Emulators on Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

Developer	Nintendo
Manufacturer	Foxconn
Type	Handheld game console
Generation	Seventh
Release date	November 21, 2004
Discontinued	Yes; date undisclosed
Predecessor	Game Boy Advance
Successor	Nintendo 3DS
Emulated	✓

For software that emulates the Nintendo DS, see Nintendo DS emulators.

This page can help you turn your DS into an emulation device. The Nintendo DS is underpowered compared to PlayStation Portable, but here's what you can take out of it. Compatibility information isn't accurate on here as of now.

Arcade

MAME (ports)

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DSPack	1.96	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓
MAME4All	1.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

MAME4All

Port of MAME 0.37b5 emulator for Supercard DS Two only.

Game-specific ports

1942 DS: emulates 1942 (all sets).
1943 DS: emulates 1943 (3 sets).
AemioDA: Acronym for "Arcade Emulator Made In One Day", Asteroid.
BombJack DS: BombJack arcade game emulator.
Canyon DS: Canyon Bomber (prototype set also) emulator.
DSInvaders: A Space Invaders Arcade Emulator.
Ghosts'n Run: Arcade emulator for one game: Ghosts 'n Goblins.
GreenBeretDS: Green Beret, Rush'n Attack & Mr. Goemon Arcade Emulator.
K80DS: Konami 80's arcade emulator: Double Dribble, Finalizer, Green Beret / Rush'n Attack, Iron Horse, Jackal, Jail Break, Mr. Goemon, Scooter Shooter, Yie Ar Kung-Fu.
MarcaDS: An arcade emulator. It emulates 75 game machines, including Amidars, Arkanoid, Cosmic Avenger, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Lady Bug, Phoenix, Pooyan, Scramble, Super Cobra, etc.
MrDo DS: Mr.Do!, Mr.Do's Castle, Do!Run Run & Mr.Do's Wild Ride arcade emulator.
Pang DS: Pang and Super Pang Arcade Emulator.
PuzzleKlax: Arcade emulator for Klax and Tetris.
SnowBrosDS: Snow Bros., Nick & Tom (all sets), Arcade Games.
Solomon's Key DS: Solomon's Key (US and Japan) Arcade Emulator.

Personal computers

Amstrad CPC

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
AmeDS	4.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~
CrocoDS	2.0	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✗	~
SugarDS	1.5	Mid	TBD	✓	✓

Apple II

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
A2DS	2008	Mid	BSD-3-Clause (Permissive)	✗	✗
Grape	2014	Mid	?	✗	✗
PomDS	2.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

Apple Macintosh

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Mini vMac DS	R3 2008	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~
minivmac-dsi	Test Release D	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓

Atari 8-bit

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
A8DS	4.2	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓
Atari800	0.2.0	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓
PokeyDS	1.1	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

Atari ST

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
StyxDS	0.2a	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

Commodore 64

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
C64DS	git	Mid	?	✓	TBD
GimliDS	1.6	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓
FrodoDS	Complete v20230108a	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	~	~

DOS

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DSx86	0.43beta	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

DSx86

PC emulator that can run old DOS games. Has a custom configuration variant, DSx86Cfg.

Infocom Z-Machine

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DS-Frotz	2.0 beta-1 20080815	Mid	Non-commercial	✗	✓
GLK POGO	1.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

MegaZeux

Name	Latest Version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DSMZX	2009	N/A	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✗	✗
MegaZeux	2.93d	N/A	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	~

Microsoft MSX

Name	Latest version	MSX 1	MSX 2	MSX 2+	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
FmsxDS	0.09	✗	✓	✗	Mid	Non-commercial	✗	~
MSX DS	0.94	✓	✓	✓	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓
PenkoDS	0.2a	✗	✓	✓	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

In addition, both ColecoDS and S8DS can run msx1 games.

ScummVM

Name	Latest version	License	Active	Recommended
ScummVM	1.2.1 (for ds mode flashcarts) 2026.3.0 (for dsi mode)	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓ (DSi)	✓

Sinclair

Name	Latest version	ZX81	ZX Spectrum	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DS81	1.3a	✓	✗	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓
DSpec	Preview	✗	✓	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
SpeccyDS	0.3	✗	✓ (48k only)	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
SpeccySE	2.1a	~	✓	Mid	Non-commercial MIT	✓	✓
SpectrumDS	2009	✗	✓ (48k only)	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
ZXDS	1.4.1	✗	✓	Mid	Proprietary	✓	✓

ZXDS

By far the most accurate and feature-packed DS ZX Spectrum emulator. Has WiFi multiplayer support.

