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SPECIFICTION
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iDroidDS

github.com

Free plan Android
Visit github.com
Spec score 7.5 #8 of 18 in Nintendo DS Emulators

What it is

iDroidDS, also called nds4droid, is a free Nintendo DS emulator for Android smartphones. It uses DeSmuME 0.9.11 as its core and lists save states, cheat support, and screen layouts for Both, Main, Touch, Portrait, and Landscape. The project is open source under the GNU General Public License, welcomes contributions, and says the emulator has no advertisements. Supported processor architectures are armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a, x86, and x86_64. This version requires Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer; the README says devices with more than 512 MB of RAM and that Android version should be able to run it. Performance can vary with device hardware and the game being emulated. The repository warns that it is not the official nds4droid repository and that the project is not stable. Issues can be reported through GitHub tickets, but reports involving devices below Android 5.0 or ROMs that do not operate correctly will be closed. Dropbox save syncing and work on the OpenGL ES 2.0 and 3.0 renderers are listed as planned tasks. The software is provided as-is without warranty.

Spec sheet

Purpose
iDroidDS (nds4droid) is a Nintendo DS emulator for Android smartphones.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Ads
The README says nds4droid has no advertisements.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Android requirement
This version requires Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Device memory
The README says devices with over 512 MB of RAM and Android 5.0 or above should be able to run the emulator.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Emulation core
The project uses DeSmuME 0.9.11 as its core.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Issue exclusions
The README says issues about devices below Android 5.0 or ROMs not operating correctly will be closed.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Issue support
Users are asked to report issues through GitHub issue tickets.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
License and warranty
The README says nds4droid is licensed under the GNU General Public License and provided as-is without warranty.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Open source
The project is free and open-source, and anyone can contribute.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Performance
Performance varies with device hardware and the game being emulated.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Processor architectures
It supports armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a, x86, and x86_64.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Project stability
The repository warns that it is not the official nds4droid repository and that nothing here is stable.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Rendering
The to-do list says the project plans to improve its OpenGL ES 2.0 renderer and get the OpenGL ES 3.0 renderer working.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
Save syncing
Dropbox support for syncing save files appears on the project to-do list.Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Free · ad-free · open-source Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every iDroidDS plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free and open-source under the GNU General Public License
  • README says there are no advertisements
  • Includes save states and cheat support
  • Offers five screen layout options

Limits

  • Requires Android 5.0 or newer
  • Project warns that it is not stable
  • Performance depends on device and game
  • Provided without warranty

Who it suits

It suits Android users looking for a free, open-source Nintendo DS emulator with save states, cheats, and multiple screen layouts. Users should be comfortable with the project’s stated instability and hardware-dependent performance.

Verdict

iDroidDS lists useful emulator controls and broad processor support, but its own repository warns that stability is uncertain. Check the Android requirement and hardware caveat before relying on it.

Where Specifiction places it

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