Best Nintendo DS Emulators for PC, Android & iPhone

The Nintendo DS remains one of the best-selling handheld consoles of all time. There are thousands of unforgettable titles from Pokemon and Mario to Zelda, Castlevania and Ace Attorney. Even years later, millions of gamers are still enjoying DS Nintendo titles through emulation.

Today there are emulators that allow you to play Nintendo DS ROMs on your Windows PC, Android phone, Mac, Linux system and even iPhone. Many support HD rendering, customisable controls, save states, cheat codes, multiplayer connectivity, controller support and much better performance than the original hardware .In this guide, we will compare the best Nintendo DS emulators available today, highlight their strengths and help you decide which emulator is right for your device.

Reasons to use a Nintendo DS emulator:

But there’s more to Nintendo DS emulators than just playing old games.

Advantages:

  1. Further internal resolution

  2. Save states anytime

  3. Quick support coming up

  4. Cheat code compatibility

  5. External controller support

  6. Custom screen layouts

  7. More efficient on newer devices

  8. Stream and record screen

  9. multiplayer support (some emulators)

  10. ROM management basics

1. melonDS:

Best Nintendo DS Emulator Overall

melonDS has become one of the most accurate Nintendo DS emulators out there in record time. It aims at keeping the original hardware behaviour and excellent performance.

CHARACTERISTICS:

  1. Good on compatability

  2. Local co-op

  3. Wi-Fi emulation

  4. Write states

  5. Fast forward

  6. Custom resolutions

  7. Support for controllers

  8. Active development

  9. Low system requirements

Pros:

  • Unbelievably accurate emulation.

  • Good game support

  • Light Weight

  • Absolutely free

  • On-going updates

Cons:

  • Advanced setting a little bit

  • Mobile versions are restricted

2. DeSmuME Most Stable:

DeSmuME is for years one of the most trusted emulators for the Nintendo DS.

It’s feature-rich, mature and stable – perfect for ROM veterans.

Characteristics:

  1. Save states

  2. Help for cheaters.

  3. Modelling of microphone

  4. Screen filters .

  5. Multiplayer features

  6. Control mapping

  7. Support for screenshots

  8. Features to log

Pros:

  • ^stable

  • Dependable

  • Works with almost all Nintendo DS games

Cons:

  • Lots of customisation options

  • Old fashioned interface

  • Newer projects develop faster

3. DraStic DS Emulator (Android) Best Android Emulator:

DraStic still remains one of the fastest and smoothest Nintendo DS emulators for Android users.

It can upscale graphics, customise layouts, sync save files and run almost every commercial Nintendo DS game at full speed.

Characteristics:

  1. HD render

  2. Status to save

  3. Fast-forward to

  4. Backup to Google Drive Supports controller

  5. Cheats database

  6. Custom skins

Pros:

  • Great show

  • Battery saver

  • Good for beginners

Cons:

  • Paid application

  • Android only Paid app

4. RetroArch Best Multi system Emulator:

RetroArch is perfect if you’re an emulator who plays multiple consoles.

Users only need to load the Nintendo DS core and start playing, without the need to install separate emulators.

Characteristics:

  1. Some emulators cores

  2. Support for Shaders

  3. Achievements Netplay

  4. Controllers profiles

  5. Download to cloud

  6. Cross platform support

Pros:

  • Runs dozens of gaming consoles

  • Highly customisable Free

  • Open source

Cons:

  • More hard to learn

  • difficult menus

5. Lemuroid (Androide):

Lemuroid is for users who want a clean, simple experience. It automatically scans rom folders, supports multiple consoles and works exceptionally well on Android devices.

Features:

  1. Auto library

  2. Save game states Controller support .

  3. Cloud synchronization Interface Material Design

Pros:

  • Free

  • Easy to use

  • Lightweight

Cons:

  • Fewer advanced options

6. Delta Emulator (iOS):

Delta has emerged as the Nintendo DS emulator of choice for iPhone users. Has a nice interface, controller support, cloud sync and overall runs very well.

Characteristics:

  1. Support for Nintendo DS

  2. Cloud storage

  3. Support for controller

  4. SaveStatuses

  5. Codes de triche

  6. Fast forward

Pros:

  • Nice interface

  • Great performance

  • Easy to install

Cons:

  • Some features require version of iOS

Tips to Improve Performance:

  • Hardware acceleration on.

  • fast-forward if you must

  • Emulators versions updates.

  • Use verified roms.

  • Set up screen layouts for your display.

  • Connect a Bluetooth controller for better gameplay.

  • Make regular backup save files.

  • No graphics filters for low end devices.

Final thoughts:

Nintendo DS emulation has now reached a great level of maturity, offering players smooth performance, advanced features and extensive game compatibility on PC, Android and iPhone. There is an emulator for you whether you want accuracy of hardware, performance or just an easy to use interface. melonDS is popular among desktop users for its excellent compatibility and development activity. If you want stability and customisation DeSmuME is still a good choice. If you want premium performance, DraStic is still the king on Android, and Lemuroid is just the thing for simple, free emulation. For iPhone users, Delta is the slickest and easiest to use. Choose the emulator that best suits your device and gaming habits and you'll be ready to explore the vast Nintendo DS library with modern features like save states, controller support, higher resolutions and better ease of use.