Editing Nintendo DS emulators

{{Infobox computing device/Nintendo DS}}
{{for|emulators that run on the Nintendo DS|Emulators on Nintendo DS}}

The '''[[wikipedia:Nintendo DS|Nintendo DS]]''' (DS) is a handheld console produced by Nintendo and released on November 21, 2004, and had 2 ARM CPUs (ARM9 and ARM7) with 4 MB of RAM and was priced at {{Inflation|USD|149.99|2004}}. The main selling point was the use of dual screens for gameplay, with one being a touchscreen. It was Nintendo's best selling portable console and best selling hardware overall (154.02 million units), having come close to the [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2]] in lifetime sales (over 160 million units) until officially being surpassed by the Nintendo Switch in early 2026 (155.37 million units). This popularity came as a result of attracting many casual players, and even non-gamers, into the gaming community.

; Remember, certain titles such as [[wikipedia:Category:Nintendo_DSi_games|DSi retail]] and [[wikipedia:List_of_DSiWare_games_and_applications|DSiWare]] games are exclusive to the DSi. Make sure your chosen emulator [[Nintendo DS emulators#Hardware features and peripherals|supports these variations (see "DSi-exclusive features" section)]] if you want to play them.

== Emulators ==
{| {{Emulator table}}
|+{{Emulator comparison introduction}}
!Name
!Platform(s)
!Active?
!Latest version
![[Licensing|License]]
!Compatibility
!libretro core
![[Nintendo DS emulators#Nintendo DSi|DSi]]
![[Recommended emulators|Recommended? (overall)]]
|-
! colspan="9" |PC
|-
|[[melonDS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|NetBSD|OpenBSD|LinuxARM|WoA}}||{{Ya}} 
|Dev builds
*<small>[https://nightly.link/melonDS-emu/melonDS/workflows/build-windows/master/melonDS-windows-x86_64.zip Windows]
*[https://nightly.link/melonDS-emu/melonDS/workflows/build-ubuntu/master/melonDS-ubuntu-x86_64.zip Ubuntu]
*[https://nightly.link/melonDS-emu/melonDS/workflows/build-macos-universal/master/macOS-universal.zip macOS-universal]</small>

[https://melonds.kuribo64.net/downloads.php {{MelonDSVer}}]

[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<ref name="melonDSRA" group="note">The [https://github.com/JesseTG/melonds-ds melonDS DS] libretro core or the standalone version of melonDS is highly recommended over the melonDS libretro core, because it is two versions out of date (still on 0.9.3), and the generation 5 Pokémon are broken. If you turn on C-Gear, after a few minutes you will be unable to save. [https://github.com/libretro/melonDS/issues/179#issuecomment-1407488464 '''You also can't use any wifi features'''] or do in game trades either or the game will freeze.</ref>
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|[https://melonds.kuribo64.net/board/forum.php?id=3 ?] ([https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues Issues])||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|melonDS DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com libretro core]
[https://github.com/JesseTG/melonds-ds git]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|[[DeSmuME]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://desmume.org/download/ {{DeSmuMEVer}}/Nightly]
[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|[https://forums.desmume.org/viewforum.php?id=6 ?] ([https://github.com/TASEmulators/desmume/issues Issues])||{{Ya}}||{{Na}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|[[DraStic]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Pandora|Pyra}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/32 0.1 Pyra]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}}<ref name="DraStic free">https://gbatemp.net/threads/drastic-ds-emulator-on-android-is-now-free-to-download-will-be-taken-down-soon.650119/</ref> 
|{{Emulator compatibility (unofficial)|49|1078}}
{{Emulator compatibility|49|73|link=https://pandorawiki.org/DraStic_Compatibility_List}}
|{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[BizHawk]]
<small>(melonDS)</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://gitlab.com/TASVideos/BizHawk/-/pipelines Dev builds]
[https://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
|{{Green}} {{License|MIT}}<br>{{License|BSD3}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[No$|No$GBA]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|DOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://problemkaputt.de/gba.htm {{No$GBAVer}}]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[GBE+]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus/releases {{GBEVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|guac
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|rpi}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/aabalke/guac/releases {{guacVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|BSD3}} ({{License|Permissive}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[MGBA#medusa|mGBA/medusa]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{~}}<ref name="medusa suspended" />
|[https://mgba.io/downloads.html#medusa alpha 2]||{{Green}} {{License|MPL2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[NooDS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS/releases git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[SkyEmu]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/pull/321 Dev Builds]
[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/releases {{SkyEmuVer}}]
|{{Green}} {{License|MIT}} ({{License|Permissive}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[https://corgids.wordpress.com/ CorgiDS]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}||{{Na|link=https://corgids.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/extended-break/}}
|[https://github.com/PSI-Rockin/CorgiDS/releases git]
[https://www.emucr.com/search/label/CorgiDS SVN]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|dasShiny
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://github.com/Cydrak/dasShiny git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|DualSOUP
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/Jaklyy/DualSOUP git]||{{Dunno}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Ya}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[http://ds-duos.blhttps://com/ DuoS]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}} 
|[http://www.emulatorhttps://om/download.php/emulators/nds/duos/DuoS.zip 8/25/2012 Beta]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|dust
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|Mac}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/kelpsyberry/dust git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Ensata]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}} 
|[http://www.mediafire.comhttps://0odmalrndt9m7a/Ensata+v1.4d.rar 1.4d]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20111130005614/https://ideasemu.biz/ iDeaS]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://www.emulator-zone.com/https://mulators/nds/ideas/ideas1040.7z 1.0.4.0]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|ndsemu
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://github.com/rasky/ndsemu git]||{{Dunno}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20110225190819/http://https://com/ NeonDS]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20100925152735/http://nehttps://m/system/files/NeonDS_0.2.1.zip 0.2.1]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
! colspan="9" |Mobile
|-
|[[melonDS]] <small>(unofficial)</small>
<small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/melonds/ melonds_libretro]</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/rafaelvcaetano/melonDS-android git]
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.magnum.melonds 1.10.0]

[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<ref name="melonDSRA" group="note" />

[https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/WatermelonDS WatermelonDS fork]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPL3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}<ref group="note">The [https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/WatermelonDS WatermelonDS fork] (formerly known as melonDualDS until v0.7.0), which is optimized for multiple displays (AYN Thor, AYANEO Pocket DS, Retroid Dual Screen add-on, etc.), is recommended and is more up-to-date than melonDS-Android with additional features (like Vulkan support), even if you use a single-screen device. It can also boot DSiWare games directly, and has RetroAchievements support.</ref>
|-
|[[DraStic]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/exophase/drastic-2/drastic-r2-6-0-4a-release/ {{DraSticVer}}]