Tandy CoCo - Dragon 32/64

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DracoDS	1.8	Mid	TBD	✓	✓
XRoar	1.11	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✓	~

Tandy MC-10

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
MicroDS	1.1	Mid	TBD	✓	✓

Tangerine Oric

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DSOric	1.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

Texas Instruments

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DS994a	2.9	Mid	Non-commercial MIT	✓	✓

Thomson MO5

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
ThomDS	3.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

ZZT Engine

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DreamZZT	3.1.500	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✗	~

Home consoles

Atari

Name	Latest version	2600	5200	7800	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
A5200DS	3.8	✗	✓	✗	Mid	Non-commercial	✓	✓
A7800DS	5.2c	✗	✗	✓	Mid	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✓	✓
StellaDS	8.2	✓	✗	✗	Mid	✓	✓	✓

ColecoVision

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
ColecoDS	11.0	Mid	Non-commercial	✓	✓

S8DS can load colecovision games too.

ColecoDS

Includes support for the following 8-bit systems: Colecovision, ADAM, Casio PV-1000 and PV-2000, MSX1, Sord-M5, Memotech MTX, Spectravision SVI, Hanimex Pencil II, Tatung Einstein, SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Creativision.

GCE Vectrex

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
VectxDS	0.1	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓

Magnavox Odyssey

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Magnavox Odyssey DS	2010/06/25	Low	Proprietary	✗	~

Mattel Intellivision

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
NINTV-DS	6.2a	Mid	?	✓	✓

NEC PC-Engine/TurboGrafX-16

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
NitroGrafx	0.9.0	Mid	?	✓	✓

Nintendo NES

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Midori	1.3a	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
NesDS	1.3d+	Mid	Public domain	~	✓
NesterDS/+	0.3.9	Mid	~	✗	~
RetroBoxDS	2005	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗

Nintendo SNES

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
BAG SFC	r3	Low	Proprietary	✗	✗
CATSFC	git	Low	Non-commercial GPLv2	✗	✗
lolSnes	1.1	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✗	✗
SNEmulDS	0.6a0.6d	Low	BSD-3-Clause NCSA Open Source License GPLv2 FreeType License	✓	~
SnesDS	2005	Low	Proprietary	✗	✗
SnezziDS	0.28a	Low	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✗	✗

lolSnes

the precursor to BlargSNES. Very barebones.

SNEmulDS

port of the DOS SNES emulator SNEmul. Has the best compatibility and speed.

SnezziDS

port of the GBA-based SNES emulator Snezziboy (in its GBA incarnation, while functional it's less than ideal).

Sega Dreamcast VMU

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
NDS_VMS	20100214	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓
VirtuaMUnstaz	demo	Low	Proprietary	✗	✗

Sega Master System / Game Gear

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Apprentice MinusDS	0.4.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓
DSMasterplus	1.3a	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~
DSMS	0.2	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
S8DS	1.1.8	Mid	?	✓	✓

In addition, there is ColecoDS which can run SG-1000/SC-3000 games.

S8DS

Includes support for the following 8-bit systems: SEGA SG-1000 / SG-1000 II, SEGA SC-3000, SEGA Mark III, SEGA Master System J, 1 & 2, SEGA Game Gear, SEGA System-E, Coleco, MSX 1, Sord M5.

Sega Mega Drive / Genesis

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
jEnesisDS	0.7.4	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✓
PicoDriveDS	git	Mid	Non-commercial	✗	~

SNK Neo Geo AES/MVS

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
NeoDS	0.2.1c	Mid	Non-commercial	✗	✓

Multi-Console

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
TWiLight Menu++	27.24.1	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✓	✓ (CFW)	~ (Flashcart)

TWiLight Menu++

Includes a bunch of popular emulators, and can be found in \_nds\TWiLightMenu\emulators\.

