dasShiny vs DSVita

dasShiny is a free Nintendo DS emulator for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The maker describes it as highly experimental and aims it at people familiar with cartridge folders and recent BSNES versions. Its interface looks for a gamefolder.nds/manifest.xml file; a blank manifest directs it to a ROM in gamefolder.nds/rom, which can be up to 1 GB. Setup requires ARM7 and ARM9 BIOS files and firmware, and the maker advises backing up rewritable firmware. The emulator can load homebrew ROMs, but it does not implement DLDI support for FAT access, so software that depends on that access may not work. Games listed as known to run include Super Mario 64, Mario Kart DS, and Animal Crossing: Wild World, along with several demos. Pokémon Diamond/Pearl is reported to save but crash at the load menu. For 3D, the maker says a high-end Core 2, i5, or i7 is pretty much mandatory in the described context. Windows users are advised to choose XAudio2 over DirectSound.

DSVita is a free Nintendo DS emulator for PlayStation Vita, with an experimental Android port and a documented ARM Linux build. The maker says most games run, although some emulation features are incomplete. Two-dimensional rendering is mostly complete, while three-dimensional rendering is mostly implemented; missing effects and games using 3D on both screens can cause slowdowns or stutters. When ARM7 HLE fails, SoundHle or AccurateLle may be more compatible but slower. Release 0.9.4 lists savestates, Action Replay and libretro cheats, touchscreen controls and customizable control profiles. The rear touchpad can map to the DS touchscreen, and the right stick can control it. ROM files must use the .nds extension and be placed in ux0:data/dsvita. Vita installation requires libshacccg.suprx and kubridge.skprx 0.3.1 or later. Automatic frame skipping is always used, with no scanline rendering. The project recommends overclocking the Vita to 500MHz.