[https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/SeedlessDS/releases SeedlessDS fork]
|{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}}<ref name="DraStic free" /> 
|{{Emulator compatibility (unofficial)|127|1078}}
{{Emulator compatibility|127|145|link=https://xdaforums.com/t/drastic-ds-updated-to-v2-1-5-1a-xplay-compatibility-list-over-100-games-playable.2396919/}}
|{{~}}<ref group="note">DraStic is discontinued and is no longer available on Google Play. The unofficial fork SeedlessDS is active in development.</ref>||{{Na}} ||{{Ya}}<ref group="note">DraStic/[https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/SeedlessDS/releases SeedlessDS] is recommended for mid/low-end devices (like the Anbernic RG DS) that are not powerful enough to run melonDS-Android/WatermelonDS or the Nintendo DS libretro cores well. DraStic is lightweight, has external screen support, but no RetroAchievements support, and is no longer being updated. The [https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/SeedlessDS/releases SeedlessDS fork] is based on DraStic r2.6.0.4a, but with a new user interface, RetroAchievements support, and additional features, while being lightweight for mid/low-end devices.</ref>
|-
|melonDS DS
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS|tvOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com libretro core]
[https://github.com/JesseTG/melonds-ds git]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}} ||{{~}}<ref name="melonDS DS & DeSmuME cores" group="note">melonDS DS or DeSmuME are recommendable for Libretro/RetroArch users with a single screen on their device. The regular melonDS core is outdated. Please note that RetroArch does not support multiple displays on devices like the AYN Thor or AYANEO Pocket DS.</ref>
|-
|<small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/desmume/ DeSmuME_libretro]</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}<ref name="melonDS DS & DeSmuME cores" group="note"/>
|-
|[[Delta]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-game-emulator/id1048524688 {{DeltaVer}}]
[https://github.com/rileytestut/Delta git]
|{{Green}} {{License|AGPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[NooDS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hydra.noods 0.1]
[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS/releases git]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[SkyEmu]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android|iOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu git]||{{Green}} {{License|MIT}} ({{License|Permissive}})
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[https://inds.nerd.net/ iNDS]
<small>(nds4ios-derived)</small>

<small>(DeSmuME-based)</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://github.com/iNDS-Team/iNDS/releases git]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[http://jefhttps://blog/nds4droid/ nds4droid]
<small>(DeSmuME-based)</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://github.com/jquesnelle/nds4droid git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|nds4ios
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS}}||{{Na}} 
|[http://https://angelxwind.net/i/?page/downloads SVN]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Folium]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/folium/id6498623389 App Store] ($)<br>
[https://folium.emuplace.app/downloads {{FoliumVer}}]

[https://github.com/emuplace/folium.emuplace.app/releases/latest Latest IPA]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}} ||{{TBD}}
|-
|[[Manic EMU]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/manic-emu-game-emulator/id6743335790 {{Manic EMUVer}}]
[https://github.com/Manic-EMU/ManicEMU/releases git]
|{{Green}} {{License|AGPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}} ||{{TBD}}
|-
|[[Provenance]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/provenance-app/id1596862805 {{ProvenanceVer}}]
[https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/Provenance/releases git]
|{{Dunno}} 
|?||{{Na}} ||{{Dunno}} ||{{Dunno}}
|-
! colspan="9" |Console
|-
|[[Virtual Console]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|WiiU}}||{{Na}} 
| ||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|<small>[[wikipedia:Virtual_Console#Titles_3|Only for selected titles]]</small>||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|<small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/desmume/ DeSmuME_libretro]</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Switch|PS4|Vita}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://www.retroarch.com/ 0.9.13]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Na}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|[[DeSmuME PSP]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|PSP}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/590011753849421846/870274164748079104/desmume_psp_4.zip V4]
[https://github.com/Xiro28/DesmumePSPExperimental Experimental]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|{{Emulator compatibility (unofficial)|16|1078}}
{{Emulator compatibility|16|63|link=https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/DeSmuME_PSP}}
|{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}
|-
|DeSmuME Wii
| align="left" |{{Icon|Wii}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://code.google.com/archive/p/desmumewii/downloads r185]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}
|-
|DesmumeX
| align="left" |{{Icon|Xbox}}||{{Na}} 
|[https://www.1emulation.com/forums/topic/35774-desmumex-v087-new-update 0.87]||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[melonDS]]
<small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/melonds/ melonds_libretro]</small>
| align="left" |{{Icon|Switch|Vita|PS2}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<ref name="melonDSRA" group="note" />
[https://github.com/rsduck/melonDS/releases git] <small>(Switch)</small>

[https://github.com/Rinnegatamante/melonDS-Vita git]<small>(Vita Port)</small>

[https://github.com/DanielSant0s/melonDS-PS2 git] <small>(PS2 Port)</small>
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[NooDS]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Switch|Vita|WiiU|PSP}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS git] <small>(Switch/Vita/WiiU)</small>
[https://github.com/Xiro28/NooDS_PSP git] <small>(PSP port)</small>
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{WIP-Box}}
|-
|[[DeSmuME PSP|DSonPSP]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|PSP}}||{{Na}} <small>(POC)</small> 
|[https://wololo.net/downloads/index.php/download/1235 0.7]||{{Dunno}} 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|-
! colspan="9" |Browser
|-
|[[DeSmuME]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|Web}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://desmume.org/download/ {{DeSmuMEVer}}/Nightly]
[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|[https://forums.desmume.org/viewforum.php?id=6 ?] ([https://github.com/TASEmulators/desmume/issues Issues])||{{Ya}}||{{Na}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|dust
| align="left" |{{Icon|Web}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/kelpsyberry/dust git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}}) 
|?||{{Na}}||{{Na}} ||{{Na}}
|}

== Native ==
{| {{Emulator table}}
!Name
!Platform(s)
!Active?
!Latest version
![[Licensing|License]]
!Compatibility
![[Nintendo DS emulators#Nintendo DSi|DSi]]
![[Recommended emulators|Recommended? (overall)]]
|-
|[[nds-bootstrap]]
| align="left" |{{Icon|NDS|3DS}}||{{Ya}} 
|[https://github.com/DS-Homebrew/nds-bootstrap/releases 2.13.1]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} 
|{{Emulator compatibility|1065|1078|link=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LRTkXOUXraTMjg1eedz_f7b5jiuyMv2x6e_jY_nyHSc/edit?gid=0#gid=0}}||{{Ya}} ||{{Ya}}
|-
|TWL-FIRM
| align="left" |{{Icon|3DS}}||{{Na}} 
|||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}} 
|No documented issues||{{Ya}} ||{{Ya}}
|}

