Are you looking for a 3DS emulator running on Android? Here are the best apps for you to select, along with instructions on how to begin playing.
Readers who like you contribute to MUO. If you make a purchase through our site, we may earn an affiliate revenue.
Emulation provides a convenient and affordable method for you to play old games that might be difficult to get your hands on nowadays. The Android phone can be capable of emulating all handheld and home consoles, up to the fifth console generation but Nintendo’s older handhelds aren’t a problem for a modern smartphone.
Let’s talk about creating and using an Nintendo 3DS emulator on your Android phone.
The Best Nintendo 3DS Emulator on Android
The first step is to choose an emulator, naturally. There’s a wide range of optionsto choose from, but the differences between the best of these are dependent on your individual preferences.
Citra and RetroArch are generally regarded as the top 3DS emulators. Both are open source and are available for use on many platforms.
RetroArch Emulator
RetroArch can emulate various consoles, like that of 3DS, Wii, Wii U, GameBoy, PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, SNES, Sega Genesis, and more. This is because RetroArch operates as a kind device that is a hub made up of several emulators designed to work with various consoles.Join Us 3ds games download website
It’s available on Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and iOS–however, it’s also capable of running on certain consoles, like the GameCube. RetroArch has a full list of supported platforms at its web site. For more information on its customization options, check out our RetroArch Windows installation guide dives into the many options for configuration.
Citra Emulator
Citra was the first 3DS-capable emulator built for PC. It’s currently compatible with Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android. The Citra team has an amazing list of games compatible with their software that classifies the games supported on scales ranging from “not evaluated” until “perfect” so that the users can follow the progress of a game’s compatibility testing.
While RetroArch offers the benefit with greater accessibility and more enabled platforms. However, for this article, we’ll be using the 3DS-specific Citra for this post. Its Citra team has offered the same and continuous support over the years, and the Android app has been optimized to perfection. It even supports gamepads!
Warning! Regarding ROMs
It is our duty to inform you that obtaining ROMs by any other means than ripping them off cartridges or discs you own is unlawful. You are allowed to only rip ROMs exclusively for your personal use, not for distribution purposes such as games you own. Nintendo is particularly strict about sharing and downloading their ROMs and therefore, be cautious.
If you’re not selling ROMs however, you’re at least a little safe from legal issues. If you’re downloading ROMs from databases online, make sure the source is reputable and the files are secure prior to downloading. Roms aren’t EXE files and will never ask for greater access to your device.
How to Setup and use Citra On Your Android Phone
Once you’ve downloaded Citra for your Android cell phone, your just two steps away from playing your favourite 3DS games.
Develop Your Games to be played on emulators
Before you can launch the app you should ensure your game’s files saved within a specific folder on the Android device. It’s even possible to create a brand new folder that’s titled 3DS Games and Citra Games.
It’s not required to be pre-planned prior to launching the application However, it will aid in the initial setup. the initial launch of Citra at first, you’ll get prompted to choose the directory which your games will run from. This can be changed anytime by tapping that folder icon in the upper-right corner.
Games for Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo 3DS use a CIA extension, but they must be decrypted prior to use. The extracted files will be using that 3DS extension. You can extract the files using a program similar to WinZip, but Citra also allows you to extract a 3DS file from the CIA right on the app’s home screen. Simply click the file icon to install CIA and select which CIA file from your downloads. The rest is straightforward.
The Best Way to Play games on Citra
With a small library of 3DS games ready to play it’s time to get started playing.
- Start Citra and then accept the permissions. It may request access to microphones. This is for DS games that utilize the microphone for gaming purposes.
- Choose the folder for games you set up earlier, and select it.
- When the directory for decrypted games is selected, your home screen will show all your games and will be accompanied by an icon.
- Tap the game of choice to start it. A small loading screen will pop up as the emulator loads the shaders needed. After that, you’re ready to go.
The Best 3DS Emulator for Android
When we tested Citra We picked two games that were compatible with Citra, New Super Mario Bros. 2 along with Resident Evil Revelations. The first game was rated “great” and the latter was classified “bad” on the list of compatibility. We discovered this to be the case. Super Mario offered an overall excellent experience, with just occasional stutter. Resident Evil, on the other hand, did have a few texture and model errors, as well as an unintentional crash.
It is clear that Citra is an excellent method to enjoy compatible games, as well as the team’s persistent approach assures us that they will only continue to expand and improve upon the compatible games. Citra is an easy recommendation–perhaps the best way to emulate 3DS games.
