Emulation General Wiki - User contributions [en]

Nintendo 3DS emulators

2026-08-31T02:42:24Z

172.69.17.22: /* Emulators */

{{Infobox computing device/Nintendo 3DS}}

{{for|emulators that run on the Nintendo 3DS|Emulators on Nintendo 3DS}}

The '''[[wikipedia:Nintendo 3DS|Nintendo 3DS]]''' is an eighth-generation handheld game console by Nintendo, released on March 27, 2011, for {{inflation|USD|249|2011}}. The original model and the 2DS had a dual-core ARM11 MPCore at 268 MHz and a single-core ARM9, 128 MB of RAM and 6 MB of VRAM, and a DMP PICA200 GPU at 268 MHz. The New 3DS and New 2DS XL models upgrade this to an 804 MHz quad-core ARM11 and 256 MB of RAM, along with an extra pair of shoulder buttons and a right analog stick.

The most notable feature of this console is the use of [[wikipedia:Autostereoscopy|autostereoscopic]] (glasses-free) 3D, which can be configured using a slider. This was omitted on the cost-reduced 2DS and New 2DS XL models, which were released due to eye health concerns with children ages 6 and under whom Nintendo advised not to use the 3DS' stereoscopic mode (though it is speculated that said advisories were more for liability reasons in case of a health-related lawsuit).

; Remember, [[wikipedia:Category:New_Nintendo_3DS_games|certain titles are exclusive to the New 3DS, New 3DS XL and New 2DS XL]]. Make sure your chosen emulator supports these variations if you want to play them.

== Emulators ==
{| {{Emulator table|width=64.97%}}
|+{{Emulator comparison introduction}}
! colspan="2" |Name
!Platform(s)
!Active?
!Latest version
![[Licensing|License]]
!Compatibility
!libretro core
!New 3DS
![[Recommended emulators|Recommended? (overall)]]
|-
! colspan="10" |PC
|-
| rowspan="7" |Citra-based
|[[Azahar]]
[https://docs.libretro.com/library/azahar/ azahar_libretro]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}
|{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/releases {{AzaharVer}}]
[https://git.libretro.com/libretro/azahar libretro core]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
| rowspan="2" |{{Emulator compatibility|364|550|link=https://azahar-emu.org/pages/compatibility/}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Ya}}
|-
|AzaharPlus
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/AzaharPlus/AzaharPlus/releases 2125.1-B]||{{Yellow}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
Source code does not state changes, which may be a violation of the GPLv2 license.
|{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{~}}
|-
|Borked3DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/Borked3DS/Borked3DS/releases/latest {{Borked3DSVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|[[Citra]]
[https://docs.libretro.com/library/citra/ citra_libretro]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}
|{{Na}}<ref group="note" name="Citraceased">On March 4th 2024, the [[Yuzu#Lawsuit|lawsuit filed by Nintendo]] against the management of the Yuzu emulator led to the decision to cease official distribution of Yuzu and Citra. Using Citra forks recommended from now on.</ref>
|''[https://git.libretro.com/libretro/citra libretro core] (obsolete)''<ref name="Citralibretro">Use the standalone version of Citra over the libretro core as the libretro core version is even more outdated and can be slow and unstable.</ref>
''[https://citra-emu.org/ Former website] (obsolete)''
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|{{Emulator compatibility|327|519|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304194744/https://citra-emu.org/game/}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|Lime3DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/Lime3DS/lime3ds-archive/releases/tag/2119.1 2119.1]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|PabloMK7 fork
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/PabloMK7/citra/releases/tag/r608383e r608383e]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|Mandarine-Neo
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/mandarine3ds/mandarine {{MandarineVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[BizHawk]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory {{BizHawkVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|MIT}} {{License|GPL}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{~}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Panda3DS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}
|{{Ya}}
|[https://panda3ds.com/download.html nightly] [https://github.com/wheremyfoodat/Panda3DS/releases {{Panda3DSVer}}]