== Comparisons ==

; [[melonDS]]
: Unlike DeSmuME, melonDS has some DSi support. In terms of being user-friendly, options in melonDS are more simplified. Has similar DS game compatibility as DeSmuME. Both can run games at a higher internal resolution (sharper 3D objects) and can open ROMs inside a compressed archive (ZIP, RAR, 7Z etc.). Both can display the two screens in a variety of ways, but melonDS has a hybrid mode. [https://i.imgur.com/S73Eb4m.jpg (Example)] While the developers of No$GBA had documented the Wi-Fi capabilities first, melonDS is the first and only emulator that has gotten as far as it has, and it has been found to work reasonably well with a handful of games. Switching to OpenGL in core options may give a performance boost, with 1.0 RC version OpenGL [[High/Low level emulation#Rendering Advancements|compute shader renderer]] [https://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=216 introduced] similar to [[High/Low level emulation#Rendering Advancements|other compute shader renderers]]. In May 2023, it was confirmed that there are plans for high-level emulation of Arm7 on MelonDS. The project is codenamed MelonHLE.
:; melonDS DS
:: An enhanced remake of the melonDS libretro that prioritizes standalone parity, reliability, and usability. Features included in this remake that were not available in the melonDS libretro core include full Wi-Fi support (Kaeru WFC, AltWFC, Wiimmfi), firmware overrides (name, color, birthday, etc.), homebrew save data support, screen rotation in the core settings (as the screen rotation feature in RetroArch's Video settings did not rotate touch inputs for melonDS and DeSmuME and can distort the screen), additional screen layout options, directly boot Nintendo DSi and DSiWare titles (unlike the standard melonDS — which requires manually installing DSiWare to the DSi NAND via its GUI — the MelonDS DS Libretro core includes the convenient [https://github.com/JesseTG/melonds-ds?tab=readme-ov-file#streamlined-dsiware-installation Streamlined DSiWare Installation] feature), RetroAchievements support for DSi(Ware) games, battery support, and selectable NAND and firmware images. However, some melonDS libretro core features aren't yet presented in this remake, such as local wireless connection, GDB Stub Support, DSi Camera support, and OpenGL compute shader renderer, but some are planned to be implemented. With that stated, this remake is not a perfect replacement for the melonDS libretro core but has its uses that the original core and the DeSmuME libretro core lack.
:; melonDS-Android
:: An unofficial Android port of melonDS by rafaelvcaetano, this Nintendo DS/DSi emulator is available on the Google Play Store for free. As of Beta 1.8.0 on February 3, 2023, which is based on melonDS v0.9.5, this emulator includes a DSiWare Manager, which allows users to install and play DSiWare titles in the emulator after booting the DSi boot menu. DSiWare title data is importable/exportable since Beta 1.10.0 on March 10, 2025. DSi camera has been implemented since Beta 1.9.0 on November 2, 2023, as well as RetroAchievements support for Nintendo DS games (DSiWare games booted from the DSi boot menu are not supported). External screen support from [https://github.com/SapphireRhodonite/WatermelonDS SapphireRhodonite's fork] (melonDualDS, currently known as WatermelonDS) was implemented in melonDS-Android's v2.0.0 release on April 18, 2026, but SapphireRhodonite's fork is more optimized for dual/external screens. DSiWare titles can also be boot directly in the v2.0.0 update; DSiWare titles booted directly are detected by RetroAchievements.
::; WatermlonDS
::: A fork of melonDS-Android by SapphireRhodonite (assisted by melonDS-Android's developer rafaelvcaetano), WatermelonDS (formerly known as melonDualDS until update v0.7.0 on August 7, 2026) has support and optimization for external screens, allowing the player to use both Nintendo DS game screens on two screens for gaming handhelds and accessories such as AYN Thor, AYANEO Pocket DS, ONEXSUGAR Sugar-1, Retroid Dual Screen add-on, and more (though, lower-end devices like Anbernic RG DS may struggle), though single-screen devices are still supported. Also includes Vulkan support since the v0.7.0 beta, and a brand new user interface as of v0.7.0 release when melonDualDS was rebranded as WatermelonDS. v0.7.0 also has fixes and optimizations for RetroAchievements (including detection for games in <code>.7z</code> archives, Multiset support, and the ability to earn achievements offline in Casual mode; though the latter has been implemented in [https://github.com/misantronic/RAOfflineProxy RAOfflineProxy]), and an experimental Vulkan feature called FastPath, which improves performance at higher resolution scaling. Like melonDS-Android, this fork can also boot DSiWare games directly (and has RetroAchievements support), or be booted indirectly by installing them in the DSiWare Manager and booting the DSi boot menu.
; [[DeSmuME]]
: DeSmuME has gained significant improvements since 2018; new features include less CPU/GPU resource usage and high-resolution 3D rendering, and Wi-Fi emulation has been reintroduced in the latest builds. v0.9.13 from May 2022 is the first "Stable" build in over 7 years and is highly recommended over all previous builds (though dev builds are also generally very usable). [[OpenEmu]] uses a shallow fork of the v0.9.11 build and should be avoided as well.

; [[DraStic]]
: A (currently) closed-source emulator for [[Android emulators|Android]] devices that can run games at a decent speed even on potato phones. It is on par with (or in some cases better than) DeSmuME, and emulating it through BlueStacks on PC may actually be a viable and fast alternative aside from a slight input delay. Some rumors have spread around that the developers deliberately put in issues to mess with unofficial copies, though this is considered unsubstantiated. At the very least, you shouldn't expect any support from Exophase and company if you use an unofficial copy. It is available on the Raspberry Pi and Odroid via RetroPie, and runs {{YouTubeVideo|715kg1-hmxA|relatively well}}. As of March 5, 2024, due to yuzu lawsuits mainly focused on the Zelda franchise, the creator made it free and plans on open-sourcing the code.
:; SeedlessDS
:: A fork by SapphireRhodonite built on top of the DraStic r2.6.0.4a core, this fork includes optimizations for dual/external screens (DraStic already had external screen support), a brand new user interface, and experimental RetroAchievements implementation (not yet supported officially), while keeping the emulator lightweight for low-end devices. This fork is meant for RetroAchievements users with a low-end Android device like the Anbernic RG DS that lacks the CPU/GPU power to run Nintendo DS/DSi games in melonDS-Android/WatermelonDS, but it can also be used on single-screen devices.

; [[No$|No$GBA]]
: Focuses on speed, and has major compatibility issues and glitches as a result. Because it was initially a GBA emulator, the DS' 3D features are still very poorly handled. '''It is a good option for low-end machines, but don't expect a lot of games to run perfectly'''. A fan program, No$Zoomer, was released for version 2.6, which increases compatibility and options, as well as the titular zooming and resizing abilities. The biggest addition is noise cancellation which clears up static No$GBA makes with its 3D rendering. It doesn't change accuracy though. No$Zoomer never rebased to newer No$GBA versions, and it looks like it was abandoned, so it likely never will. In v2.8, No$GBA became the first emulator to support DSi games, which has been their most notable feature. Only use No$GBA for DSi games that don't work on other emulators, debugging (if you've taken up ROM hacking for DS games or homebrew development), if you value speed above everything, if you're using a potato PC, or just as a last resort.

; [[BizHawk]]
: Uses melonDS 0.9.5 core for Nintendo DS and DSi emulation, mGBA or VBA-Next cores for Game Boy Advance emulation

; [[Delta]]
: An open-source [[Multi-system emulators|multi-system emulator]] for iOS with the ability to emulate many consoles and handhelds, including the DS. Since version 1.3, Delta Emulator allows you to emulate Nintendo DS with a DeSmuME or melonDS [https://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=199 (0.9.1)] core. You will need to have DS BIOS or DSi BIOS to play DS/DSi games in Delta using the melonDS core. It also allows you to boot into DS/DSi home screen and functions similarly to melonDS.

; [[NooDS]]
: A one-man project aiming for simplicity and speed, filling a similar niche as the old NeonDS or No$GBA. It's a WIP that is currently not nearly as accurate as competing options, but it now includes HLE firmware re-implementations to allow running games straight out of the box. It's also one of the few modern DS emulators to support playing GBA games.