The list includes:

• A5200DS - (Atari 5200)
• A7800DS - (Atari 7800 ProSystem)
• A8DS - (Atari800XL/XEGS)
• ColecoDS - (ColecoVision)
• GameYob - (GB/GBC)
• GBARunner2 - (GBA)
• jEnesisDS - (Sega Megadrive/Genesis)
• nesDS - (NES)
• NGPDS - (Neo Geo Pocket)
• Nintellivision - (Intellivision)
• NitroGrafx - (PC-Engine)
• NitroSwan - (WonderSwan)
• PicoDriveTWL - (Genesis/Megadrive)
• PokeMini - (Pokémon Mini)
• S8DS - (GG/MS/SG-1000)
• SNEmulDS - (SNES)
• StellaDS - (Atari 2600)
• SugarDS - (Amstrad CPC)

Handheld consoles

Atari Lynx

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
LodjurDS	0.1.5	Mid	zlib License (Permissive)	✓	✓

Bandai Tamagotchi v1

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Tamaboy DS	2024	Mid	BSD-3-Clause NCSA Open Source License GPLv2 FreeType License	✓	✓

Bandai WonderSwan

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DualSwan	1.2.1	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~
NitroSwan	0.7.7	Mid	?	✓	✓

NitroSwan

can emulate Benesse PocketChallenge V2, besides wonderswan. Larger WS games won't load from a standard flashcard without additional RAM. Alternatively, for dsi and 3ds systems, you can use twilightmenu++ to use all available RAM.

Java ME

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Pstros NDS	0.7.2r6	Low	?	✗	~

Nintendo Game Boy

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
DS Boy	0.75	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
DS_GBC	0.1	Mid	Proprietary	✗	✗
GameYob	git	Mid-High	MIT (Permissive)	~	✓
Lameboy	0.12	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Gbaemu4ds	git	Low	GPLv2 (Copyleft)	✗	✗
GBARunner2	git	N/A	?	~	~
GBARunner3	git	N/A	?	✓	~

GBARunner2

Unlike other attempts at running GBA on the DS, GBARunner2 is a hypervisor rather than purely on emulation, meaning it runs partially on present GBA hardware found within the DS itself.

GBARunner3

GBARunner3 is an in-progress rewrite and successor project to GBARunner2.

Nintendo Pokémon Mini

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
PokeMini DS	0.60	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✗	✓

SNK Neo Geo Pocket (Color)

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
NGPDS	0.6.0	Mid	?	✓	✓
RACE!	DS FIXED	Mid	?	✗	✗

TimeTop Gameking

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Gamekengu	0.01	Low	Proprietary	✗	✗

Watara Supervision

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
WasabiDS (山葵DS)	0.2.6	Mid	?	✓	✓
Watari	0.4	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

Virtual and fantasy consoles

CHIP-8

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
chip-8	0.2	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~
chip-84-ds	1.0.0	Mid	?	~	~
chip8me	1.0	Mid	Proprietary	✗	~

Pico-8

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
fake-08	0.0.0 alpha	Mid	MIT (Permissive)	✓	✓

UXN/Varvara

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
uxnds	0.5.3	Mid	MIT (Permissive)	✓	✓

XY-MINI

Name	Latest version	Accuracy	License	Active	Recommended
Xyds	0.2	Mid	GPLv3 (Copyleft)	✗	✗

External links

• Curated list of emulators
• Emulators from Filetrip
• Rather out-of-date list of emulators

See also

Emulators on consoles(edit)

• Consoles: NES • SNES • N64 • GameCube • Wii • Wii U • Switch • Switch 2
• Handhelds: GB(C) • GBA • Pokémon mini • DS • 3DS

• Consoles: Master System • Mega Drive/Genesis • Saturn • Dreamcast

• Consoles: PS1 • PS2 • PS3 • PS4
• Handhelds: PSP • Vita

• Consoles: Xbox • Xbox 360 • Xbox One/Series X|S

• Other consoles: Intellivision • Channel F • ColecoVision • PC Engine • 3DO
• Other handhelds: P/ECE • WonderSwan • Caanoo • GCW Zero • Gizmondo • Didj • Lynx • Zodiac • GP32 • GP2X • GP2X Wiz