[https://nightly.link/wheremyfoodat/Panda3DS/workflows/Hydra_Build/master/Windows%20Libretro%20core.zip libretro core]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|{{Emulator compatibility|56|139|link=https://github.com/Panda3DS-emu/Panda3DS-Games-List/issues}} (Most might need retesting/remarking)
|{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|{{~}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Tanuki3DS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux|LiA}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/burhanr13/Tanuki3DS/releases {{Tanuki3DSVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}}
|[https://github.com/burhanr13/Tanuki3DS?tab=readme-ov-file#compatibility ?]||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{~}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Mikage]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{~}}
|[https://github.com/mikage-emu/mikage-dev git]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{WIP-Box}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[3Beans]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/3Beans git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{WIP-Box}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[3dmoo]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/plutooo/3dmoo git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Corgi3DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/Corgi3DS git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |DualSOUP
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Dunno}}
|[https://github.com/Jaklyy/DualSOUP git]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}} ||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |LemonLime
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|macOS|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/ItsKaitlyn03/LemonLime/ git]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[TronDS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Na}}
|[http://trondsemu.bhttps://15.com/downloads.html 1.0.0.5]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |VitaminC
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/Jaklyy/VitaminC git]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |VVCTRE
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}}
|[https://archive.org/details/vvctre-bestbuild archive]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} (unreleased citra-based code)
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
! colspan="10" |Mobile
|-
| rowspan="9" |Citra-based
|[[Azahar]]
[https://docs.libretro.com/library/azahar/ azahar_libretro]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS|tvOS}}<ref group="note" name="iOStvOS">iOS and tvOS are only supported on the libretro core.</ref>
|{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/releases {{AzaharVer}}]
[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/arm64-v8a/ libretro core]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
| rowspan="3" |{{Emulator compatibility|364|550|link=https://azahar-emu.org/pages/compatibility/}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Ya}}
|-
|[[Folium]]
(Cytrus)
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS}}
|{{Ya}}
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/folium/id6498623389 App Store] ($)
[https://jarrodnorwell.com/folium/ {{FoliumVer}}]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Ya}}
|-
|AzaharPlus
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/AzaharPlus/AzaharPlus/releases 2125.1-B]||{{Yellow}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
Source code does not state changes, which may be a violation of the GPLv2 license.
|{{Na}}
|{{Ya}}
|{{~}}
|-
|Citra MMJ
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{~}}
Release binaries are still actively published, but source code is not.
|[https://github.com/weihuoya/citra/releases git]||{{Yellow}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
Source code is not published in full, which may be a violation of the GPLv2 license.
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{~}}
Recommended as a backup emulator only for dual-screen Android handhelds such as the AYN Thor or Ayaneo Pocket DS if games are crashing or performing slowly in Azahar.
|-
|Borked3DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/Borked3DS/Borked3DS/releases/latest {{Borked3DSVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|[[Citra]]
[https://docs.libretro.com/library/citra/ citra_libretro]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS|iPadOS}}<ref>iOS/iPadOS support only available with rinsuki and [[Folium]] forks.</ref>
|{{Na}}<ref group="note" name="Citraceased" />
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/arm64-v8a/ libretro core] (obsolete)''<ref name="Citralibretro" />''

''[https://citra-emu.org/ Former website] (obsolete)''
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|{{Emulator compatibility|327|519|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304194744/https://citra-emu.org/game/}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|Lime3DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/Lime3DS/lime3ds-archive/releases/tag/2119.1 2119.1]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|Mandarine
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/mandarine3ds/mandarine {{MandarineVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
|PabloMK7 fork
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}}
|[https://github.com/PabloMK7/citra/releases/tag/r608383e r608383e]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Panda3DS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Ya}}
|[https://github.com/wheremyfoodat/Panda3DS/releases {{Panda3DSVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{~}}
|{{~}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Mikage]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{~}}
|[https://github.com/mikage-emu/mikage-dev git]||{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{WIP-Box}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Manic EMU]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}
|{{Ya}}
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/manic-emu-game-emulator/id6743335790 {{ManicEMUVer}}]
[https://github.com/Manic-EMU/ManicEMU/releases git]
|{{Green}} {{License|AGPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Provenance]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS|tvOS}}
|{{Ya}}
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/provenance-app/id1596862805 {{ProvenanceVer}}]
[https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/Provenance/releases git]
|{{Dunno}}
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}} ||{{Dunno}}
|}

=== Comparisons ===
{{for|more information about Citra forks|Citra#Forks}}
;[[Citra]]
: An open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator made by experienced emulator developers. It supports many [[#Hardware_features and peripherals|hardware features, peripherals]], and [[#Enhancements|enhancements]]. An official Android version was [https://web.archive.org/web/20240229131511/https://citra-emu.org/entry/announcing-citra-android/ released in May 2020]. A VR fork exists by the name of "[[Virtual_reality#Emulators_with_VR_support|CitraVR]]". On March 4th 2024, the [[Yuzu#Lawsuit|lawsuit filed by Nintendo]] against the management of the Yuzu emulator led to the decision to cease official distribution of Yuzu and Citra. However, the community quickly responded with the creation of mirrors and forks, see the [[Citra#Forks]] section for more information.

; [[Panda3DS]]
: An [[High/Low level emulation|HLE approach]] 3DS emulator founded by Alber and wheremyfoodat (Peach), and currently developed by an array of developers. It can run many games, even including some Nintendo 3DS applets.

; [[Tanuki3DS]]
: HLE 3DS emulator for MacOS and Linux written in C which aims to be simple, fast, and compatible. Currently it can play a handful of games at full speed and supports some nice features.

; [[BizHawk]]
: It has a [[BizHawk#Supported systems|core named "Encore"]], which is based on Citra. "Works out of the box." Although BizHawk's 3DS core doesn't support some hardware features that Citra and its forks do.

; [[Mikage]]
: An emulator developed by Tony Wasserka, a.k.a. ''neobrain'', which focuses on optimization and stability on Android and PC, looking to fill the gap left by Citra. [https://mikage.app/faq/ Mikage is in an early stage of development], though it already supports some [[Nintendo 3DS emulators#Hardware features and peripherals|hardware features]] and several commercial games. Mikage became open-source in 2025, though still unfinished as a usable emulator.

; 3Beans
: 3Beans is an experimental [[High/Low level emulation|low-level]] 3DS emulator and runs the entire 3DS operating system as if it were executing on real hardware. The emulator is still in early development and can boot the home menu and play some cartridge-based games, though it has numerous issues and limitations. It can run custom FIRMs like GodMode9 using a NAND hacked with boot9strap.

; VitaminC
: An experimental [[High/Low level emulation|fully LLE]] (new) 3DS research emulator that targets extremely high [[Emulation accuracy|accuracy]].

