Nintendo DS emulators for Android make it possible to play DS games on your smartphone or tablet. There are several contenders for best DS emulator for Android, and most of them are completely free.

To play Nintendo DS games on Android, you must download ROMs. Video game ROMs are available on the web through torrent websites, but the legality of distributing such files varies from region to region. Make sure to install antivirus software before downloading files from the web.

Best Open Source DS Emulator: NDS4Droid

NDS4droid has been around for a long time. Although it hasn’t received any updates lately, the source code is readily available, and it’s a treasure trove of information for developers interested in early DS emulation. NDS4droid includes many extra features, such as save states and built-in Action Replay cheats. It even supports games for the OUYA game console.

  • Open-source with no ads.

  • Multilingual support.

  • Frame-skip option helps offset performance issues.

  • Laggy performance and periodic crashes interrupt gameplay.

  • No fast-forward feature.

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Best Performing DS Emulator: My NDS Emulator for Android 6

My NDS Emulator is designed to work with devices running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and up, but it also runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop), so it’s a decent option for older phones. Not only can you customize the on-screen controls, you can also connect controllers for other systems, such as the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, to play DS games on your Android device.

  • Resizeable screens.

  • Consistent frame rate.

  • Annoying ads that can’t be removed.

  • Requires an internet connection to start up.

Best Multipurpose Emulator: RetroArch

RetroArch is a multipurpose video game emulator available for every platform, from Android to Linux. The Android version supports games for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and the original Game Boy, as well as console games and non-Nintendo systems. That said, you must download the core for each individual emulator. You can even play and create your homebrew games for DS with the Libretro API.

  • Emulates multiple handheld and console video game systems.

  • Open source and ad-free.

  • Requires a little time and technical knowledge to set up.

  • The interface could be more user friendly.

Best Looking DS Emulator: EmuBox

Like Retroarch, EmuBox emulates a wide range of systems, including the NES and the PlayStation. Because it was coded using Google’s Material Design language, EmuBox is able to reproduce the visuals of the DS flawlessly. Fortunately, there’s an option to capture screenshots. On top of that, EmuBox gives you 20 save slots per ROM.

  • Exceptional graphics.

  • Play in portrait or landscape mode.

  • Performance issues arise when too many cheats are active.

  • No option to remove ads.

Best Paid DS Emulator: DraStic DS Emulator

For $4.99, the DraStic DS Emulator is a steal. It comes with hundreds of pre-loaded cheats, and it lets you back up save data directly to your Google Drive Cloud. There’s even an option to enhance the graphics. It also includes every feature found in all of the other emulators on this list, such as external controller support. While DraStic DS works on most Android devices, it performs best on higher-end phones and tablets.

  • Adjust the size and placement of screens.

  • Access your save data on multiple devices.

  • Only one save slot per ROM.

  • No free option.

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