; [[MGBA#medusa|mGBA/medusa]]
: [[mGBA]] developer endrift is also creating a DS emulator, but it is very much a [https://mgba.io/timeline.html#IN+THE+FUTURE work-in-progress] and isn't nearly as far as melonDS in terms of the capabilities it's covered. As of March 2018, medusa's development is "suspended until further notice".<ref name="medusa suspended">https://mgba.io/2018/03/09/holy-grail-bugs-revisited/#postscript-a-several-month-late-explanation</ref>

; iDeaS
: An abandoned and experimental DS emulator that uses a plug-in system, it is very slow and buggy but has partially gotten some features working, like the camera and slide accessories.
; [[Ensata]]
: Nintendo's official DS emulator that was leaked to the public. It is not very usable or compatible, but it can run a few games.

; [[nds-bootstrap]]

nds-bootstrap is an application for Nintendo DS, DSi and 3DS that allows DS and DSi ROMs and homebrew homebrew to be booted from SD cards (DSi/3DS) or flashcard (DS). It is included in [[TWiLightMenu++]], where selecting a game will start it via nds-bootstrap, but games can also be started straight from the 3DS home screen by creating shortcuts with forwarders such as [https://github.com/YANBForwarder/YANBF YANBF]. In terms of enhancements, it supports cheats from [https://gbatemp.net/threads/deadskullzjrs-nds-i-cheat-databases.488711/ usrcheat.dat] (different databases even include [https://gbatemp.net/threads/circle-pad-patches-for-super-mario-64-ds-and-other-games-in-twilightmenu-with-twpatcher-and-rtcom.623267/ analogue control patches for 3DS]), a widescreen mode, which stretches the image to fill the whole upper screen of the 3DS (the internal resolution stays at the DS's 256x192, however), and, in contrast to all the emulators so far, it even supports "overclocking" in the form of booting 3DS games in DSi mode (with the DSi's clock rate of 133 MHz, double the DS's 67 MHz), which significantly increases the frame rate of certain games (Rayman DS, Trackmania DS, Trackmania Turbo etc.).

'''Comparisons of several Nintendo DS emulators:'''

* [https://emucross.com/the-next-generation-of-ds-emulators/ Looking Toward the Next Generation of DS Emulators] (By [[Dolphin]] tester, [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/authors/JMC47/ JMC47], AKA Justin M. Chadwick. 5 June 2017. Tested emulators: melonDS (0.2 and 0.3), medusa (Alpha 2) & GBE+ (1.1) compared to the mature DeSmuME.)

=== High resolution ===

; [[melonDS]]
: [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=90 Has an OpenGL renderer with upscaling as of version 0.8.] The renderer is much faster than DeSmuME's and supports increasing the internal resolution up to 16x native resolution. More features, such as texture filtering, are planned.

; DeSmuME X432R
: A fork of DeSmuME that has graphical enhancements, such as an option to increase internal resolution and use MSAA. The devs of DeSmuME have now included an option for increased internal resolution (see below), making X432R outdated. See the [[DeSmuME]] page for more details.

; [[DeSmuME]] <small>([[libretro]])</small>
: Also has the option to increase internal resolution since the [https://github.com/libretro/desmume/commit/5e430dfbc22f9d54c77f291304a38352ee1e5a63 8/8/15 git commit]. It requires a very high-end CPU to run at a reasonable framerate.
; DraStic
: Has released a beta version supporting double the original resolution.
; Virtual Console <small>(Wii U)</small>
: Has a configuration file with support for x2 internal resolution without any significant performance hit (as well as a brightness setting). However, there is no legit way to enable it without a homebrew-enabled console.

