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===Comparisons===
;[[DeSmuME]]: One of the most developed emulators for regular DS games. DeSmuME has had significant improvements since 2018, including lower CPU/GPU Usage, updated to use VS2015, and potentially reopen wi-fi/multiplayer capabilities. UnfortunatelyHowever, these features are still in development and are only available through either nightly/dev builds. If you're worried about stability than stick to the latest stable release, meaning there's a <i>slight</i> chance of problemsotherwise it is better to use the latest dev build. This emulator aims for accuracy over speed. (see [[Common Problems and Solutions]] for tips);[[DraStic]]: A payware, closed-source emulator for [[Android emulators|Android]] devices that can run games at a decent speed even on potato phones. Some unsubstantiated rumours rumors have spread around that the developers deliberately put in issues to mess with pirated copies, though at the very least, don't expect any support from exophase and company if you get your hands on a pirated copy. It's on par or better than DeSmuME, and emulating it through BlueStacks on PC may actually be a viable and fast alternative aside from a slight input delay. Available for free on Raspberry Pi and Odroid via RetroPie.
;[[No$|No$GBA]]: Focuses on speed, and has major compatibility issues and glitches as a result. But because it was originally a GBA emulator, the DS's 3D features are still very poorly handled. However, it might be an option for a very low-end machine but don't expect a lot of games to run perfectly, or at all. A fan program, No$Zoomer, was released for version 2.6 which increases compatibility and options, as well as the titular zooming abilities. The biggest addition is noise cancellation which clears up static that No$GBA makes with its 3D rendering. No$Zoomer hasn't rebased yet but does add options for window resizing. There haven't been any noticeable changes with regards to accuracy, however. As of v2.8, No$GBA supports DSi games and is currently the first and only emulator that does. Only use No$GBA in the cases of DSi games, debugging (if you've taken up romhacking for DS games), if you value speed above everything, or just as a last resort.
;[[melonDS]]: Arisotura's goal is to make an emulator that's better optimized and includes features that others lack, either intentionally or not. While the developers of No$GBA had documented the Wi-Fi capabilities first, melonDS is the first and only emulator that's gotten as far as it has and it has been found to work reasonably well with a handful of games. There's also hope that melonDS will implement DSi emulation in the future<ref name="next direction for melonDS">http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=47&b=15</ref>, and has recently began attempts at booting the DSi's firmware<ref name="melonDSi">http://melonds.kuribo64.net/comments.php?id=94</ref>. It could surpass DeSmuME when it covers more features.