; Corgi3DS
: A unique 3DS emulator designed for macOS systems. Its GitHub activity started on [https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/Corgi3DS/commit/1b81c7e00c9a7a73f2da12d07ec3a9e4bc69c6ac May 5, 2019]. The main programmer is a self-proclaimed dog-lover and has previously created CorgiDS and DobieStation, though the former appears to have been abandoned. Corgi3DS is mainly indigenous, but the preliminary [https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/Corgi3DS/commit/a60b06683495e4e8fd0c170ec4ca8c453ce31609 Wi-Fi code] was ported from [[melonDS]]' code. The main programmer said that they "''haven't worked on it in several months, it is basically a hobby project of mine that I touch when I feel the urge''". Thus, the project is on an indefinite hiatus.

; [[TronDS]]
: A closed-source Nintendo 3DS emulator, presumably made by the iDeaS author. Little is known about it other than that it can run simple homebrew. It can't be used for playing games.

; [[3dmoo]]
: An open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator, made by experienced developers in the DS hacking scene. It was released shortly after Citra and received similar progress for a few months, but was eventually aborted by its authors after a while.

== Enhancements ==
{| {{Basic table}}
|+Please only include recommended emulators in this table. Do not bump or spam GitHub threads, issues, or feature request pages.
! colspan="2" style="width:50%" |Name
!Azahar
!AzaharPlus
|-
| rowspan="3" |Controls
|[[Input lag|Input lag mitigating]]||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Controllers#Mouse Injectors for Emulators|Mouse injector]]||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[https://docs.retroachievements.org/general/tutorials/turbo-button.html Turbo button]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |Graphics
|Pre-rendering anti-aliasing
(MSAA, SSAA)
|{{WIP-Box|link=https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/pull/2053}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Ray tracing
([https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/announcing-microsoft-directx-raytracing/ DXR], [https://www.khronos.org/blog/ray-tracing-in-vulkan VRT] and [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/metal_sample_code_library/accelerating_ray_tracing_using_metal MRT])
| colspan="2" |Implementing ray tracing in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future.
However, you can try "[[Shaders and filters#Notable ReShade shaders|Screen-Space Ray Traced Global Illumination]]" shader [https://reshade.me/forum/general-discussion/5442-release-misc-emulators-with-depth-buffer-access#34388 using] [https://reshade.me/forum/general-discussion/5442-release-misc-emulators-with-depth-buffer-access?start=60#46417 ReShade.]
|-
|[[Resolution|Resizable internal resolution]]||{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Super-resolution techniques
([https://github.com/NVIDIA/DLSS/blob/main/doc/DLSS_Programming_Guide_Release.pdf DLSS], [https://github.com/intel/xess/?tab=readme-ov-file XeSS] and [[wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 2+]])
| colspan="2" |Requires access to the depth buffer and temporal data like motion-vectors, so it is quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon.
Besides any GPU that can use DLSS can run these emulators at 4k native with ease anyway.
|-
|[[Texture packs#Nintendo 3DS .28Citra.29|Texture replacement]]||{{~|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304211606/https://citra-emu.org/help/feature/custom-textures/}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Widescreen hacks#Nintendo 3DS|Ultra-widescreen hack]]
Widescreen already supported on 3DS system.
However, for DS backward compatibility titles, you need to use patches to play in widescreen mode.
There is no support by system for render games in other ratios such as 16:10, 21:9, and 32:9.
|{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |Performance
|[https://blurbusters.com/frame-generation-essentials-interpolation-extrapolation-and-reprojection/ Frame generation technologies]
([https://store.steampowered.com/app/993090/Lossless_Scaling/ LSFG], [https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/Streamline/blob/main/docs/ProgrammingGuideDLSS_G.md DLSS-FG] and [https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5621/~/enabling-smooth-motion-in-nvidia-app SM], [https://www.techpowerup.com/316835/extrass-framework-paper-details-intels-take-on-frame-generation XeSS-FG], [https://community.amd.com/t5/gaming/amd-fluid-motion-frames-is-out-now-on-amd-radeon-rx-7000-series/ba-p/634372 AFMF] and [https://gpuopen.com/fidelityfx-super-resolution-3/#:~:text=Features-,Frame%20Generation,-Insert%20interpolated%20frames FSR FG])
| colspan="2" |Implementing frame generation technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon however post-processing techniques such as [[wikipedia:Motion_interpolation|motion interpolation]] is quite possible. [[Input lag|Input latency]] will be a crucial factor, but its impact likely varies depending on the specific technique used, it is recommended to use '''after applying the "Internal Framerate Hack"'''and "[https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/pull/1867 skip presenting duplicate frames option]".
While '''AFMF''' or '''LSFG''' could be used with Azahar, please be aware some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.
|-
|[[30/60 FPS cheat codes|Internal frame rate hack]]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Overclocking|Overclock]]||{{Ya|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428210656/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/issues/5975}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Preload [[wikipedia:ROM_image|ROM image]] to RAM
For users with sluggish multi-platter HDDs or plagued by horrible seek times, this enhancement '''might''' offer smoother experience, potentially reduced power consumption; it also shines when images reside on a network drive.
Although keep in mind that preloading image would take some time, and it will require additional amount of RAM capacity.
|{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |Post-processing
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/AI-powered filter compatible}}||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/Filters}}||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[High dynamic range#Inverse tone mapping|Inverse tone mapping compatible]]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Category:Anti-aliasing_algorithms|Post-rendering anti-aliasing]]
(FXAA, TXAA, and MLAA/SMAA)
|{{Ya|link=https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/pull/2092}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Comparison_gallery_of_image_scaling_algorithms|Post-rendering scaling]]
(Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and [[wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 1]])
|{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/Shader chain}}||{{~}}
Exclusive to obsolete Citra libretro core.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="11" |Quality of life
|Automatic updater||{{~}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Frontends#Graphical User Interfaces .28GUIs.29|Big Picture Mode]]||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Built-in [[Cheats and patches|cheat manager]]||{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Built-in [[Mods, hacks and fan-translations#Built-in mod editor and manager for emulators|mod editor and manager]]||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Built-in [[Cheats and patches|patch manager]]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Save converters|Built-in save manager]]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Command-line options||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Pause/Resume emulation||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Per-game profiles||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#portable Portable] and [https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#stealth stealth]
Useful enhancement feature for non-personal computer use or plug-and-play scenarios. However, the software may still require the necessary [[Computer specifications#Operating System|prerequisites and dependencies]] for your operating system if it is not statically linked.
|{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Save disk space for ISOs|Streamable compression format]]||{{Ya}}
Azahar supports.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="5" |[https://tasvideos.org/Emulatorresources/Features TAS features]
|Fast forward/Turbo speed||{{Ya|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229184733/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/pull/3353}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback]||{{Ya|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217052538/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/pull/3500}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Rewind||{{Na|link=https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/issues/5859}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Save states||{{Ya}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="9" |Misc.
|[[Sound and audio#Audio filters and presets|Audio filters and presets]]
Simulation of characteristic playback limitations and coloration of vintage consumer audio hardware, such as CRT television speakers, arcade cabinets, handheld consoles, early PC sound outputs, and low-fidelity integrated speakers. These filters are not intended to be perfectly accurate recreations, but rather to evoke the tonal qualities, distortion, bandwidth limits, resonance, and compression associated with 8-bit and 16-bit era devices. Examples include mono or narrow stereo output, reduced frequency response, speaker cone distortion, mild saturation, aliasing, and preset lo-fi profiles inspired by classic TVs, portable game systems, radios, and retro multimedia hardware.
| colspan="2" |Exclusive to [https://github.com/RetroCrisis/Retro-Crisis-Audio-Filters libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
|[https://github.com/PabloMK7/ArticBaseServer Broadcast games from original hardware to emulator]||{{Ya}}
[https://github.com/PabloMK7/citra/pull/105 PabloMK7's pull request], [https://github.com/Lime3DS/Lime3DS/issues/181 Lime3DS's feature request]. Also available in Borked3DS and Azahar. For Azahar, [https://github.com/azahar-emu/ArticSetupTool Azahar Artic Setup Tool] is required to be installed on modified original hardware to broadcast games from original hardware to Azahar.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug features]]||{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Virtual reality#VR game room simulations|EmuVR support]]
| colspan="2" |Exclusive to [https://www.emuvr.net/wiki/Installation_Guide#Downloads libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
|{{Enhancements/Misc./File browser}}||{{Na}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Free Look
Free Look is an enhancement feature that allows manipulation of the in-game camera.
| colspan="2" |While freecam would be technically possible, it requires per-game patches.
Said patches would require a significant amount of time to reverse the game's engine, which means that only someone talented with enough dedication to a single game could do it.
[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1iuzi0p/tanuki3ds_020_release_with_windows_pokemon_and/ Recently, Tanuki3DS implemented experimental free look (afaik no other 3DS emulator has this feature)]
|-
|[[RetroAchievements]]
|[[RetroAchievements#Emulators and games planned for RetroAchievements|WIP]]||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Rich Presence (RPC)
Allows the emulator to share real-time game session details (e.g., current game title, level, boss, playtime, or custom status) with external applications. This enables features such as displaying what you're playing on your profile, inviting friends to spectate, or triggering join-in-progress functionality where supported.
|{{Dunno}}
|{{Dunno}}
|-
|Screen translator
Using optical character recognition (OCR) and other techniques, this feature can provide live translation of in-game text, text-to-speech for visually impaired users, and more — either on demand or automatically.
| colspan="2" |You can use [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/ai-service/ RetroArch's AI Service] or the standalone offline [https://github.com/bquenin/interpreter bquenin's Interpreter].
|}

