Best Android 3DS Emulator In 2026

Video game emulation is one of the greatest benefits of the Android ecosystem. With less restrictions than the iOS App Store, Android can emulate myriad consoles in an instant. But what is the best Android 3DS emulator on Google Play right now?

In order to play Nintendo 3DS games on an Android phone or tablet, you’ll need a 3DS emulator app.

It’s worth noting that 3DS emulation on Android is incredibly heavy on portable hardware. With this in mind, make sure that your device is up for the task before being disappointed with poor performance. Let’s get on with the emulator, shall we?

Best Android 3DS Emulator

Now let’s talk about the titles we like.

Lemuroid

If you want an emulator that can do it all, and that is still alive and kicking on Google Play after the great emulator massacre of 2024, then check out Lemuroid.

This app handles 3DS games well, but can also do all kinds of other game systems, so you can fulfil your dream of having twenty years of Pokémon games all on one device.

It has one downside in that the controls aren’t super customizable, but if you can live with the scheme you get by default, it’s easy enough to get along with.

RetroArch Plus

RetroArch isn’t incredibly forthcoming about this on their Google Play page (understandably) but this is another kitchen sink emulator that will help you play your 3DS titles on your phone, via its Citra core. (You might be familiar with that name.)

RetroArch Plus requires at least Android 8, though gives you support for more cores. Those with older devices might want to give the regular RetroArch a try.

Azahar Emulator

If you’re mourning the loss of Citra, then Azahar might be worth a look. This open-source emulator is a merging of two Citra fork projects, PabloMK7’s Fork, and Lime 3DS. The reviews are a little mixed, but most people seem to find it a close match to the Citra experience, with the bonus of still active development.

What About 33DDSS?

Another emulator that seems to have weathered emulatorpocalypse is 33DDSS. Though it’s a specific 3DS emulator, we can’t really recommend it above the others. We can’t find much info on the developer, and it’s got ads, so its maybe not the best experience. But we thought we should include it on here for the sake of allowing you as many options as possible.

If Nintendo 3DS emulation isn’t for you, maybe you’re more interested in PlayStation 2 emulation. We’ve got you covered there as well with our best Android PS2 emulator article!