Citra Emulator Project (Free)
Screenshots
Citra is a fully-functional Nintendo 3DS Emulator which was first developed for Android, and now there’s a Windows version available. Citra is among the best emulators for a 3DS, providing crisp graphics and a large selection of games. Highly customisable, it’s one of the most advanced emulators available.
High-quality gameplay
Released in 2015, Citra made massive improvements to its software in the past four years. Today, it runs tons of titles from their catalogue at 60 frames per second. It delivers 400x200 resolution, making low-texture games look much better. The emulator brings both classics and newer games to your PC.
Straightforward setup
Citra emulator is simple to get - you download it, install, and launch. As you'll see, this open-source piece of software offers high performance. However, the website is also open-source, which makes it slightly different to use than you'd expect. You'll find game titles tagged with flags based on previously downloaded ROMs.
User-friendly
One of the best features of Citra as an emulator is its user-friendliness for PC users. Its enhanced 3D graphics and support for Windows, Mac OS and Linux all make it excellent for non-console owners who want to try their hand in 3DS games.
Stability issues
While Citra is at the moment the most reliable way to play 3DS games on the computer, it still has some issues with regards to stability. Remember that you will get most, but not all, Nintendo features using it.
Easy, versatile usage
Citra runs several viewing modes to adapt to each game you play. There are two screens which you can use at the same time or switch back and forth.
Reasonable requirements
You won't be able to load ROMs directly in 3DS format. You need to decrypt them using online tools; otherwise, the emulator won't recognise the file. Besides, the only real essentials are that you use a 64-bit OS (Windows 7 and up) and a graphics card which supports OpenGL 3.3.
Selection of games
Nintendo 3DS offers hundreds of games to its users. However, not all will be compatible with the emulator due to its unmatching hardware and graphics. Still, the number of games you get to play is impressive, including, Adventure Time, 2048, Dr Mario and Multiple games from the DragonBall series.
A decent choice
Citra is a top-notch emulator that can run a variety of 3DS ROMs. It's easy to use, enables a lot of flexibility, and supports most games you'd want to play. The only downsides worth mentioning about this programme is that your hardware and mismatched graphics equipment affecting some of the game files, and you'll have to decrypt files before use.