== Hardware features and peripherals ==
{| {{Basic table}}
|+Please only include recommended emulators in this table. Do not bump or spam GitHub threads, issues, or feature request pages.
! colspan="4" style="width:50%" |Name
!Azahar
!AzaharPlus
|-
| rowspan="20" |Hardware features
| colspan="3" |[[Virtual reality#Emulators with VR support|3D screen]]||{{Ya}}
Supports Stereoscopic 3D mode (Side by Side, Anaglyph, Interlaced, Reverse Interlaced).
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="9" |Connectivity
| colspan="2" |[[List of console games that support infrared#Nintendo 3DS Emulation|Infrared]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="8" |Wi-Fi
|Download play||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|DS connectivity||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Internet||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Local play||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Nintendo Network||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Preservation projects#Private platform servers|StreetPass/SpotPass]]||{{Ya}}<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240118041239/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/issues/4928 https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/releases/tag/2125.0-alpha5</ref>||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Wii connectivity||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Wii U connectivity||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[Nintendo 3DS emulators#DS Mode|DS Mode]]||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/13743 Head-tracking] (New Nintendo 3DS)||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[wikipedia:Nintendo_3DS_system_software#Home_menu|HOME Menu]]||{{Ya|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229150223/https://citra-emu.org/entry/citra-progress-report-2023-q2/#home-menu}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Input
| colspan="2" |[[List of games that support microphone|Microphone]]||{{Ya}}
Supports microphone as Static noise and Real device.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[List of console games that support motion controls#Nintendo 3DS Emulation|Motion sensor]]||{{Ya}}
Citra supports motion control in Mouse (Right-click), CemuhookUDP, and SDL modes.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[List of games that support touchscreen#Nintendo 3DS|Touchscreen]]||{{Ya}}
Supports touchscreen in Emulator Window and CemuhookUDP modes. It is possible to use button mapping.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |NFC||{{Na|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217073356/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra/issues/4797}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[wikipedia:Nintendo_3DS_system_software#Nintendo_3DS_Camera|Outer and inner cameras]]||{{Ya}}
Supports Front and Rear cameras in single (2D) and double (3D) modes. The camera can be a still image or system camera.
|{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |SD card / microSD card||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[Virtual Console]]||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="8" |Peripherals
| colspan="3" |AR cards||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[https://thegamesdb.net/game.php?id=125958 Bakutsuri Bar Rod]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |Circle Pad Pro/C-Stick||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[Bulba:Pokémon Tretta Lab|Pokémon Tretta Lab]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[Toys-to-life emulation#Poochi Dog|''Poochi Dog'']]||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Toys-to-life emulation|Toys-to-life]]
| colspan="2" |[[Amiibo]]||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Toys-to-life emulation#Disney Infinity Base|''Disney Infinity'' Base]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Toys-to-life emulation#Skylanders Portal of Power|''Skylanders'' Portal of Power]]||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Misc.
| colspan="3" |Battery||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[wikipedia:Hot swapping#Gaming|Cartridge hot swapping]]
It was sometimes possible to apply cheats (such as a player having infinite lives) and other temporary software alterations to games by hot swapping cartridges, even though the cartridges were not designed to be hot swappable.

