond & Pearl?
- Fake Pokémon Black, White, Black 2 & White 2?
- Fake Pokémon Crystal, Gold & Silver?
- Fake Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow?
- Fake Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire?
- Fake Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon?
- Fake Pokémon Mystery Dungeon?
- Fake Pokémon Ranger?
- Fake Pokémon spin-off?
Buying rather than checking? Pokémon X & Y — which to pick, and copies for sale · or browse all Pokémon 3DS games.
Every platform at once — Game Boy, GBA and DS, with the six checks in one place: how to spot a fake Pokémon cartridge.