== 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
!melonDS
!melonDS DS
!DeSmuME
|-
| rowspan="3" |Controls
|{{Enhancements/Controls/Input lag mitigating}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Controls/Mouse injector}}||{{~|link=https://github.com/makidoll/melonPrimeDS?tab=readme-ov-file#melonprimeds}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Controls/Turbo button}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |Graphics
|{{Enhancements/Graphics/Better texture filtering}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Graphics/Pre-rendering anti-aliasing}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{~}}
<small>MSAA only.</small>
|-
|{{Enhancements/Graphics/Resizable internal resolution}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Graphics/Super resolution}}
| colspan="3" |<small>Requires access to the depth buffer and temporal data like motion-vectors, so it is quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon.</small>
<small>Besides any GPU that can use DLSS can run these emulators at 4K native with ease anyway.</small>
|-
|[[Texture packs#Texture Replacement .283D.29|Texture packs]]||{{WIP-Box|link=https://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=182}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Widescreen hacks#Nintendo DS|Widescreen hack]]
<small>Widescreen is possible thanks to specific codes made by the community for a lot of DS games.</small>
|{{Ya|link=https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues/395}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="3" |Performance
|[https://blurbusters.com/frame-generation-essentials-interpolation-extrapolation-and-reprojection/ Frame generation technologies]
<small>([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])</small>
| colspan="3" |<small>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"'''.</small>
<small>While '''AFMF''' or '''LSFG''' could be used with melonDS or DeSmuME?, please be aware some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.</small>
|-
|[[30/60 FPS cheat codes|Internal frame rate hack]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Overclocking|Overclock]]||{{~|link=https://melonds.kuribo64.net/board/thread.php?pid=2574#2574}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |Post-processing
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/AI-powered filter}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/Filters}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/Inverse tone mapping}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Category:Anti-aliasing_algorithms|Post-rendering anti-aliasing]]
<small>(FXAA, TXAA and MLAA/SMAA)</small>
|{{~}}<br><small>Only possible with software renderer.</small>||{{Dunno}}||{{~}}<br><small>Supports MSAA but there is no post-rendering AA technique supported.</small>
|-
|[[wikipedia:Comparison_gallery_of_image_scaling_algorithms|Post-rendering scaling]]
<small>(Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and [[wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 1]])</small>
|{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|{{Enhancements/Post-processing/Shader chain}}||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note">Only possible with libretro core. [https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues/1146 GitHub Issue page for adding RetroAchievements to the melonDS standalone version]. But DSi RetroAchievement are [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/retroachievements/#nintendo not supported]. [[Shaders,_presets,_and_filters#Emulator_support|Pedro-HDSR's MelonDS build also supports .slang shaders and presets]].</ref>||{{Ya}}||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note" />
|-
| rowspan="11" |Quality of life
|Automatic updater||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Frontends#Graphical User Interfaces .28GUIs.29|Big Picture Mode]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Command-line options||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Built-in [[Cheats and patches|cheat manager]]||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|Built-in [[Mods, hacks and fan-translations#Built-in mod editor and manager for emulators|mod editor and manager]]||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|Built-in [[Cheats and patches|patch manager]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Save converters|Built-in save manager]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Pause/Resume emulation||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|Per-game profiles||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note" />||{{Ya}}||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note" />
|-
|[https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#portable Portable] and [https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#stealth stealth]
<small>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.</small>
|{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Save disk space for ISOs|Streamable compression format]]||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |[https://tasvideos.org/Emulatorresources/Features TAS features]
|Fast forward/Turbo speed||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|Frame step
<small>(forwards and backwards)</small>
|{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]||{{WIP-Box|link=https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/pull/1671}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|[https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback]||{{Na|link=https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues/463}}||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|Rewind||{{Na|link=https://melonds.kuribo64.net/board/thread.php?pid=5060}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|Save states||{{Ya}}||{{~}}<br><small>Save states not available for Nintendo DSi(Ware) titles in MelonDS DS.</small>||{{Ya}}
|-
| rowspan="10" |Misc.
|[[Sound and audio#Audio filters and presets|Audio filters and presets]]
<small>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.</small>
| colspan="3" |Exclusive to [https://github.com/RetroCrisis/Retro-Crisis-Audio-Filters libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug features]]||{{Na|link=https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues/249}}||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|-
|[[Virtual reality#VR game room simulations|EmuVR support]]
| colspan="3" |Exclusive to [https://www.emuvr.net/wiki/Installation_Guide#Downloads libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
|{{Enhancements/Misc./File browser}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|Free Look
<small>Free Look is an enhancement feature that allows manipulation of the in-game camera.</small>
|{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{WIP-Box}}<ref>https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/9lwy0r/desmume_begins_to_implement_a_freelook_feature/<br>https://windwakr.github.io/miscstuff.html</ref>
|-
|Multiple screens||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Netplay#Other|Netplay]]||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note" />
|-
|[[RetroAchievements]]||{{~}}<br><small>Nintendo DS RetroAchievements is exclusive in libretro cores and the unofficial melonDS Android port. DSi games aren't supported in these emulators/cores for RetroAchievements.</small>||{{Ya}}<br><small>DSi RetroAchievements is supported in [https://twitter.com/RetroCheevos/status/1647525064667955201?cxt=HHwWgoCw4afUl90tAAAA BizHawk's MelonDS core] and the MelonDS DS libretro core.</small>||{{~}}<ref name="lrRA" group="note" />
|-
|Rich Presence (RPC)
<small>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.</small>
|{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|Screen translator
<small>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.</small>
| colspan="3" |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. Also see [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art40.html this article].
! colspan="4" style="width:50%" |Name
!melonDS
!melonDS DS
!DeSmuME
!GBE+
|-
| rowspan="17" |Hardware features
| rowspan="6" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#Connectivity|Connectivity]]
| colspan="2" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#Infrared Cartridge|Infrared cartridge]]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="5" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection|Wi-Fi]]
|3DS connectivity||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Nintendo DS emulators#Local wireless communication|Multi-Card]]||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[[Nintendo DS emulators#Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection|Online]]||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{~}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Nintendo DS emulators#DS Download Play|Single-Card (DS Download Play)]]||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|[[Nintendo DS emulators#DS/Wii connectivity|Wii connectivity]]||{{Na|link=https://github.com/melonDS-emu/melonDS/issues/1000}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |DSi-exclusive features
| rowspan="3" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#DSi Game formats|Game formats]]
|DSi-enhanced||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|DSi-exclusive||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
|DSiWare||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Outer and inner cameras||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |SD card||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |System BIOS||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#Backwards compatibility for Game Boy Advance.2FGBA Mode|Game Boy Advance backwards compatibility]]||{{Na|link=https://melonds.kuribo64.net/board/thread.php?id=1229}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |Input
| colspan="2" |[[List of games that support microphone|Microphone]]||{{Ya}}<ref name="DSmic" group="note">melonDS and melonDS DS support microphone in external microphone, blow, noise, and (for melonDS) WAV file; additionally, melonDS now has microphone support for DSi games for feature parity. Unknown if melon DS DS supports mic for DSi titles.</ref>||{{Dunno}}<ref name="DSmic" group="note" />||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[List of games that support Pressure-Sensitive Face Buttons#Nintendo DS Emulation|Pressure-sensitive touchscreen]]||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |iQue DS region lock||{{~}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |System BIOS||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="24" |Peripherals
| colspan="3" |DS camera||{{Ya}}<br><small>melonDS supports outer and inner cameras in Physical Camera mode and as Image File.</small>||{{~}}<br><small>DS camera is supported but DSi camera is not yet supported in melonDS DS.</small>||{{Na}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| rowspan="5" |Fitness
| colspan="2" |Bayer DIDGIT||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| rowspan="4" |Pedometer
|[https://miiwiki.org/wiki/Activity_Meter_(character) Activity Meter]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[https://dmitry.gr/?r=05.Projects&proj=28.%20pokewalker Pokéwalker]||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|[https://vpets.thefrugalgamer.net/2023/07/19/teku-teku-angel/ ''Teku Teku Angel'']||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
|Ubisoft Thrustmaster pedometer||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="3" |Nintendo Wireless Keyboard||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{~}}||{{Na}}
|-
| rowspan="15" |Slot 2
| colspan="2" |Beypoint Reader & Beypointer Option Pak||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[https://www.siliconera.com/ds-directional-sensing-card-used-for-stargazing/ Directional Sensing Card]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Expansion Pak||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[https://segaretro.org/Facening_Scan Facening Scan/DS Scanner]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[Nintendo DS emulators#GBA/DS connectivity|Game Boy Advance Game Pak]]||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Guitar Hero pad||{{Ya}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note">Support for GBA slot peripherals can be activated in MelonDS under "File > Insert Add-On Cart" before booting the respective game.</ref>||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Magic Reader||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Piano for Easy Piano||{{Na}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note" />||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Rumble Pak||{{Ya}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note" />||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Sega Card Reader
<small>Barcode reader for ''Oshare Majo Love and Berry: DS Collection''.</small>
|{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}<br><small>Supported in the latest nightly builds, on Windows only.</small>||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Slide controller||{{Na}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note" />||{{Na}}||{{Na}}<br><small>There is an open [https://github.com/TASEmulators/desmume/pull/737 pull request] that implements support for this add-on.</small>||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Solar Sensor||{{~}}<br><small>Only manual configuration. No automatic detection. Since ''Lunar Knights'' is a DS game, no solar sensor could fit onto a cartridge. However, functionality is available if one of 3 original ''Boktai'' GBA games is used.</small>||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |Taito paddle controller||{{Na}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note" />||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[[List of console games that support motion controls#Nintendo DS Emulation|Tilt sensor]]||{{Ya}}<ref name="Slot2MelonDS" group="note" />||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="2" |[https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/Wave_Scanner Wave Scanner]||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| rowspan="1" |Special hardware
| colspan="2" |[https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art39.html Wantame Card Scanner]
<small>The scanner is actually not a Slot 2 device, despite its appearances. The pins used for the GBA slot don't really connect to anything inside the scanner; there's no real circuitry attached. Instead, the WCS outputs data through a small cable that plugs into the DS' microphone slot.</small>
|{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Ya}}
|-
| colspan="3" |''Wappy Dog''||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
| rowspan="5" |Misc.
| colspan="3" |Battery||{{Ya}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[[wikipedia:Hot_swapping#Gaming|Cartridge hot swapping]]
<small>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.</small>
|{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}||{{Dunno}}
|-
| colspan="3" |[http://www.https://ghtyguru.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Cartridge_tilting Cartridge tilting]
<small>Cartridge tilting is an action performed on cartridge-based systems to create otherwise impossible glitches. Cartridge tilting is not a glitch, but rather the process which creates glitches.</small><ref name="Tilt">{{YouTubePlaylist|PLkAqx5EV7l_DkwOv4WmVEBLv39WPEUm3d|Cart Tilt Showcase Playlist}}<br><small>[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/925329-nintendo-ds/71009293 DS example]</small></ref>
| colspan="4" |<small>There is no emulator currently includes built-in cartridge tilting simulation. As a workaround, you can try the external [https://github.com/redscientistlabs/RTCV Real-Time Corruptor (RTCV)] tool. It is a real-time memory/data corruption tool for inducing glitches during emulation, which might mimic some effects of cartridge tilting (e.g., visual/audio artifacts or crashes). However, it is not a true "cartridge tilting" simulator, as it works on live memory rather than simulating cartridge read errors.</small>
|-
| colspan="3" |[https://infendo.com/nintendo-ds-car-navigation-system/ Smart Navi Car Navigational System]<ref group="note">Used in ''Kuruma de DS'' which can connect to the following ECLIPSE GPS navigational systems:

# AVN-SZX04i
# AVN-SZ04i
# AVN-SZ04iW
# AVN-ZX04i
# AVN-Z04i
# AVN-Z04iW
# AVN-ZX03i
# AVN-Z03i
# AVN-Z03iW
# AVN-ZX02i</ref>||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|-
| colspan="3" |System lights||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}||{{Na}}
|}

=== Connectivity ===
The DS offers five types of connections:

* '''Local wireless communications''' - ''(Multiple cartridges)''
* '''DS Download Play''' - ''(Single cartridge)''
* '''Wi-Fi Connection''' - ''(Online multiplayer)''
* '''DS/Wii connectivity'''
* '''GBA/DS connectivity'''

The major challenge with emulating multiplayer functionalities is timing inaccuracies, which have made many projects, such as DeSmuME, not want to implement them. So far, the only emulator to actually make any progress is melonDS, but even that is still under development.

==== Infrared Cartridge ====
Special NTR-031 cartridges with in-built IR ports. Other than connection to pedometers (''Personal Trainer: Walking'' connects to Activity Meter and ''Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver'' connect to PokéWalker), also used for [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Entralink Entralink] in ''Pokémon Black/White/Black 2/White 2'' and for [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Memory_Link Memory Link] from B/W to B2/W2.

==== Local wireless communication ====
Players who have a copy of the same game can link together using the DS's wireless signals (given that the game offers this feature).

melonDS supports wireless communication with several games, including ''New Super Mario Bros.'' and the ''Pokémon'' games, but you need to have either multiple instances opened, which can slow down overall performance, or connect multiple computers via LAN. No$GBA can connect but fails before the actual connection is finished.

==== DS Download Play ====
This feature allows players with a DS and only one copy of a game to play together (Single-Card Play). This way, not everyone needs a copy of a game. The player with the physical cartridge will host the game while the other players connect using a "downloaded" version received from the host. Normally they're either simple mini-games, stripped-down demos of the main game, or a limited version of multiplayer. In most cases, it is better to use multi-cart instead. However, some games, like ''Mario Party DS'', require Download Play to use its multiplayer.

Download Play is supported by melonDS. Like with local multiplayer, it is very hit-and-miss, but unlocking the framerate helps. melonDS will often fail during the download process, but some games actually go as far as booting and sometimes in-game as well.

==== Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ====
{{Main|Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection}}

==== DS/Wii connectivity ====
Uses wireless communication on the DS to connect to the Wii. The idea is parallel to the GBA Link Cable for the GameCube, and just like the Link Cable, [https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Wii-to-DS_connectivity only a handful of games actually have this feature]. Some notable examples include:

* ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time'' - which is essentially the same as the DS port but can connect with other DSes with the game.
* ''Pokémon Battle Revolution'' - in which players could transfer their Pokémon from the Generation IV main series games and use the DS as a controller.
* ''Animal Crossing: City Folk'' - in which data could be transferred between the DS version (''Animal Crossing: Wild World''), and the ''Nintendo Channel'' on the Wii, where players could download demos of DS games to their console using Download Play (basically the same idea as the Download Station kiosk).

So far, no emulator has been able to emulate this feature, nor have attempted to. If this were ever going to be emulated, it would require work on both ends.

==== GBA/DS connectivity ====
Inserting a GBA cartridge in the Slot-2 of the Nintendo DS while a game is running can unlock various gameplay features for [https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_DS_games_with_GBA_connectivity several DS games].

It is unknown if No$GBA supports this, but it can be done in DeSmuME by going to Config > Slot 2 (GBA Slot) and selecting GBA Cartridge. Select the GBA ROM file, and make sure its <code>.sav</code> file is in the same folder. You may need to reset the game for it to take effect. As of version 0.9, [https://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=110 melonDS supports GBA connectivity] ([https://github.com/JesseTG/melonds-ds?tab=readme-ov-file#game-boy-advance-connectivity melonDS DS libretro core support guide]) and even added support for the solar sensor on GBA Boktai cartridges used in Boktai DS (Lunar Knight), something DeSmuME has yet to support. Either drag and drop the GBA ROM onto the program before starting or open the file before loading the NDS file.

=== Backwards compatibility for Game Boy Advance/GBA Mode ===
The Nintendo DS is backward compatible with Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges. Shouldn't be confused with [[Game Boy Advance emulators|Game Boy Advance emulation]] or [[Nintendo DS emulators#Connectivity|GBA/DS connectivity]]. None of the emulators supports this feature currently.

=== Accessories ===

: ''[[wikipedia:List_of_Nintendo_DS_accessories|Wikipedia - List of Nintendo DS accessories]]''
; Guitar Hero pad
: Used in the "Guitar Hero: On Tour" series (required) and Band Hero DS. Supported by DeSmuME (Slot 2).
; Piano for Easy Piano
: Supported by DeSmuME (Slot 2).
; Taito paddle controller
: Compatible with Arkanoid, Space Invaders Extreme, Space Invaders Extreme 2, and Space Bust-a-Move. Supported by DeSmuME (Slot 2).
; Tilt sensor
: Also known as Motion Pak, it's used in "Tony Hawk's Motion/Hue's Pixel Painter." No emulators support this add-on yet. (Slot 2)
; Pressure-sensitive touchscreen
: Used in "Harvest Moon DS," "Colors!", "Metroid Prime: Hunters," "Okamiden" and "Rhythm Heaven." No emulators support this feature yet (can work with analog triggers or DualShock 2/3 pressure-sensitive face buttons).
; Rumble pack
: Supported by DeSmuME (Slot 2). Requires compatible Joystick.
; Slide controller
: Required by "Slide Adventure Mag Kid." No emulators support this add-on at the moment. There is an [https://github.com/TASEmulators/desmume/pull/737 open PR] for DeSmuME that implements this add-on.
; Nintendo Wireless Keyboard
: Bundled with "Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure" (JP/EU/AU). The game refuses to boot without a keyboard, but it can be run on emulators with an anti-piracy fix and another DeSmuME-specific save bug fix. There is also [http://pokemonlog.com/pokemon-fuligin-download-rom/ a pre-patched ROM.] While it is playable using the on-screen keyboard on the lower screen, the keyboard isn't emulated. There is [https://github.com/AnimeCommander/Learn.With.Pokemon-Typing-Adventure.lua/blob/master/Pok%C3%A9mon%20Typing%20DS%20Keyboard%20Script.lua a Lua script] that permits using the actual keyboard by mapping presses of the actual keyboard to taps of the virtual Touch Screen. However, you will need to blank out all the control/hotkey bindings of DeSmuME if you're going to play this game, because some of the keyboard keys also activate some controls; otherwise, pressing the Q key would also pause the game, given one example. A recommendation would be to have a separate copy of 32-bit DeSMuMe, which purpose is playing *only* this game. In that copy, place the patched ROM, the Lua script, and a 32-bit version of [https://sourceforge.net/projects/luabinaries/files/5.1.5/Windows%20Libraries/Dynamic/ lua51.dll.] (The platform used in building the <code>.dll</code> shouldn't matter.) Even then, not only is the emulated workaround a little slow, but saving is still broken. Use savestates instead.
; DS camera
: Accessory bundled with the Japan-only Face Training (European localization for Christmas 2007 was canceled, and it was released as a retail DSi game in 2010 using the internal camera rather than the original accessory). Not to be confused with the built-in DSi camera. No emulators exist for it at all.
; Bayer DIDGIT
: A glucose meter for diabetic children with a game called ''Knock 'Em Downs: World's Fair'' that rewards them for checking their blood sugar levels regularly. The game has been dumped, but no support for the glucose meter peripheral exists as of the time of this writing; it may, however, be possible to add reward points through Action Replay codes, not to mention that the game will still function without the glucose meter attachment anyway (albeit with reduced functionality, of course).