Surprisingly, a small number of titles, like ''Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo'', utilize game card hot swapping. Usually used for save data bonuses and transferring save data.
|{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |System lights||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|}

=== DS Mode ===

: [[wikipedia:Nintendo_3DS#Backward_compatibility|Wikipedia - Nintendo 3DS backwards compatibility]]

In addition to its own software, the Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with all Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi software. Like the DSi and DSi XL, the Nintendo 3DS is incompatible with DS software that requires use of the Game Boy Advance port. Nintendo DS and DSi software can't be played with 3D visuals on the 3DS.

* None of the 3DS emulators support this feature. There was a [https://web.archive.org/web/20240301010422/https://community.citra-emu.org/t/ds-game-support/33133 feature request] for implementing this feature to Citra emulator.

== Game images ==

=== CCI/3DS vs. CIA ===
There are two types of 3DS game images currently:

; NCSD-type
: Includes '''.cci''' (CTR Cart Image), aka '''.3ds''' - data on physical carts, can be executed right off the bat, not used much since no one bothered to develop a CFW solution to load them yet (besides converting them to CIA) and only overpriced flashcarts (Gateway/Sky3DS) can load them.
; NCCH-type
: Includes '''.cia''' (CTR Importable Archive) and '''.cxi''' - installers that unpack game data to the SD card or the 3DS NAND memory. Some homebrew apps (FBI, DevMenu) can install CIA files on 3DS systems with CFW installed. Digital games are often distributed as CIAs.

* Note that CTR (Citrus) is the internal code name for the 3DS.

Due to one format being so far restricted to overpriced flashcarts and the very slow Citra development (meaning playing on an actual 3DS is still the preferred way to go), the CIA format is preferred in many sharing websites, downloader tools, and even tools to dump your own games.

However, converting a CIA image to CCI format (and vice versa) is still possible with no loss of content. Read the Encryption section below for a guide.

Some outdated dumping utilities intended for use with Citra (like braindump) produce damaged decrypted CCI images that can't be easily converted back. No known solution exists so far to fix those dumps.

=== Encryption ===
Most dumps online are also encrypted. This encryption poses no problem for playing game images on an actual 3DS since it can deal with that encryption with internal keys included in the bootrom, but becomes a problem when trying to emulate them on PC. '''Citra requires additional encryption keys to play encrypted games.''' If you want to play encrypted games on Citra without these keys, you will have to convert your game images to the decrypted format.

Formerly, decrypting those ROMs used to require real 3DS hardware. It required files generated by a real 3DS called '''xorpads''' unique to that game version, using the encryption engine within the 3DS. After this part, these xorpads (which are big) can be used with PC tools (or other 3DS-based homebrew) to produce the decrypted game image. After that, some 3DS homebrew (Decrypt9, GodMode9) included tools to directly convert encrypted images to decrypted images with a single button press, but those still require a real 3DS.

The game changer was the sighax exploit, which allowed for the dumping of the 3DS bootrom, which includes these encryption keys. This file can be downloaded from the [[Emulator Files#Nintendo 3DS|Emulator Files]] page. You can then use a program like '''[https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-extract-decrypt-games-nand-backups-and-sd-contents-with-fuse-3ds.499994/ fuse-3ds]''' to decrypt games using this file. Place boot9.bin in the same folder, run the program, mount the encrypted CIA or 3DS, and find the '''decrypted.cxi''' file inside (usually in the first folder). Citra should be able to load this file without issues.

Due to these keys being available, Citra can now play encrypted games (3DS or CIA) without decrypting them. Read [https://web.archive.org/web/20240229064914/https://citra-emu.org/wiki/aes-keys this page]. Then, go to this Reddit page and copy the code from the [https://www.reddit.com/r/CemuPiracy/comments/gpo2ey/aes_key_nintendo_3ds_title_keys_for_citra second comment] (credit floppydoppy2). Copy it and make a new TXT file named '''aes_keys.txt'''. Place this TXT file in the sysdata folder of Citra's user directory. This key file is already included in the 3DS Shared Data download in the [[Emulator files#Nintendo 3DS|Emulator Files]] page.

