This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Best Nintendo DS Emulators for PC and Mobile Devices

Best Nintendo DS Emulators for PC and Mobile Devices
The Nintendo DS is only the best selling handheld console ever, see which emulators are best

You might be wondering what are good Nintendo DS emulator?

To put it simply, it depends on the your individual needs and the platform that you decide to play the wonderful handheld console on.

There are many options for Nintendo DS emulators, whether your on a home console, a PC, Mac or even Android or IOS.

That's right, pick up and play your favorite console on the go with a variety of different emulator choices.

The DS is almost as popular as the PSX and there are plenty of options for a PS1 emulator as well.

But which is the best DS emulator for PC and where can you find it?

We will be answering both of these questions in the article today!

audio-thumbnail
Listen To This Article
0:00
/13:25

1. Citra

Best Nintendo DS Emulators Citra

Available Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android

Citra is easily one of the best Nintendo DS emulators on the market today.

Citra is a completely open-source emulator that enables almost a full library of Nintendo DS games on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has good compatibility and accuracy and can run a broad variety of games without any serious concerns.

Citra has an amazing feature to vastly improve the graphics of Nintendo 3DS games, making them look even better than they did on the original console. This is because Citra supports custom textures and shaders, which may be used to create new visual effects.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators Citra2

You also might be wondering which DS emulator has fast forward.

Citra has you covered in that department. Being able to fast forward through the boring text that's being displayed on your favorite RPG is a joy to experience. Gone are the days that you have to sit there waiting awkwardly while the text slowly scrolls on the screen. This is a fantastic feature that we loved to see.

2. DeSmuME

Best Nintendo DS Emulators DeSmuME

Available Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux

DeSmuME is an excellent solution for anyone who wants to play classic Nintendo DS games on their computer. It has a lot of wonderful functions and it's surprisingly quite easy to use. Here are some of the reasons why we believe DeSmuME is one of the best Nintendo DS emulators available:

DeSmuME is highly compatible with a wide range of games. It supports all of the classic Nintendo DS games, so you can play them on your computer. It's highly compatible with almost any operating system, including Windows, Mac, and even the Linux fanboys would stand proud.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators DeSmuME2

DeSmuME has a user-friendly design that makes it simple to navigate and utilise. The emulator is easy to use, and you'll be able to play your favourite games in no time. It also accepts keyboard and controller input.

3. DraStic DS Emulator

Best Nintendo DS Emulators DraStic DS Emulator

Available Platforms:

  • Android

If you're wondering what is the best nintendo ds emulators for pc, DraStic is a fantastic option.

DraStic DS Emulator is a quick and stable emulator for playing Nintendo DS games on your mobile device. The emulator is accessible for both Android and iOS devices, and it has a plethora of features that make it an excellent choice for any Nintendo DS lover.

One of the most significant benefits of DraStic DS Emulator is its quick and steady performance. The emulator has been optimised for contemporary devices and can easily run even the most demanding DS games.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators DraStic DS Emulator2

DraStic DS Emulator allows you to personalise the on-screen controls, allowing you to play your favourite games with precision and accuracy. You can save and continue your game at any moment with DraStic DS Emulator, allowing you to play whenever you choose.

Cheat codes are also supported by the emulator, allowing you even more control over your game experience. DraStic DS Emulator is broadly compatible with a wide range of devices and operating systems, allowing you to play your favourite DS games on any platform.

DraStic DS Emulator is the way to go if you want a fast, stable, and customizable Nintendo DS emulator. It's no surprise that it's regarded as one of the greatest emulators available, given its extensive feature set and compatibility with a wide number of devices.

4. RetroArch

Best Nintendo DS Emulators RetroArch

Available Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Android
  • Microsoft Xbox
  • Steam

RetroArch's ability to imitate not only the DS, but also a variety of other gaming systems is one of its most outstanding features. This means that RetroArch can do some of the other consoles you might enjoy like the Game Boy, Super Nintendo, and even the PlayStation 1. RetroArch is clearly a winner in the compatibility area as it's ranging from access to a ton of different systems.

RetroArch, in addition to a large range of supported platforms, has a number of characteristics that make it an excellent candidate for DS emulation.We loved using the built in save states that let you resume your progress from exactly where you wanted to leave off of.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators RetroArch2

No longer do you have to grind away at a hard boss battle and be stuck having to navigate throughout a series of enemies just to get back there.

We loved being able to use almost any controller we wanted to with it's configurable scheme and have the comfort of our trusty SNES controller for the DS.

5. MelonDS

Best Nintendo DS Emulators MelonDS

Available Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux

If you're like us and you're looking at what emulator plays DS. MelonDS is a fantastic choice for an emulator for this handheld device.

MelonDS has quickly become one of the most popular Nintendo DS emulators available. It's an open source emulator noted for its accuracy and compatibility, making it an excellent choice for players who wish to enjoy their favourite DS games without the constraints of the original hardware.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators MelonDS2

MelonDS' ability to mimic the original DS hardware as nearly as possible is one of its main features. This means that games will function exactly as they did on the original DS, with all of the original features and oddities. MelonDS also supports a diverse set of titles, including ones famously difficult to imitate due to their intricacy.

6. OpenEmu

Best Nintendo DS Emulators OpenEmu

Available Platforms:

  • Mac

One of the reasons OpenEmu is such a popular choice for DS emulators is because it's just so acessible on a wide variety of hardware.. This implies that, unlike other emulators, it supports games from several areas. It also includes built-in controller compatibility, allowing users to play their Nintendo DS games with alternative controllers.

