Citra emulator for Android and iOS
| Project | Citra emulator |
| Developer | SachinVin |
| Compatible OS | Android, iOS |
| Category | Emulator, Nintendo 3DS |
| License | Open source |
Index
- Info
- Highlights
- System requirements
- How to install
- Download
- New features
- Install games
- How to update
- License
- FAQ
Info
Citra emulator for Android and iOS is an experimental open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator/debugger written in C# and Java, compatible with mobile devices (smartphone and tablet).
Citra emulator is written with portability in mind, with builds actively maintained also for iPhone and iPad devices.
This applications emulates a subset of 3DS hardware and therefore is useful for running/debugging homebrew applications, and it is also able to run many commercial games.
Highlights
The name of Citra is derived from CTR, which is part of the model number of the original 3DS.
Some of these do not run at a playable state, but we are working every day to advance the project forward.
Citra emulator has an active team of open-source developers; over 150 people have worked hard on the project since its founding in 2014.
All Pokemon games now work properly; Pokemon X/Y now runs properly with HLE audio as well as LLE audio.
You can expect many games to run slowly, though and to exhibit some gameplay and graphical glitches.
If you’re interested in 3DS emulation as an experiment, you may gain something out of trying Citra.
Citra emulator can run most games at variable speed, depending on your hardware configuration.
However, not all games are created equally and therefore some games will run at full speed while others might suffer from slow emulation; you may also experience some slowdowns.
On Citra emulator certain games, animated particle effects (such as smoke, fire, trails, etc.) or text may not render properly, showing up instead as a jumbled mess of triangles, sometimes covering large parts of the screen.
This is caused by a missing feature in our GPU support (Geometry Shaders) which is used by games to render these kind of effects.
Citra emulator is licensed under the GPLv2 (or any later version); refer to the license.txt file included.
System requirements
The hardware requirements for running the application vary depending on your current configuration.
Our recommended specifications don’t guarantee perfect performance in most games, but rather strive to provide a cost effective recommendation while still considering performance.
The following table lists the minimum system requirements to run this app:
Android requirements
| OS | Android 10 (or newer) |
| CPU | Octa core 1.5 GHz (or higher) |
| RAM | 4 GB (6 GB recommended) |
| GPU | Adreno 540 (or higher) |
| Storage | 32 MB aviable |
iOS requirements
| OS | iOS 12 (or higher) |
| Device | iPhone X (or equivalent iPad) |
| RAM | N.D. |
| Jailbreak | Not required |
| Storage | 32 MB aviable |
We cannot guarantee the performance of system specifications lower the recommended requirements but you’re always welcome to experiment.
For the best experience, users should be running within the recommended requirements.
How to install
On Android
- Download file on the link button
- Open a File manager
- Select the folder containing the downloaded file
- Open the file .apk
- Press install button
- Launch the app
Applications need to access certain devices systems: as soon as an application is installed, you will be informed of all the permissions it requires.
On iOS
You can install this application on iOS devices (iPhone or iPad) with AltStore (no jailbreak is required).
AltStore app requires a Windows or Mac computer for the initial installation of the AltServer software.
The latest version is available on the download section.
- Download AltServer on your computer (Windows or Mac OS)
- Install AltStore to your iPhone (or iPad)
- Launch AltStore to begin downloading apps
- Leave AltServer running, and AltStore will do the rest
Download
The latest version of this app is available on the link button below.
| Name | citra-emulator |
| Format | APK / IPA |
| Size | 4.5 MB [Android] / 32.5 MB [iOS] |
| Version | Latest |
| Step | Experimental |
New features
This version implements the following features:
- Implements a GPU shader cache, which improves performance and reduces framerate “stuttering”
- Fixes various GPU related crashes
- Merges latest fixes & improvements from upstream Citra
- Added compatibility with hundreds of games
- Enhanced graphics, such as resolution scaling and texture filtering (these optional features work best on high-end devices)
- Support for external gamepads
- Support for various built-in features, such as the camera, microphone, and motion controls
All the updates have the latest fixes and optimizations, but their constantly changing nature means that little testing has been done on them and unknown bugs may appear.
Install games
You can play games on this emulator by following these simple steps:
- Download games files with compatible format (3DS, CCI)
- Move the game file on the selected folder in settings menu
- Refresh the game feed
Citra emulator is capable of running most commercial games at full speed, provided you meet the necessary hardware requirements.
Some games may be delayed or flashback in the process of running.
This may be related to the performance of the mobile phone, or it may be related to other unknown factors.
Update
There will be frequent updates which you can grab from the download section.
This application is from a third-party developer, so an automatic update won’t be available.
You will need to manually update the app by removing the old version and installing the new version.
All the updates have the latest fixes and optimizations, but their constantly changing nature means that little testing has been done on them and unknown bugs may appear.
License
Citra emulator project is not meant for illegal activities, and we have a strict policy about piracy.
- Nintendo is a trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd
- Android is a trademark of Google LLC
- iOS is a trademark of Apple Inc.
All resources are obtained via reverse engineering of legally owned devices, games, and information present on the internet.
The main objective of this project is to enhance the gaming experience, research, and provide education about the core concepts of device emulation.
FAQ
This guide/tutorial answers the following questions:
- How do I install Citra emulator on Android and iOS?
- How do I download Citra emulator APK/IPA?
- How can I play Nintendo 3DS games on my Android and iOS?
- Is there any Nintendo 3DS emulator for Android and iOS?
- Can you play Citra emulator on Android and iOS?
- How to play Nintendo 3DS games on iPhone?
- Is Citra emulator safe?
- Is Citra emulator legal?