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{{Infobox console|title = Nintendo 3DS|logo = 3ds.png|developer = [[File:Article_img.jpgNintendo]]|type = [[:Category:Consoles|Handheld game console]]|generation = [[:Category:Eighth-generation video game consoles|Eighth generation]]|release = 2011|thumbpredecessor = [[Nintendo DS emulators|The Nintendo 3DS handheld consoleDS]]|emulated = {{~}}}}The Nintendo 3DS is the latest an eighth-generation handheld game console by Nintendo, released on March 27, 2011 for $249 ($280.84 in 20112018 money). It had a Dual-Core ARM11 MPCore at 268 MHz and a single-core ARM9. It had 128MB of RAM and 6MB of VRAM. It has a DMP PICA200 GPU. The most notable feature of this console is the use of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostereoscopy autostereoscopic] (i.e. without glasses) 3D, which can be configured using a slider.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col"|[[libretro|Libretro Core]]! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulatorsEmulators|Recommended]]

|style="text-align: center;"|[[Citra]]|style="text-align: center;"|Windows, OS XLinux, LinuxmacOS|style="text[https://citra-align: center;"emu.org/download/ Nightly]|(nightly builds){{✓}}|style="text-align: center;"|{{✓}}|style="text-align: center;"|{{✓}}

|style="text-align: center;"|[[3dmoo]]|style="textWindows, Linux|[https://github.com/plutooo/3dmoo/ Git]|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|-align: center;"|[[TronDS]]|Windows, Linux|style="text-align[http: center;"//trondsemu.byethost15.com/downloads.html 1.0.0.5]|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|(nightly builds){{✗}}|style="text-align|LemonLime|Windows, Linux, macOS|[https: center;"//github.com/Cyuubi/LemonLime/ Git]|{{✓}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|style-!colspan="text9"|Mobile|-align|[[Citra]] <small>(Unofficial)</small>|[[Android emulators|Android]]|[https: center;"//github.com/SachinVin/citra_android/releases v0.5.1-alpha] <small>(WIP)</small>|{{✓}}|{{✓}}|✗{{✓†}}

* ;[[Citra]] is an :An early in development open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator made by experienced emulator developers. It is considered experimental, and it runs homebrew applications with a decent degree of compatibility. Though it can play many most commercial games to some extent, the emulator has various graphical and sound issues with most some games, and requires a very powerful CPU for most games to be playable. Citra is being regularly worked on, and progress in it is faster than expected for most emulators. However, there's still no telling how long it will be before it is suitable for playing games to completion.* ;[[3dmoo]] is another :Another open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator, made by experienced developers in the DS hacking scene. It was released shortly after Citra and received similar progress for a few months, but was eventually aborted by its authors after a while.* ;[[TronDS]] is a :A closed-source Nintendo 3DS emulator, presumably made by the iDeaS author. Little is known about it other than that it can run simple homebrew. It cannot be used for playing games.

===Emulation issues===

<!--this section is pretty inaccurate-->There's are two big types of 3DS game images currently:* ''';NCSD-type:''' Includes '''.CCI''' (Citra Cart Image), aka '''.3DS''' - data on physical carts, can be executed right off the bat, not used much since no one bothered to develop a CFW solution to load them yet (besides converting them to CIA) and only overpriced flashcarts (Gateway/Sky3DS) can load them.* ''';NCCH-type:''' Includes '''.CIA''' (Citra Importable Archive) and '''.CXI''' - installers that unpack game data to the SD card or the 3DS NAND memory (if you have a ticket proving ownership of that game, but tickets can be shared and even fool Nintendo's servers into letting you download the game, using tools like FreeShop or Wii U USB Helper if on a PC). Some homebrew apps (FBI, DevMenu) can install CIA files on 3DS systems with CFW installed. Digital only games will use this format internallyare often distributed as CIAs.

*Note that Citrus, Citra , or CTR is are the internal code name names for the 3DS.

However, converting a CIA image to 3DS format (and vice-versa) is still possible with no loss of content. Either 3DS homebrew (GodMode9) or PC tools ([http://github.com/ihaveamac/3dsconv 3dsconv]) can do thatRead the Encryption section below for a guide.

Most dumps online are also encrypted. This encryption poses no problem for playing game images on a real 3DS since it can deal with that encryption with internal keys included in the bootrom, but becomes a problem when trying to emulate them on PC. '''Citra will refuse to cannot play encrypted games, only decrypted games will work.'''A solution to load encrypted images is for the moment on the back burner and there's not much developer interest for it. If you want to play games on Citra, you'll have to convert your game images to that format.

The game changer was the sighax exploit, allowing to dump the 3DS bootrom which includes these encryption keys. This file is specific to each can be downloaded from the [[Emulator Files#Nintendo 3DS so many people are reluctant to share it, but assuming you have one, you no longer need a real 3DS to do the decryption part|Emulator Files]] page. You can then just use it with PC tools (a program like '''[httphttps://githubgbatemp.comnet/threads/ihaveamactutorial-extract-decrypt-games-nand-backups-and-sd-contents-with-fuse-3ds.499994/3dsconv 3dsconvfuse-3ds]''' to decrypt games using this file. Simply place boot9.bin in the same folder, run the program, mount the encrypted .cia or .3ds, and find the '''decrypted.cxi''' file inside (usually in the first folder) . Citra should be able to produce decrypted game imagesload this file without issues.