- Home
- Nintendo DS Emulators
- WatermelonDS
WatermelonDS
What it is
WatermelonDS is a free Android emulator for Nintendo DS and DSi games, built on melonDS and its Android port. It supports RetroAchievements, including achievements, leaderboards, Hardcore mode, and offline unlocking with later submission. Graphics options include software, OpenGL, Vulkan, and compute renderers, internal resolution scaling, and RetroArch shader presets across renderers. The library supports DSiWare titles, box art, custom ROM names, per-ROM display layouts, and a layout editor. Users can back up and restore settings, set alternate input bindings, and use a hold-to-fast-forward button. For an external display setup, play can use a second screen while the handheld remains available for touch input. Builds are published on GitHub Releases; the latest listed version is 0.8.0.rc2, marked as a release candidate. The project warns that release candidates may have more bugs than usual and may require clearing app data after an update. It says performance is solid on 64-bit devices with thread rendering and JIT enabled, but older devices—especially 32-bit devices—perform very poorly. Local multiplayer, DSi SD card support, and customizable button skins are listed as missing.
For and against
For
- Supports RetroAchievements, including offline unlocking.
- Offers four renderer options and internal resolution scaling.
- Per-ROM display layouts and a layout editor are included.
- Free Android app released under GPL-3.0.
Against
- Local multiplayer is listed as missing.
- DSi SD card support is listed as missing.
- Release candidates may contain more bugs than usual.
- Older devices, especially 32-bit models, perform very poorly.
The verdict
WatermelonDS offers a broad set of graphics, library, and achievement options for Android, with performance dependent on device capabilities. The latest listed release is a release candidate, and the project identifies several missing features.
Who it suits
It suits Android users looking for DS and DSi emulation with display-layout controls and RetroAchievements. The project says performance is solid on 64-bit devices with thread rendering and JIT enabled.
On the record
- Achievements
- It supports RetroAchievements, including achievements, leaderboards, Hardcore mode, and offline play.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Device performance
- The project says performance is solid on 64-bit devices with thread rendering and JIT enabled, while older devices, especially 32-bit devices, perform very poorly due to lack of JIT support.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Download and release status
- Builds are published on GitHub Releases; the latest listed release is version 0.8.0.rc2, marked as a release candidate.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- External displays
- It supports playing on a second screen with the touch screen remaining usable on the handheld, plus per-ROM display layout settings.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Frontend integration
- Third-party Android frontends can launch the app using its package and activity names, provided the ROM has already been scanned by WatermelonDS.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Graphics
- It offers software, OpenGL, Vulkan, and compute renderers, internal resolution scaling, and RetroArch shader presets across renderers.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Library
- The ROM library supports DSiWare titles, box art on the continue shelf, custom ROM names, and separate internal and external layout backups.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Library tools
- The app includes DSiWare listing, box art, custom ROM names, a layout editor, settings backup and restore, alternate input bindings, and a hold-to-fast-forward button.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- License
- The repository lists the project under the GPL-3.0 license.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Missing features
- The project lists local multiplayer, DSi SD card support, and customizable button skins as missing features.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Offline achievements
- Offline unlocks are stored and submitted later; users can choose WatermelonDS’s built-in provider or run RAOfflineProxy, which does not support Hardcore mode.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Organization and pricing
- The project page identifies SapphireRhodonite as the repository owner and describes the app as an Android port; it states no price or paid plan.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Performance limits
- The project says performance is solid on 64-bit devices with thread rendering and JIT enabled, while older devices—especially 32-bit devices—perform very poorly due to lack of JIT support.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- WatermelonDS is a Nintendo DS and DSi emulator for Android, built on melonDS and its Android port.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Release caveat
- The project says release candidates can contain more bugs than usual and may require clearing app data after an update.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Release channel
- Builds are published on GitHub Releases, and release candidates are marked as pre-releases that may contain more bugs than usual.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Renderers
- Available renderers include software, OpenGL, Vulkan, and compute, with internal resolution scaling.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- RetroAchievements
- It supports achievements, leaderboards, Hardcore mode, and offline achievement unlocking with later submission.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