=== iQue DS region lock ===
iQue is Nintendo's Chinese subsidiary (previously a partnership between them and Wei Yen until 2013), so when they released the DS with a few localized games, their ROMs had special flags set in them to check if the hardware that ran the cartridge was iQue's or Nintendo's as a sort of region lock. Nintendo's own hardware would fail this check, throwing an "Only for iQue DS" error in white text on a black background. No other DS games have this mechanism, not even for Korean releases. This region lock is bypassed by the 3DS for these DS games, even though 3DS games have their own region lock. It is weird.

Emulators differ in their behavior to this region lock. No$GBA crashes, while DeSmuME can load them. However, for melonDS, you need a [[Emulator Files|Firmware Dump]] from an iQue DS; otherwise, it will replicate the region lock.

The only way the ROM will accept other hardware (and thus emulators) is with a hack involving a simple byte change. Use a hex editor to change the byte located at <code>0x1D</code> from value <code>80</code> to <code>00</code>.

=== Other issues ===
Certain games, such as American Girl titles (e.g., ''Julie Finds a Way'' and ''Kit Mystery Challenge''), suffer from severe flickering issues which keep those games from being playable on most emulators. [[DraStic]] was the first emulator able to run the two games properly, and while DeSmuME r5043 had an initial fix that worked around the glitch, it was removed in later revisions as it broke compatibility with ''Pokémon SoulSilver'', among others; this has since been patched on r5531 once the true nature of the [https://sourceforge.net/p/desmume/bugs/1134/ bug] was better understood. The fix would be later incorporated into other emulators. ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat'' suffers from flickering and slowdown due to the way it loads sprites, though it isn't as serious in DraStic. ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Jedi Alliance'' is an even more egregious example, crashing due to timing differences between actual hardware and an emulated system.

== Nintendo DSi ==
{{Infobox console
|title=Nintendo DSi
|image=DSiBlack.png
|caption=A black Nintendo DSi console
|manufacturer=Nintendo
|type=Handheld game console
|generation=Seventh
|released='''Nintendo DSi''':<br>
JP: November 1, 2008<br>
AU: April 2, 2009<br>
EU: April 3, 2009<br>
NA: April 5, 2009<br>
'''Nintendo DSi XL''':<br>
JP: November 21, 2009<br>
EU: March 5, 2010<br>
NA: March 28, 2010<br>
AU: April 15, 2010
|discontinued=Yes; date undisclosed
|predecessor=Game Boy Advance
|successor=Nintendo 3DS
|emulated={{Ya}}
}}

Released on April 5, 2009, the '''[[wikipedia:Nintendo DSi|Nintendo DSi]]''' added new lighting effects, an inner and outer 0.3 megapixel digital cameras, 16MB of RAM (compared to the previous 4MB of RAM), a faster ARM9 CPU clocked at 133 MHz, and offered downloadable titles called "DSiWare". It costs {{Inflation|USD|169.99|2009}} at launch and later dropped to {{Inflation|USD|149.99|2010}}. The system, however, was region-locked, meaning DSi exclusives from different regions couldn't be used. It also did away with backwards-compatibility by removing Slot-2, which was used to load GBA cartridges and certain accessories (such as the Rumble Pak).

DSi emulation has been pretty neglected due to its small library of exclusive games and lack of DSi-enhanced titles that provide anything major besides camera support. The only thing really notable is DSiWare, which saw several exclusive releases.

No$GBA added support for DSi games of all three formats starting with version 2.8, although some games won't boot and others have graphical glitches. You will need to enable "16MB DSi/retail" under the settings to use it. Compatibility is very iffy due to No$GBA's already poor DS emulation, and the camera is just spoofed as a static image and will cause the emulator to crash whenever used, meaning games that use it may boot, but won't be very playable.

DSi used an encryption system for the game dumps that went on to be enhanced and used for the 3DS. This encryption is checked at start-up, hence why some Nintendo DS emulators don't even manage to boot DSiWare dumps. It's very unlikely DSi-mode emulation is ever going to be implemented in DeSmuME in particular due to various creative differences unique to that project.

As of version 0.9, melonDS has DSi emulation. It can connect to the internet and can play games with WFC online using libslirp or libpcap. It could become the most usable option for DSi emulation soon. [http://melonds.kuribo64.net/board/thread.php?id=13 Most of it is being done using the documentation that the No$GBA dev has already compiled on the subject] ([https://problemkaputt.de/gbatek.htm GBATEK]).

=== DSi Game formats ===
There are three types of games that uses the DSi hardware enhancements:

; DSi-enhanced retail cartridges
: A regular game cartridge that is compatible with the older NDS models, but unlocks more RAM and features when used on the DSi (commonly it is just camera support, but may provide better performance with the extra RAM). Only a [http://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/pdrydia/DSi-enhanced-titles-an-incomplete-list-1969.php couple of games] had this feature and it's similar to how some late Game Boy Color games (mainly the ones made by Capcom or WayForward in the early 2000s) would offer additional feature if played on the Game Boy Advance. These games will still boot on any NDS emulators, but will be detected as if it was on the original DS and will not load any DSi enhancements. DSi-enhanced games will also have an animated icon when displayed in the boot menu of the DSi, and the titleID on the cartridge will say '''TWL''' instead of '''NTR'''.
; DSi-exclusive retail cartridges
: Retail cartridges that rely on the DSi hardware features. An error screen will show when attempting to load one of these games on a regular DS console (and by extension, emulators also). These cartridges where white instead of gray and only [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DSi#Software_library five games] were physically released this way, either as launch titles or because they were too big to be sold as DSiWare (see below).
; DSiWare
: Downloadable titles only available through the DSi Shop (discontinued as of March 31, 2017). They have a 16MB size limitation due to the small size of the internal NAND and a lot of interesting exclusives for the system were released as DSiWare. The Nintendo 3DS eShop also had some DSiWare for purchase (which used to be the only ''legal'' way of getting them), though it uses a different file packaging format than the DSi. The 3DS itself is also capable of running other DSiWare since the firmware used for backwards-compatibility is the same as the DSi.