== Notes ==
{{Notelist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nintendo}}

[[Category:Nintendo 3DS| ]]

{{#seo:|keywords=video games,emulation,emulator,emu,wiki,download,recommended,guide,list,nintendo,3ds,n3ds,o3ds,citra|description=Information and recommendations for the best {{PAGENAME}} and where to download them.|published_time={{#time:c|{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}}}}}

Citra

2026-08-31T02:36:17Z

172.69.17.22: /* Forks */ Azahar supports iOS/tvOS in libretro

{{Infobox emulator
|title = Citra
|logo = Citra.png
|logowidth = 100
|developer = Tropic Haze LLC Citra Team
|last-version = '''Nightly''' 2104 '''Canary''' 2798
|fate = [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304225805if_/https://citra-emu.org/ Discontinued] (archived)
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on Android|Android]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]]
|architecture = x86_64, ARM64
|target = [[Nintendo 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS]]
|compatibility = [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304201046if_/https://citra-emu.org/game/ Compatibility list] (archived)
|website = [https://citra.azahar-emu.org/ citra.azahar-emu.org] (archived on azahar) [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304220745if_/https://citra-emu.org/ citra-emu.org] (archived)
|prog-lang = {{Proglang|C++}}
|license = {{license|GPLv2}}
|source = [https://github.com/citra-mirror/citra GitHub] (mirror)
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_3DS|Required]]
}}

{{for|other software that emulates the 3DS|Nintendo 3DS emulators}}

'''[[wikipedia:Citra (emulator)|Citra]]''' (formerly Akiru) is a discontinued free and open-source [[Nintendo 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS]] emulator/debugger written in C++. It is also available as a [[libretro]] core. The emulator is no longer active. See [[#Forks|active forks of Citra]] for other options.

==Download==
;We do not recommend using Citra anymore. Instead, we recommend using [[#Forks|active forks of Citra]].

{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac|Android}}
|''[https://web.archive.org/web/20240229205025/https://citra-emu.org/download/ Latest Archived Builds] [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304191743/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra-nightly/releases Latest Archived Nightly (2104)] [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304191843/https://github.com/citra-emu/citra-canary/releases Latest Archived Canary (2798)]''
|}

If you decide to install it from the archived link, the updater tries to fetch for updates and can't fetch any due to it shutting down forcing you to quit the setup. However, you can download Citra from "Manual Installation" section and you can download and use Citra as usual.

==System requirements==
See [[Computer specifications#Citra]]

==History==
Citra emulates a subset of 3DS hardware and therefore is useful for running/debugging homebrew applications, and it is also able to run many commercial games. Some of these do not run at a playable state. On May 23, 2020, a [https://citra-emu.org/entry/announcing-citra-android/ official Android release] for Citra came out. The minimum requirements are Android 8 (64-bit) and OpenGL ES 3.2 support. Since 15th September 2023, Citra has also added support for Vulkan, resulting in improved performance in a number of scenarios. Many games achieve playable framerates on a variety of hardware, though the developers recommend an Android device with a Snapdragon 835 chip or better.

===Lawsuit===
See [[Yuzu#Lawsuit]].

==Shared data==
Some 3DS games make use of shared files from the console's system software. These games will not boot in Citra if said files are not present in the user folder.

These files are not provided by the Citra developers for legal reasons, so they can be downloaded from the [[Emulator Files#Nintendo 3DS|Emulator Files]] page.

==Importing saves==
Some games require this to bypass bugs in title screens.
# Get the Title ID for the game version you have from [http://www.3dsdb.com/ here]. For example, we'll try with the European version of Zelda: ALBW. Its full Title ID is <code>00040000000EC400</code>.
# Take the last 8 digits of the Title ID. (in our example, <code>000EC400</code>) In case this method fails later, take <code>00000000</code> instead, or make sure the save file and the ROM image are from the same region.
# Make an empty folder named as that partial Title ID (<code>000EC400</code>). Put inside it another folder named "data", then inside that one put another folder named <code>00000001</code>, then inside that one put the actual save data files.
# Move the folder with the title ID and put it here:
#: <code>\user\sdmc\Nintendo 3DS\00000000000000000000000000000000\00000000000000000000000000000000\title\00040000</code>

==Issues==
===Emulation issues===
Emulation for various features is non-existent or not actively worked on enough to be in a usable state. This includes:
* Connectivity features relying on Wi-Fi (Wii U/3DS, Switch/3DS, 3DS Local Multiplayer, 3DS Online...), not in small part due to the setbacks hindering Wi-Fi DS emulation. However, Download Play is emulated.
* New 3DS mode. It is now in a playable state, but some games may still crash with it enabled.

===Game image format===
Citra accepts games in '''.3ds, .cia or .cxi format'''. Furthermore, in Summer 2017, chances are your existing dumps tailor-made for Citra most probably made with the officially recommended tool braindump, which were missing some data yet could be emulated on Citra, have had their compatibility broken as a design choice with no options provided to fix those dumps. You'll have to get new dumps.

