Emulation General Wiki - User contributions [en]

MelonDS

2025-05-17T09:01:23Z

LawrenceClem: /* System requirements */

{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox emulator
|title = melonDS
|logo = MelonDS.png
|logowidth = 80
|version = {{Version|MelonDS}}
|active = Yes
|platform = [[Emulators on PC|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]] [[Emulators on Android OS|Android]] (Unofficial) [[Emulators on Switch|Nintendo Switch]] (Unofficial) [[Emulators on Vita|PlayStation Vita]] (Unofficial)
|target = [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS]] [[Nintendo DSi emulators|Nintendo DSi]]
|developer = [https://github.com/Arisotura Arisotura] [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/graphs/contributors Repository contributors]
|accuracy = Medium-Accurate
|website = [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/ melonds.kuribo64.net]
|support = [https://www.patreon.com/staplebutter Patreon] [https://paypal.me/Arisotura PayPal]
|prog-lang = {{Proglang|C}}, {{Proglang|C++}}
|license = {{license|GPLv3}}
|source = [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS GitHub]
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|Required for DSi]]
}}

'''melonDS''' is a free and open-source [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS]]/[[Nintendo DSi emulators|DSi emulator]] aiming for better performance than [[DeSmuME]] and to emulate Wi-Fi and local multiplayer capabilities. Its developer is Arisotura (formerly known as StapleButter/Luigi__), a former contributor to DeSmuME, and it is available as a [[libretro]] core since version 0.6. Its first commit on GitHub was on May 15, 2016.

==Downloads==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
|'''[http://melonds.kuribo64.net/downloads.php Official Builds]''' Also available on [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/releases Github]
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
|'''[https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/actions Dev Builds]'''
|-
|colspan="3"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Android-big}}
|'''[https://github.com/rafaelvcaetano/melonDS-android Source]''' '''[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.magnum.melonds Play Store]''' Unofficial melonDS Android port
|-
|colspan="3"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|NX-big}}
|'''[https://github.com/RSDuck/melonDS/releases Release 6] [https://gbatemp.net/threads/melonds-for-switch-continuation.570021/ GBATemp Thread]''' Ported by Hydr8gon, and currently maintained by Generic (aka RSDuck), who added an ARM64 JIT and other improvements. (Unofficial)
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Vita}}
|[https://github.com/Rinnegatamante/melonDS-Vita Vita port] No longer maintained
|}

==Overview==
As of 0.9.5, melonDS offers:
* Nearly complete core (CPU, video, audio...)
* JIT recompiler for fast emulation
* OpenGL renderer, 3D upscaling
* RTC, microphone, lid close/open
* Joystick support
* Savestates
* Many display position/sizing/rotation modes
* Wi-Fi: local multiplayer, on-line connectivity
* DSi emulation
* Camera support (DSi only)
* DLDI
* (WIP) GBA slot add-ons
...and more are planned.

Though it is not as mature as DeSmuME in some areas, it is a relatively simple emulator to use and has potential.

==Cheats/BIOS/Tutorials==
* [https://gbatemp.net/threads/deadskullzjrs-nds-cheat-databases.488711 Cheats Database]
* [https://archive.org/details/ds-firmware_dsi-nand-and-firmware DSi NAND/BIOS + Firmware]
* [https://youtu.be/-s2qEJFU8fM DSi Tutorials]

==Issues==
Like most emulators, development has been rocky with at one point the sole developer putting the project on a [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=42 hiatus in May of 2018] leaving this [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=43 to-do list] for anyone who wished to contribute improving the emulator, which is still open-source. [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=44 On July 2018] it was announced that development was going to continue for melonDS and has since shown potential.

There is very little to tweak in terms of improving performance (which can be a good or bad thing). This is mainly due to the developer's goal of accurate emulation rather than providing game-specific hacks.

The OpenGL renderer is still being worked on, meaning that there is a small chance some models/textures may not render correctly.

==melonDSi==
On October 15, 2019, Arisotura released [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=103 the beta version of an emulator called melonDSi], an experimental melonDS branch for DSi emulation. It used to require a lot of files to be dumped to work (most of which were console-unique), but it has been reworked to require less files (namely, the DSi ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS, the DSi Firmware and a NAND dump). It has since been merged into the master branch and is available on melonDS 0.9.

==Getting started==
From the README on GitHub:

:''Firmware boot (not direct boot) requires a BIOS/firmware dump from an original DS or DS Lite. DS firmwares dumped from a DSi or 3DS aren't bootable and only contain configuration data, thus they are only suitable when booting games directly.''
:'''''Possible firmware sizes'''''
:*''128KB: DSi/3DS DS-mode firmware (reduced size due to lacking bootcode)''
:*''256KB: regular DS firmware''
:*''512KB: iQue DS firmware''
:''DS BIOS dumps from a DSi or 3DS can be used with no compatibility issues. DSi BIOS dumps (in DSi mode) are not compatible. Or maybe they are. I don't know.''
:''As for the rest, the interface should be pretty straightforward. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask, though!''