All three formats can be converted to <code>.nds</code> format. Compared to regular DS games, DSi games have some additional header information not even correctly dumped in most early sets. Recent sets have since updated to the correct format. DSiWare dumps can exist in both <code>.nds</code> format and <code>.cia</code> format (for installation on a homebrewed 3DS).

Even though it's possible to convert these titles to <code>.nds</code>, when attempting to run these games on a normal emulator, it will either show an error message (when attempting to run a DSi-exclusive title), or will crash on boot-up (when attempting to run DSiWare) due to missing encryption abilities and lack of DSi hardware support. DSi-enhanced games will run as if it was on a regular DS model.

On the DSi/3DS family of handhelds, the first two formats can be played on some select DSi-compatible flashcarts like the discontinued and expensive CycloDS iEvolution flashcard (which won't work on a stock 3DS unless you install custom firmware to whitelist it). As for the third type, some are only available for digital purchase at the 3DS eShop and are installed as apps to the limited TWL NAND. Users with custom firmware can also convert DSiWare to an installable <code>.cia</code> and even dump already installed ones back to <code>.nds</code>. Since both the DSi Shop and 3DS eShop have closed, the only way of getting DSiWare on the original system is by [[Modding Consoles/Flashcarts#Nintendo DSi|homebrewing]] your DSi and launching the <code>.nds</code> ROM through Unlaunch or [[TWiLight Menu++]].

=== DSi Emulation Tutorial ===

==== BIOS Files ====
DSi emulation requires a copy of the lower 32K-halves of the ARM7/ARM9 BIOS files (<code>BIOSDSI7.ROM</code> and <code>BIOSDSI9.ROM</code>), which are different from the regular DS BIOS files and needed for the decryption. melonDS also requires these files along with the regular DS BIOS and the DSi's firmware.bin. These unicorns can be found [[Emulator Files#Nintendo DS .2F DSi|here]].

It is also advised (but still completely '''optional''') to use a NAND dump for No$GBA to increase compatibility; however, a NAND dump is required to use melonDS.

==== No$GBA ====
For now, NO$GBA is the most mature DS emulation project that supports the Nintendo DSi. Using the latest debugger version of NO$GBA is recommended.

; Game Loading Methods
:; Simple .nds Loading
: Requirements: These [https://archive.org/details/DSiFirmwareFiles files] with the NO$GBA version overwritten with the latest version.

: DSiWare ROMs preserved online in romsets currently use the .nds format, similarly to regular Nintendo DS ROMs. If you change Emulation Settings > NDS Mode/Colors > DSi (retail/16MB), you can drag and drop all three types of DSi content on the emulator (or open the ROM), and it will run in DSi Mode.

: However, it is recommended for retail cartridges to be loaded that way with the option "Emulation Settings > Reset/Startup Entry Point" set to "GBA/NDS BIOS." This loading method isn't recommended for DSiWare games because of some bugs introduced and the lack of ability to save altogether. However, if you insist, do set that option "Reset/Startup Entry Point" to "Start Cartridge Directly" at your own risk for any unpleasant aspects of the experience.

:; NAND Loading
: Requirements are the same as [https://archive.org/details/DSiFirmwareFiles above]. If you have a real DSi unit, you can dump its NAND and use it instead of the included DSi-1.mmc file, so that you play that different game selection.

: This option is more authentic to how real hardware works. It has much fewer bugs and a higher compatibility than the Simple nds loading method. DSiWare games were limited to a 128MB internal NAND memory or 40 games in the DSi Home Menu, whichever limitation comes first. The file "DSi-1.mmc" represents the NAND and hosts installed games (that will appear in the DSi Home Menu) and properly working game saves. While the DSi supported SD cards, it didn't allow for game software to be booted from there.

: Make sure to use "Emulation Settings > Reset/Startup Entry Point" at all times. The DSiWare titles that can be booted through this method will appear in the DSi Home Menu as separate slots than the "inserted game cartridge" icon.

: Using Unlauncher, a homebrew exploit, games can be added to the NAND. However, this is an advanced technique, and generally heavily discouraged. Users of this software on real hardware were compelled to use custom firmwares that allowed for using game software from the SD card (normally impossible). This means that to take advantage of this method as an emulation user, you will be stuck with the pre-installed games on the commonly shared BIOS files online.

:; SD Card Loading
: The most recommended method, as per [http://hg101.proboards.com/thread/14716/emulate-dsi-dsiware these] [https://www.ngemu.com/threads/no-gba-3-0-dsiware-compatibility-list-using-the-nand.206911/ tutorials]. This method loads the game from the SD card instead of the NAND, and allows for an easier time adding new games to the emulator.

: Requirements include these files to be placed in the same directory as NO$GBA. Not compatible with the previous methods, and so to be used in a folder with a fresh setup.

:* [https://mega.nz/#!aJAyUQIb!OIOOrA_PMeTizDxnmf-5y5fekLxxZkRZfWGKEvV_Tx0 BIOS Files]: Required for DSi emulation.
:* [https://mega.nz/#!qBY0DAJa!18nfxczgF-JxqyFxSogfej7G23vYSjJnQCIh_tdXUq0 Modified NAND]: Includes Unlauncher (Hold A to boot it, but not needed) and [[TWiLight Menu++]]
:* [https://mega.nz/#!vERGXCwY!GSmvL2PODesi0Vmu-atKPXxxz1UyucHZyH9bXghM0a0 2GB SD Card]: Filename is DSi-1.SD
:* A tool to mount a virtual SD drive, such as [https://www.osforensics.com/tools/mount-disk-images.html OSFMount]. To be used (Open DSi-1.SD > "Mount") with the 2GB SD Card to add new .nds files to it. Remember to disable "Read-Only" and to Dismount before using the emulator again.

: Some issues are still present with this method. Refer to the next section for tips on how to deal with some of them.

==== melonDS ====
The latest dev builds of melonDS can also boot the DSi Menu and load most DSiWare. To boot up the DSi Menu, you need specific files which can all be found [[Emulator Files#Nintendo DS .2F DSi|here]].

=== Known Issues ===

==== No$GBA ====
Aside from general emulation problems inherited from the older DS emulation project, there are the following issues:

* ''Microphone doesn't work.'' (DSiWare + any method) No known fix.
* ''Camera doesn't work.'' (DSiWare + any method) Unimplemented. No known fix.
* ''Wi-Fi doesn't work.'' Unimplemented.
* ''Touch Screen issues related to Screen Calibration'' (DSiWare + [[TWiLight Menu++]] or simple nds loading) The fix is to load the original DSi Home Menu first (holding B when resetting the emulator or loading it), then reset to TWiLight Menu++ (not holding any buttons) before loading the desired game.
* ''Can't Save'' (DSiWare + simple nds loading) This method is hardware inaccurate to begin with. For best results, switch to [[TWiLight Menu++]] or Original NAND methods.

==== melonDS ====
DSiWare has to be launched from the NAND as it can't boot them as .nds.

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

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Nintendo}}

[[Category:Nintendo DS| ]]
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