Are you looking for a 3DS emulator available for Android? Here’s the best apps that you can pick, as well as directions on how to begin playing.
Readers just like you can help to support MUO. If you make a purchase via our site, we can earn an affiliate income.
Emulation is a simple as well as affordable way to play older games that aren’t easy to find in the present. The Android phone is capable of emulating most handheld and home consoles right up to the fifth generation of consoles although Nintendo’s later handhelds aren’t too difficult for smartphones of today.
Let’s discuss creating and using an Nintendo 3DS emulator on your Android phone.
It’s the Best Nintendo 3DS Emulator on Android
The first step is to select an emulator. There’s a wide range of options, but differences between the best of them all boil down to individual preferences.
Citra and RetroArch have been widely acknowledged as the top 3DS emulators. Both are open-source and available on a variety of platforms.
RetroArch Emulator
RetroArch can emulate numerous consoles for example, Nintendo’s 3DS, Wii, Wii U, GameBoy, PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, SNES, Sega Genesis, and many more. It’s possible since RetroArch functions as a kind system that includes several emulators designed for various consoles.
It’s supported on Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and iOS–however it’s also capable running on some consoles, such as the GameCube.Join Us 3ds rom download website RetroArch has a full list of supported platforms by way of its web page. For more information on its customization options, check out our RetroArch Windows installation guide dives into its expansive configuration options.
Citra Emulator
Citra was the very initial 3DS-capable console emulator developed for PC. It’s available today on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android. The Citra team has an impressive game compatibility list that classifies the games supported on scales ranging from “not evaluated” right up until “perfect” to ensure that users are aware of the progress made in games’ compatibility testing.
While RetroArch has the advantage in terms of availability and supported platforms, we’ll use the 3DS-specific Citra for this post. In addition, the Citra team has been able to provide regular and solid support over the years, and the Android application is well-optimized. It even includes gamepad support!
Warning! Concerning ROMs!
It is our duty for you to be aware that obtaining ROMs via any method other than ripping them from an optical disc or cartridge you have is illegal. You can only download ROMs solely for personal usage, and not for distribution purposes or from games you have. Nintendo has strict rules regarding publishing and downloading ROMs take care.
But, as long as you aren’t selling ROMs then you’re most likely to be safe from legal concerns. When you download ROMs from databases online be sure the website is reliable and the ROMs are secure prior to downloading. These ROMs are not EXE files and don’t require access to your device.
How to Setup and use Citra in Your Android Phone
After you’ve downloaded Citra with you Android device, you’re just few steps away playing your favorite 3DS games.
Create Your Games for Emulation
Prior to opening the app it’s a good idea to have the game’s content stored in the appropriate folder on your Android device. You may want to create a new folder with a name that resembles 3DS Games or Citra Games.
It’s not necessary for this to be prepared before launching the app It will, however, make your first setup easier–upon when you first launch Citra the first time, you’ll be asked to choose the directory which your games will run from. It can be changed anytime you want by tapping the folder icon located in the upper right corner.
The games on the Nintendo 3DS use a CIA extension, but they must be decrypted prior to use. The extracted data will use the 3DS extension. The files can be extracted with a utility such as WinZip however Citra additionally lets you extract the 3DS game from CIA by using the app’s home screen. Just tap the icon for the file to install CIA and select to download the CIA file from the downloads. It’s that simple.
The Best Way to Play games on Citra
With a small library of 3DS games, ready to go and ready to play, you’re now ready to begin playing.
- Launch Citra and then accept the permissions. It could ask for microphone access. is intended for DS games that use the microphone for gameplay purposes.
- Select the games folder that you set up earlier, and tap the Select directory.
- When your decrypted directory of games is selected, your home screen will display the games you have, highlighted by an icon.
- Tap the game of you prefer to play it. A small loading window will show up while the emulator loads the required shaders. Once this is done, you’re ready to go.
It’s the Best 3DS Emulator for Android
While testing Citra the Citra software, we decided to test two games from their compatibility list: New Super Mario Bros. 2, along with Resident Evil Revelations. The former was classified “great” and the second was classified as “bad” according to the list of compatibility. We discovered that Super Mario offered an overall pleasing experience, with only occasional stutters. Resident Evil, on the other hand, has a few texture and model mistakes, and the occasional crash.
We’re certain that Citra is a great option to play compatible games and the team’s perseverance makes us believe that they’ll always expand and improve the quality of the compatible games. Citra is an easy recommendation–perhaps the best way to emulate 3DS games.