While the latest sighax exploit allows for dumping decryption keys to convert (and possibly load) encrypted games in either .3ds or .cia format, development for a solution to allow for this Citra, even one requiring keys from your console, was formerly not actively pursued ''as a design choice''. Tools on 3DS and PC exist to convert those to decrypted .3ds format, and a guide can be found [[Nintendo 3DS emulators#Encryption|here]]. However, Citra now allows loading/installing encrypted 3ds/CIA files if the necessary AES keys are provided. The required keys are provided with the 3DS Shared Data downloadable above.

===Telemetry===
Citra developers decided to implement a telemetry feature, uploading to them through Internet connection detailed logs and data about your computer specs and the games you're playing. When booting Citra for the first time, you get asked if you want to enable it.

===macOS compatibility===
Although macOS support in Citra is still poor, macOS builds have returned to Citra Canary 2485 and newer thanks to the addition of the new Vulkan renderer. Previously, macOS builds were discontinued after build 1782 due to the developers raising the OpenGL requirements to version 4.3, while macOS only supports up to version 4.1. The new Vulkan renderer addresses this by utilizing the MoltenVK translation layer instead of OpenGL, enabling compatibility with macOS systems. Additionally, these latest builds are Universal and have native support for both Intel and Apple Silicon.

==Forks==
{{for|more information about other 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS emulators#Comparisons}}

{{Infobox emulator
|title = Azahar
|logo = Azahar icon.png
|logowidth = 153
|active = Yes
|version = {{Version|Azahar}}
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]] [[Emulators on Android|Android]] [[Emulators on iOS|iOS]] (libretro only) [[Emulators on tvOS|tvOS]] (libretro only)
|target = [[Nintendo 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS]]
|developer = [https://github.com/OpenSauce04 OpenSauce], [https://github.com/PabloMK7 PabloMK7], and other contributors
|prog-lang = {{Proglang|C++}}
|source = [https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar GitHub]
|license = {{license|GPLv2}}
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_3DS|Required for some games]]
}}

{{Infobox emulator
|title = Mandarine-Neo
|logo = Mandarine.svg
|logowidth = 153
|active = Yes
|version = {{Version|Mandarine}}
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]] [[Emulators on Android|Android]]
|target = [[Nintendo 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS]]
|developer = [https://github.com/ptyfyre ptyfyre] and contributors
|prog-lang = {{Proglang|C++}}
|source = [https://github.com/ptyfyre/mandarine-neo GitHub]
|license = {{license|GPLv2}}
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_3DS|Required for some games]]
}}

;Azahar: A merger of the PabloMK7 and Lime3DS Citra forks by the same developers, meant to merge the added features of both to make a definitive emulator. New features and changes introduced by Azahar include:
:* Various compatibility improvements
:* New compression file format called Z3DS (or ZCCI) with a built-in converter,<ref>{{cite web |last= |first=PabloMK7 |date=August 1, 2025 |title=Support for compressed 3DS backups is here! How to free up space in your 3DS game library. |url= https://azahar-emu.org/blog/compressed-backups/ |website=azahar-emu.org |location= |publisher= |access-date=September 25, 2025}}</ref>
:* The ability to download owned games from the Nintendo eShop
:* The inclusion of Cryptographic keys in the emulator by default.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first=PabloMK7 |date=December 12, 2024 |title=Game Loading on Azahar: What's Changing |url=https://azahar-emu.org/blog/game-loading-changes/ |website=azahar-emu.org |location= |publisher= |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref>
:* Arctic Base, an application that can stream 3DS games from real hardware to a computer, is supported. This feature is inherited from the PabloMK7 fork.
:* Hacks such as the ability to disable right eye rendering, which may improve performance.
:Certain changes were made out of legal considerations, such as ending support for encrypted games, and removing the ability to download system files directly from Nintendo's CDN, which has been replaced by the Artic Setup Tool: a homebrew application that copies system files from a real 3DS unit to Azahar. Originally the .3ds file extension was unsupported but support was added back in on January 2026.<ref>[https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/releases/tag/2124.3 Azahar 2124.3 Github release]</ref> A [https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/pull/1215 Libretro core] has been released on March 3, 2026 during [https://github.com/azahar-emu/azahar/releases v2105.0 Alpha 4]'s release.

;AzaharPlus: A fork of the Azahar 3DS emulator with extra features. Each version is the same as the corresponding version of Azahar except for this:[https://github.com/AzaharPlus/AzaharPlus/blob/AzaharPlus/README.md]
:*Compatibility with all game files. If a file works with any Citra fork, it works with AzaharPlus.
:*Ability to download system files from official servers. No need for an actual 3DS.
:*Compatibility with older CPUs (no SSE4.2 required)
:*Compatibility with Android 9
:*ZipPass: A new way to exchange StreetPass data through zip files

;Mandarine-Neo: A continuation and major overhaul of the Mandarine (formerly Citra-Enhanced/Lemonade) project. After a period of inactivity, development was revived under the "Neo" branding in early 2026. Mandarine-Neo aims to be a feature-rich fork, incorporating code from Azahar while maintaining unique enhancements. Recent updates (v1.2.5+) have focused on optimizing the Android experience with custom GPU driver support, playtime tracking, and "Reverse Side-by-Side" stereoscopic 3D. It also includes the "Disable Right Eye Rendering" hack for 2D performance gains and improved audio implementations on PC and mobile.

;Borked3DS: A rebrand and continuation of the Bravely Offline Citra fork. The developers consider it to be an "experimental" or "sandbox" fork that may be unstable at times. It has all of the latest features from PabloMK7's Citra fork, most features from Lime3DS, and some hacks and features from Mandarine. It also has its own unique features, such as feature parity in the Android version, UI improvements for desktop and Android, and support for the Skylanders IR portal on desktop. It is not very active anymore, so users should use Azahar unless any Borked3DS-specific features are needed.