These files can be found [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|here]]. If you do choose to look elsewhere online for system files, be warned that there are old hacked dumps floating around that breaks if the WFC configurations are altered.

To use the OpenGL renderer, you must have at least OpenGL 3.1.
More information can be found [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/faq.php in this FAQ].

To use melonDS in DSi mode, you need extra files which can be found [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|on this page.]]

==System requirements==
MelonDS runs on everything with the software renderer, although you need to follow those "mininum requirements" to run properly:
<blockquote>
*Minimum System Requirements
*CPU: Intel Core i3-530 / Pentium G850 / Celeron G530 / AMD Phenom X3 720 / Athlon X4 640 / FX-8150
*iGPU (If Have): Intel HD Graphics 2000 or AMD R4/5 Graphics
*GPU: Geforce 9600 GT (256 MB Version) / Radeon HD 2600
*RAM: 512 MB
*Storage: 256 MB for the Software itself.
*OS: Windows XP / MacOS X 10.4 Tiger
*Network: Any Network Supporting Up to 5 mbps or Any Ethernet Cable
*Keyboard, mouse
(This Is the Estimates Of this System Requirements and This Page is Maybe, Have not Done Full Testing Yet! )
</blockquote>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Metroid2X.png|Top: 2x the native resolution without OpenGL. Bottom: 2x the native resolution with OpenGL
Chibi4x.png|Top: Native software render. Bottom: 4x the native resolution with OpenGL
</gallery>



==External links==
* [https://emucross.com/the-one-that-flourished/ The One That Flourished: A Look at melonDS 0.8] (By [[Dolphin]] tester [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/authors/JMC47/ JMC47], aka Justin M. Chadwick. 6 June 2019.)

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Handheld console emulators]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
[[Category:Switch emulation software]]
[[Category:PlayStation Vita emulation software]]
[[Category:Nintendo DS emulators]]
[[Category:Nintendo DSi emulators]]
[[Category:Active emulation software]]

MelonDS

2025-05-17T09:00:33Z

LawrenceClem: /* System requirements */

{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox emulator
|title = melonDS
|logo = MelonDS.png
|logowidth = 80
|version = {{Version|MelonDS}}
|active = Yes
|platform = [[Emulators on PC|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]] [[Emulators on Android OS|Android]] (Unofficial) [[Emulators on Switch|Nintendo Switch]] (Unofficial) [[Emulators on Vita|PlayStation Vita]] (Unofficial)
|target = [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS]] [[Nintendo DSi emulators|Nintendo DSi]]
|developer = [https://github.com/Arisotura Arisotura] [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/graphs/contributors Repository contributors]
|accuracy = Medium-Accurate
|website = [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/ melonds.kuribo64.net]
|support = [https://www.patreon.com/staplebutter Patreon] [https://paypal.me/Arisotura PayPal]
|prog-lang = {{Proglang|C}}, {{Proglang|C++}}
|license = {{license|GPLv3}}
|source = [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS GitHub]
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|Required for DSi]]
}}

'''melonDS''' is a free and open-source [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS]]/[[Nintendo DSi emulators|DSi emulator]] aiming for better performance than [[DeSmuME]] and to emulate Wi-Fi and local multiplayer capabilities. Its developer is Arisotura (formerly known as StapleButter/Luigi__), a former contributor to DeSmuME, and it is available as a [[libretro]] core since version 0.6. Its first commit on GitHub was on May 15, 2016.

==Downloads==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
|'''[http://melonds.kuribo64.net/downloads.php Official Builds]''' Also available on [https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/releases Github]
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac}}
|'''[https://github.com/Arisotura/melonDS/actions Dev Builds]'''
|-
|colspan="3"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Android-big}}
|'''[https://github.com/rafaelvcaetano/melonDS-android Source]''' '''[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.magnum.melonds Play Store]''' Unofficial melonDS Android port
|-
|colspan="3"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|NX-big}}
|'''[https://github.com/RSDuck/melonDS/releases Release 6] [https://gbatemp.net/threads/melonds-for-switch-continuation.570021/ GBATemp Thread]''' Ported by Hydr8gon, and currently maintained by Generic (aka RSDuck), who added an ARM64 JIT and other improvements. (Unofficial)
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Vita}}
|[https://github.com/Rinnegatamante/melonDS-Vita Vita port] No longer maintained
|}

==Overview==
As of 0.9.5, melonDS offers:
* Nearly complete core (CPU, video, audio...)
* JIT recompiler for fast emulation
* OpenGL renderer, 3D upscaling
* RTC, microphone, lid close/open
* Joystick support
* Savestates
* Many display position/sizing/rotation modes
* Wi-Fi: local multiplayer, on-line connectivity
* DSi emulation
* Camera support (DSi only)
* DLDI
* (WIP) GBA slot add-ons
...and more are planned.