OpenEmu also has a plethora of features that make it a great DS emulator. For starters, it has full-screen action with high-quality graphics and audio. It also allows save states, so you may halt and resume playthroughs at any time without losing your progress. OpenEmu even offers an extremely robust search engine that lets you type in the game name you want to play in order to search for it, in case you have dozens of ROMs lying around.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators OpenEmu2

OpenEmu's customization possibilities are another outstanding feature. Downloading skins from the OpenEmu website allows you to easily customise the look and feel of the emulator. These skins will allow you to customise your emulator experience to your liking.

OpenEmu is a good choice for anyone interested in attempting Nintendo DS emulation. It is one of the greatest DS emulators accessible due to its compatibility, extensive features, and user-friendly interface. Give it a shot and see how it compares to other emulators on the market.

7. No$GBA

Best Nintendo DS Emulators No$GBA

Available Platforms:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux

No$GBA is highly optimised for speed, allowing you to play Nintendo DS games on your computer with ease. You may easily save your progress and return to your game without lag thanks to its real-time save and load functions.

The user-friendly interface of No$GBA makes it simple to use. It's such a simple emulator to set up in order to play our favorite games. Once it's up and running, there's very little customization you'll need to take on.

Best Nintendo DS Emulators No$GBA2

No$GBA is a dependable emulator that rarely crashes or has technical problems. We absolutely loved being able to play for hours without worrying about losing our progress due to a software crash.

What Are Emulators?

What Are Emulators?

Emulators are, simply put a way to mimic the behavior of another computer or in this case handheld gaming console. This can be solved for by using the processing power of the device that it's running on in order to behave exactly like the original hardware.

With the case of the GBA, you'll have to load ROM files which are essentially game dumps of the original cartridges that allow for play on a PC, mobile device or even game consoles of choice.

This is an amazing piece of technology considering if you no longer have a physical DS or GBA console handy or just want to experience it on another piece of hardware, you still can play all of these amazing games.

Emulators are legal unless they are used for piracy or copyright infringement. Indeed, many game creators and publishers utilize emulators to test their games and verify they run on many platforms.

What Are The Benefits Of Using The Best Nintendo DS Emulators?

What Are The Benefits Of Using The Best Nintendo DS Emulators?

You can play all of your favourite Nintendo DS games on a different piece of hardware by using a good Nintendo DS emulator. Imagine being able to take your DS gaming with you everywhere you go,

Purchasing a Nintendo DS device and game cartridges can be costly, especially if you are unsure whether you will enjoy a certain game. You may check out different games with an emulator without spending a lot of money. There's also a ton of games that are incredibly hard to find and that you might have trouble buying, considering the amount of rare games available.

You can personalize your gaming experience with the greatest Nintendo DS emulators. You may change the visuals and sound settings, apply cheat codes, and even play favorite games with controllers or keyboards.

Some of the top Nintendo DS emulators allow multiplayer, so you may play games with your pals either online or locally. This is simply a terrific way to remain in touch with old friends or meet new online friends who share the same passion.

There are various advantages to adopting the finest Nintendo DS emulators. You can also play your favorite games whenever and wherever you want, save a ton of money in the process, completely personalize your gaming experience to your needs, and even play with all of your friends. If you enjoy Nintendo DS games, consider utilizing an emulator to get the most out of them.

Are There Downsides To Emulating Games?

Are There Downsides To Emulating Games?

One disadvantage of mimicking games is that it may be illegal to do so. In most situations, game developers and console manufacturers own the copyrights to their games and platforms and do not let them to be mimicked. While there are exceptions, such as abandonware, you must exercise caution when imitating games to avoid infringing on anyone's copyright.

Another disadvantage of mimicking games is the difficulty in locating dependable emulators and ROMs. Emulators are not always stable, and certain games may have compatibility concerns. Furthermore, getting legally purchased ROMs to play on emulators can be difficult, as some websites distribute illicit versions of games, which is not only unethical but also illegal.

The overall emulation experience may differ from that of playing the original game on its original console. Some games may contain bugs or have animation difficulties, or they may not run as smoothly as they did on the original device.

How Do I Download The Best Nintendo DS Emulators?

Investigate and find the finest Nintendo DS emulator for your requirements. Popular alternatives include DeSmuME, MelonDS, and OpenEmu.

  • Once you've decided on an emulator, browse to its official website and look for the download option. To begin the download, click the download button.
  • Save the downloaded file to a location on your device that you specify, such as your desktop or downloads folder.
  • Once the download is complete, use a file extractor such as WinZip or 7-Zip to extract the downloaded file.
  • Run the setup after opening the extracted emulator. To install the emulator, follow the on-screen instructions.
  • Once the installation is complete, launch the emulator and customise the parameters to your liking.
  • Finally, find the Nintendo DS game files (.ROM or.DS) you want to play on your device. To begin playing, open the game file in the emulator.

That's all!

Thanks to the greatest Nintendo DS emulators, you can now play your favourite Nintendo DS games on your PC or mobile device.

RetroKingPin

RetroKingPin

Passionate gamer and nostalgia enthusiast. Journeying through the pixelated realms of retro video games, unearthing forgotten gems and sharing the joy. Join me on a nostalgic adventure! 🎮✨