Freedom251 › Nintendo DS Emulators
iDroidDS

What iDroidDS is
iDroidDS, also known as nds4droid, is a free, open-source Nintendo DS emulator for Android smartphones. It uses DeSmuME 0.9.11 as its emulation core and supports save states, cheats, and Both, Main, Touch, Portrait, and Landscape screen layouts. The project supports armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a, x86, and x86_64 processors and requires Android 5.0 or newer. Its README says devices with more than 512 MB of RAM and Android 5.0 or above should be able to run it, but performance depends on the device and the game. The project says the repository is not the official nds4droid repository and warns that its state is not stable. It asks users to report issues through GitHub; reports involving older Android versions or ROMs that do not operate correctly will be closed. Dropbox save syncing and work on the OpenGL ES renderers appear on the project’s to-do list. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License and provided without warranty.
Who it suits
It suits Android users looking for a free Nintendo DS emulator with save states, cheats, and multiple screen layouts. Check the Android requirement and project stability warning before relying on it.
What it does well
- Free and open-source.
- Includes save states and cheat support.
- Offers five screen layout options.
- Supports four listed processor architectures.
What to know first
- Requires Android 5.0 or newer.
- Project warns that it is not stable.
- Performance varies by device and game.
- Provided without warranty.
Limits
The free plan is the app, with no separate quota or seat limit listed. It requires Android 5.0 or newer, and the project warns that it is not stable and comes without warranty.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free · ad-free · open-source | Free |
As github.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the project repository on GitHub.
- Use an Android device running Android 5.0 or newer.
- Install the Android app from the available project route.
- Choose a screen layout: Both, Main, Touch, Portrait, or Landscape.
- Report eligible issues through GitHub issue tickets.
Verdict
iDroidDS offers core Nintendo DS emulation features at no cost on supported Android devices. Its repository warning and device-dependent performance are worth considering.
Questions
How much does iDroidDS cost?
It is free, with a listed plan price of $0.
Is iDroidDS open source?
Yes. The project is licensed under the GNU General Public License and welcomes contributions.
Which platform does it support?
It supports Android and requires Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer.
Does iDroidDS have advertisements?
The README says nds4droid has no advertisements.
What features does it include?
It supports save states, cheats, and Both, Main, Touch, Portrait, and Landscape screen layouts.
Where can users report issues?
The project asks users to report issues through GitHub issue tickets. Reports about devices below Android 5.0 or ROMs that do not operate correctly will be closed.
Facts from iDroidDS's own pages
- Ads
- The README says nds4droid has no advertisements. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Android requirement
- This version requires Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Device memory
- The README says devices with over 512 MB of RAM and Android 5.0 or above should be able to run the emulator. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Emulation core
- The project uses DeSmuME 0.9.11 as its core. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Issue exclusions
- The README says issues about devices below Android 5.0 or ROMs not operating correctly will be closed. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Issue support
- Users are asked to report issues through GitHub issue tickets. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- License and warranty
- The README says nds4droid is licensed under the GNU General Public License and provided as-is without warranty. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The project is free and open-source, and anyone can contribute. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Performance
- Performance varies with device hardware and the game being emulated. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Processor architectures
- It supports armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a, x86, and x86_64. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Project stability
- The repository warns that it is not the official nds4droid repository and that nothing here is stable. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- iDroidDS (nds4droid) is a Nintendo DS emulator for Android smartphones. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Rendering
- The to-do list says the project plans to improve its OpenGL ES 2.0 renderer and get the OpenGL ES 3.0 renderer working. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Save syncing
- Dropbox support for syncing save files appears on the project to-do list. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Where iDroidDS stands on Freedom251
- Nintendo DS Emulators#10 of 18