Though it is not as mature as DeSmuME in some areas, it is a relatively simple emulator to use and has potential.

==Cheats/BIOS/Tutorials==
* [https://gbatemp.net/threads/deadskullzjrs-nds-cheat-databases.488711 Cheats Database]
* [https://archive.org/details/ds-firmware_dsi-nand-and-firmware DSi NAND/BIOS + Firmware]
* [https://youtu.be/-s2qEJFU8fM DSi Tutorials]

==Issues==
Like most emulators, development has been rocky with at one point the sole developer putting the project on a [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=42 hiatus in May of 2018] leaving this [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=43 to-do list] for anyone who wished to contribute improving the emulator, which is still open-source. [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=44 On July 2018] it was announced that development was going to continue for melonDS and has since shown potential.

There is very little to tweak in terms of improving performance (which can be a good or bad thing). This is mainly due to the developer's goal of accurate emulation rather than providing game-specific hacks.

The OpenGL renderer is still being worked on, meaning that there is a small chance some models/textures may not render correctly.

==melonDSi==
On October 15, 2019, Arisotura released [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=103 the beta version of an emulator called melonDSi], an experimental melonDS branch for DSi emulation. It used to require a lot of files to be dumped to work (most of which were console-unique), but it has been reworked to require less files (namely, the DSi ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS, the DSi Firmware and a NAND dump). It has since been merged into the master branch and is available on melonDS 0.9.

==Getting started==
From the README on GitHub:

:''Firmware boot (not direct boot) requires a BIOS/firmware dump from an original DS or DS Lite. DS firmwares dumped from a DSi or 3DS aren't bootable and only contain configuration data, thus they are only suitable when booting games directly.''
:'''''Possible firmware sizes'''''
:*''128KB: DSi/3DS DS-mode firmware (reduced size due to lacking bootcode)''
:*''256KB: regular DS firmware''
:*''512KB: iQue DS firmware''
:''DS BIOS dumps from a DSi or 3DS can be used with no compatibility issues. DSi BIOS dumps (in DSi mode) are not compatible. Or maybe they are. I don't know.''
:''As for the rest, the interface should be pretty straightforward. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask, though!''

These files can be found [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|here]]. If you do choose to look elsewhere online for system files, be warned that there are old hacked dumps floating around that breaks if the WFC configurations are altered.

To use the OpenGL renderer, you must have at least OpenGL 3.1.
More information can be found [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/faq.php in this FAQ].

To use melonDS in DSi mode, you need extra files which can be found [[Emulator_Files#Nintendo_DS_.2F_DSi|on this page.]]

==System requirements==
MelonDS runs on everything with the software renderer, although you jokingly need to follow those "mininum requirements" to run properly:
<blockquote>
*Minimum System Requirements
*CPU: Intel Core i3-530 / Pentium G850 / Celeron G530 / AMD Phenom X3 720 / Athlon X4 640 / FX-8150
*iGPU (If Have): Intel HD Graphics 2000 or AMD R4/5 Graphics
*GPU: Geforce 9600 GT (256 MB Version) / Radeon HD 2600
*RAM: 512 MB
*Storage: 256 MB for the Software itself.
*OS: Windows XP / MacOS X 10.4 Tiger
*Network: Any Network Supporting Up to 5 mbps or Any Ethernet Cable
*Keyboard, mouse
(This Is the Estimates Of this System Requirements and This Page is Maybe, Have not Done Full Testing Yet! )
</blockquote>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Metroid2X.png|Top: 2x the native resolution without OpenGL. Bottom: 2x the native resolution with OpenGL
Chibi4x.png|Top: Native software render. Bottom: 4x the native resolution with OpenGL
</gallery>



==External links==
* [https://emucross.com/the-one-that-flourished/ The One That Flourished: A Look at melonDS 0.8] (By [[Dolphin]] tester [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/authors/JMC47/ JMC47], aka Justin M. Chadwick. 6 June 2019.)

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Handheld console emulators]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
[[Category:Switch emulation software]]
[[Category:PlayStation Vita emulation software]]
[[Category:Nintendo DS emulators]]
[[Category:Nintendo DSi emulators]]
[[Category:Active emulation software]]