How To Setup Citra 3DS Emulator for Android

The Citra emulator for Android lets retro gamers play Nintendo 3DS games on Android devices. Citra is an open source emulator that has become very popular among nostalgic gamers looking to revisit their favorite games from the 3DS handheld. It’s compatible with hundreds of ROMs from the 3DS catalog. Citra’s rise in popularity over the years is well-earned and through this guide you’ll see exactly why.

The official public version originally launched after several unauthorized versions and third party versions emerged. The Citra emulator brought enhanced graphics, improved resolution, and eventually even the ability to play 3DS games on mobile phones. It’s an easy to use app that allows players to carry their beloved games everywhere they go without having to lug around their 3DS, allowing gamers to relive classic Nintendo 3DS games on their Android phone or tablet.

The Citra community is consistently growing and has solid technical support from its dedicated developers. It has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the emulator world. As more retro gamers continue to discover the benefits of using Citra on their Android devices, the emulator’s success continues to grow, solidifying itself as a top contender among Nintendo 3DS emulators. Citra is hands down the best 3DS emulator available.

Is The Citra 3DS Emulator on Android?

Yes, the Citra emulator is available for download on Android phones and tablets. The Citra emulator first gained recognition for its PC version users and later expanded to Android devices, bringing 3DS games to a wider audience.

Citra Emulator on Different Platforms

Citra’s has great cross-platform support, making it accessible to users on multiple different operating systems. Here’s a brief overview of the different platforms Citra can be used on:

• Android: Citra’s Android smartphone app version is available for download on the Google Play Store and has now reached over 1 Million+ installs.
• Windows: This was the original platform that Citra was released on. Windows users can enjoy an extensive library of 3DS games on their PC.
• Linux: Citra also runs on Linux based computers.
• Mac: Citra supports macOS, letting retro gamers with Apple computers emulate their 3DS games too.

How To Install Citra for Android

The following will explain the minimum recommended requirements for your Android devices and also how to install the Citra emulator.

Compatibility and Requirements

The Citra Android app is compatible with most Android smartphones. Do keep in mind though that for optimal performance it’s recommended that user’s devices meeting the following:

• A 64-bit Android device
• OpenGL ES 3.2 support
• A powerful CPU and GPU

Note: Game ROM support and performance may vary depending on the smartphone’s hardware and ultimately how powerful the device is.

Installation and Setup

To install Citra on an Android device, you’ll want to:

1. Visit the emulator’s Google Play Store listing.
2. The emulator can then easily be downloaded and installed.

1. After it’s been installed, you can load your desired game ROMs into Citra and start playing.

The setup process is very straightforward and takes only seconds to install and get going.

Emulation Features and Performance

You can further customize the emulator’s settings if you wish, such as graphics, controls, gamepads, audio and more.

Supported Games and ROMs

Citra has continued to expand its ROM compatibility list over the years, continuing to improve the performance of Nintendo 3DS titles. Popular games like Pokémon Sun and Moon, Zelda, Animal Crossing New Leaf, Sonic Generations to lesser-known gems all run fantastic.

Be sure any ROMs you try to use aren’t in ZIP format. They will first need to be extracted so that you can use the game in Citra as compressed ROMs are not supported. If you don’t currently have a software that unzips files for you, you can easily find one for free on the Google Playstore by searching for extract files.

Remember though, it’s important to only use ROMs legally by owning the original game cartridges and dumping the ROM files yourself.

Graphics and Textures

The Citra emulator uses OpenGL ES 3.2 to deliver great graphics and textures on Android devices. Citra has the ability to upscale 3DS titles to higher resolutions, providing sharper improved image quality. You can even further optimize the graphics settings, such as texture filtering, anti-aliasing, and resolution scaling to achieve the desired look and performance on their device.

You can find these graphics settings in the app’s settings and play around with them, tweaking the settings until you find what works best for your device.

Controller Support

Citra offers external custom controller support, letting users connect Bluetooth gamepads to their Android device while playing 3DS games. Anyone who has used an Android emulator in the past knows how crucial it is to be able to connect a controller to play games. The last thing you want is to only be able to play your games using the on-screen touchpad. Connecting a controller just makes the gaming experience feel much more authentic.

After connecting your controller, the Citra emulator allows you to map its buttons from within the app’s settings.

User Interface

Citra’s UI is simple and straightforward. It’s easy to navigate and configure emulation settings as desired. The emulator is also compatible with other frontend applications like RetroArch (using the Citra 3DS RetroArch core), allowing users to access advanced features and customization options. Citra shows two interfaces on one single screen, has a full screen option, and even has multiple viewing modes.

Overall, Citra 3DS emulator for Android offers an impressive set of features and performance improvements.

Community and News

Discord Server and Support

The Citra community comes together on their Discord server. If you’re ever having issues and need a helping hand from a more experienced user, the Discord is a great place to ask questions and get help.

Updates and Emulator Releases

The developer Citra core team frequently posts news about their latest releases and updates on their official website. Do keep in mind that Citra’s Android version will automatically install new updates for you so there’s not too much else you manually need to do. That being said, you can always see what new updates entail by visiting either the Citra website or the Google Play Store listing page to see what’s new in more recent versions.

Do keep in mind that Citra’s development community is passionately committed to the emulator project, but some features like Wi-Fi support may not always work correctly in comparison to a physical Nintendo DS handheld or other available emulators like the Drastic DS Emulator and Lemuroid.

Final Thoughts

The Citra emulator is the best choice in terms of user experience, stability with games, and solid performance. The Android version has over a million installs for good reason. The developers are committed to improving Citra and consistently put out updates, continuing to improve its performance over the years. These days, you will find that most popular 3DS games run great on Citra.

Let us know in the comments below how you like the Android Citra emulator app after you’ve had a chance to get it setup and play some games.

Got a Steam Deck? Be sure to check out our 3DS Steam Deck guide for playing 3DS games.