;PabloMK7 fork: A Citra fork written in C++ and initially created to add online play,<ref>https://twitter.com/Pablomf6/status/1719705943028449372</ref> but continued to receive new updates and other new features following the end of support for upstream Citra. PabloMK7 was a contributor of Citra, and the repository has also seen work from other active Citra contributors, such as GPUCode, who was among the most active contributors before the repository was deleted. Being a fork of Citra, the emulator emulates a subset of 3DS hardware and, therefore, is useful for running/debugging homebrew applications; it is also able to run many commercial games. Some of these do not run in a playable state. On May 5, 2024, PabloMK7 announced an upcoming feature known as Artic Base,<ref>https://twitter.com/Pablomf6/status/1787246255002853480</ref> released on May 12, 2024.<ref>https://github.com/PabloMK7/ArticBaseServer</ref> Artic Base is a 3DS homebrew app that can stream game data from the 3DS system to an instance of Citra over the local network, allowing users to play their own games on Citra without having to dump them. Artic Base can also sync save data between the 3DS and Citra. Development of the fork ceased on October 29, 2024, pending a merger with Lime3DS (which had also ceased development). The resulting Citra fork would later come to be known as Azahar.<ref name="azahar">https://azahar-emu.org</ref>

;Lime3DS: A Citra fork. The main goal of the project was to act as a revival of Citra.<ref>https://github.com/Lime3DS#lime3ds-is-a-project-which-aims-to-revive-citra-the-most-popular-open-source-nintendo-3ds-emulator</ref> Much like its predecessor, Lime3DS is mainly written in C++. Development for Lime3DS began on the same day as Citra's closure, March 4, 2024. Unlike some other forks appearing at this time, the developers for Lime3DS intended to separate their branding from that of Citra and create a separate successor. The emulator had been steadily updated since then, boasting high compatibility and stability for many 3DS titles. Development ceased in November 2024, pending a merger with the PabloMK7 Citra fork (which had also ceased development). The resulting Citra fork would later come to be known as Azahar.<ref name="azahar"></ref>

;[[Folium]]: A Citra port to iOS/iPadOS devices developed by Jarrod Norwell. Previously known as emuThreeDS and [https://github.com/emuPlace/Limon/ Limón]. Now continued as a [[Multi-system_emulators|multi emulator]] named Folium. [https://github.com/folium-app/Cytrus Cytrus] is the Nintendo 3DS emulation core used in Folium.[https://x.com/antique_codes/status/1845758124298481883/photo/2]

;Mandarine: A Citra fork. It was originally named "Citra-Enhanced." Development ceased temporarily in March 2024 due to the [[Yuzu#Lawsuit|stoppage of Citra development]]. Afterward, the project changed its name to Lemonade<ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/EmulationOnAndroid/comments/1bbos29/citraenhanced_is_going_to_be_continued_and/</ref> and shifted its focus to the Android platform while planning to add new [[Nintendo_3DS_emulators#Hardware_features|features]] and [[Nintendo_3DS_emulators#Enhancements|enhancements]]. However, due to critique stemming from Lemonade's developers alleged stealing of code from other forks, violation of Citra's GPLv2 license, and berating of developers of other forks,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20240411140255/https://twitter.com/Pablomf6/status/1778376166098825515</ref> much of the team has since abandoned the project.<ref>https://github.com/Lemonade-emu/Lemonade/pull/2/files#diff-b335630551682c19a781afebcf4d07bf978fb1f8ac04c6bf87428ed5106870f5R16</ref> The fork was thereafter renamed back to Citra-Enhanced, before then renaming again to Mandarine after an alleged repository hijack attempt.<ref>https://github.com/mandarine3ds/mandarine/commit/ad06b079df3641e1f4086278ef93a65c204d245c#contribution</ref>

;Citra MMJ: '''Citra MMJ''' is a Citra fork for Android written by weihuoya. Compared to the more recent Azahar merger and the previous forks on Android, and depending on chipset used in the Android device, Citra MMJ may offer better performance and compatibility, especially with Mali GPU devices or other mid-end chipsets that may be too slow for Azahar. Citra MMJ also has some features that Azahar and previous forks for Android didn't have, such as per-game settings and dual-screen support for 2-screen Android handhelds and external displays (Azahar also has dual-screen support since v2123), but it does not yet support zstandard-compressed games that Azahar introduced in v2123. Also note that not all of the code distributed in Citra MMJ binaries is included in the source code repository on GitHub, meaning there is less transparency for users who want to know what code is being run on their systems and less openness for external developers who may wish to contribute. This may also violate the emulator's GPLv2 license, which stipulates that source code must be available to anyone who can obtain a binary.

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304220745if_/https://citra-emu.org/ Official Website] (archived)
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304201523if_/https://citra-emu.org/entry/ Blog/entries]
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304201048if_/https://citra-emu.org/help/ Help]
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304212658if_/https://citra-emu.org/wiki/faq/ FAQ(s)]
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304201046if_/https://citra-emu.org/game/ Game Compatibility List]
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304201040if_/https://citra-emu.org/wiki/home/ Wiki(s)]
:- [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304202112if_/https://citra-emu.org/screenshots/ Screenshots]

{{Nintendo 3DS emulators}}

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Handheld console emulators]]
[[Category:Nintendo 3DS emulators]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
[[Category:Inactive emulation software]]