The iconic Nintendo DS console may have long gone out of production, but the legend continues to live on among gamers and tech enthusiasts. While some have childhood memories associated with some of the super-popular Mario and Pokémon titles, many youngsters are also getting in on the act, eager to experience a bygone era. Whichever category you belong to, you can experience the magic of Nintendo DS consoles using software emulators on your PC or smartphone. So here’s a list of the 9 best Nintendo DS emulators for Android and iOS.
Nintendo DS was a dual-screen device, but you do not need a dual-screen phone to play those games on an emulator. Here, we will list the best Nintendo DS emulators for your iPhone or Android device. What’s more, most of these emulators are under active development, which means they are mostly compatible with the latest versions of Android and iOS. It also means that they should be relatively bug-free and offer wider compatibility. So without further ado, let’s check out the best Nintendo DS emulators you can use on iPhone and Android devices in 2022.
- NDS4Droid
- RetroArch
- EmuBox
- DraStic
- SuperNDS
- Free DS Emulator
- iNDS
- NDS Boy!
- NDS4iOS
1. NDS4Droid: Best Nintendo DS Emulator on Android
NDS4Droid is one of the best Nintendo DS emulators on Android and has been so for a long time. It is a free and open-source NDS emulator based on DeSmuME. The emulator supports critical features like save states, but the controls can be a little convoluted, especially with games such as Rune Factory that require multiple button-presses.
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Platforms: Android
RetroArch is multi-faceted, multi-platform, multi-purpose, free and open-source software (FOSS) that works on nearly all platforms imaginable. It is not only available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux but also various game consoles, including PS2, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, Wii, Wii U, 2DS, 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and more. It is one of the best emulator front-ends that supports not only the NDS but also Game Boy Advance, the original Game Boy, as well as a whole host of consoles, both legacy and current.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and more
Download (Android, iOS)
One of the new entrants into the NDS emulator scene, EmuBox is an all-in-one Nintendo DS emulator that runs your old game ROMs on Android. It supports up to 20 save slots for each ROM and allows gamers to take screenshots whenever they want. It also supports fast forward and external controllers, including Bluetooth gamepads, etc.
- Wide compatibility
- Great graphics quality
- Supports external controllers
- Portrait and landscape modes
- Multiple save slots for each game
Platforms: Android
DraStic is yet another fully-functioning Nintendo DS emulator on Android. It is one of the best Nintendo DS emulators, considering that it lets you play games at full speed on most Android devices. On high-end phones and tablets, it can also upscale the game’s 3D graphics to 2 times their original resolution. The emulator also supports add-on controllers, as well as physical controls in devices like the Nvidia Shield.
Other notable features include support for save states, the ability to customize the placement and size of the DS screens, portrait and landscape modes, and more. The DraStic emulator also supports cheat codes, with an extensive database running into thousands. Finally, it also supports fast forward, allowing you to increase emulation speed. On the negative side, DraStic is yet to implement Wi-Fi support, and there’s no multiplayer mode at this point.
5. SuperNDS
SuperNDS is one of the newest additions to the growing list of Nintendo DS emulators on Android. It works well on newer Android devices, offering fast gameplay, decent rendering, and relatively glitch-free graphics. It supports NDS, ZIP, 7z, and RAR file types and supports features like save states and more.
Cons:
- Relatively barebones
- Resource intensive compared to the competition
Free DS Emulator supports a large number of NDS titles on Android, offering fast gameplay with decent graphics. It supports .nds, .zip, and a whole host of other file types and offers features such as save game states, load game states, customizable buttons, cheat codes, and more. It also supports external controllers, including the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons.
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Apple’s mobile platform is relatively thin on high-quality NDS emulators, but iNDS is pretty much the best there is. Based on the legendary NDS4iOS, it is one of the best Nintendo DS emulators on the list because it works without jailbreaking. iNDS emulator is compatible with all devices running up to iOS 14 and offers gamers features like auto-save, in-app customizations, video filters, haptic vibration, and more.
Platforms: iOS
Download (Free)
Yet another Nintendo DS emulator that you can use on Android is the NDS Boy. The emulator lets you play pretty much every single game that was available for the Nintendo DS. That includes games like Pokemon Saga, Super Mario, Castlevania, Final Fantasy and more. One of the best things about NDS Boy is its compatibility with games — the emulator usually runs most NDS games easily and without glitches.
- Supports most NDS games
- Performance is pretty good
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Platforms: Android
NDS4iOS is one of the original Nintendo DS emulators on iOS and remains one of the best to date. It is a free Nintendo DS emulator that works without jailbreaking, making it accessible to a wider number of users on more devices. It is fully optimized for iPads and iPhones, with features that include support for iOS controllers and options to customize control-pad styling and position.
One of the unique features of NDS4iOS is that it also comes with an in-app browser to download Nintendo DS games as ROMs and more. The emulator also includes features, such as Dropbox integration and AirPlay support, allowing the user to sync their emulator files between their phone and TV. NDS4iOS requires iOS 5.1.1 or higher but also supports newer versions of the software.
Platforms: iOS
