Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Nintendo DS Emulators

DeSmuME vs NooDS

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score DeSmuME #1 in Nintendo DS Emulators 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit DeSmuME
NooDS #8 in Nintendo DS Emulators 8.0/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit NooDS

DeSmuME leads on 0 checks, NooDS on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDeSmuME · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly DeSmuME

DeSmuME scores higher on our rubric for nintendo ds emulators: 9.4 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

DeSmuME is the better fit for free, full-featured desktop DS emulation. NooDS is the better fit for users prioritizing broad platform availability.

  • DeSmuME fits best

    Free, full-featured desktop DS emulation

  • NooDS fits best

    Users prioritizing broad platform availability

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature DeSmuME 9.4/10 Visit ↗ NooDS 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.0
Ranking #1 in Nintendo DS Emulators #8 in Nintendo DS Emulators
Best for Free, full-featured desktop DS emulation Users prioritizing broad platform availability
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Open source
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Community, Docs Community
Built for Solo, Small business Solo
Features DeSmuME 0/4 · NooDS 0/4
Save states Not checked yet Not checked yet
Local multiplayer Not checked yet Not checked yet
Nintendo DSi support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cheat support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Not checked yet Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Switch, Wii U, and Vita
Screen layout options Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop systems
  • Offers high-resolution 3D with GPU scaling and multiple renderers
  • Includes touchscreen, microphone, save, and Action Replay support
  • Supports Nintendo DS and GBA emulation
  • Runs across desktop, mobile, Switch, Wii U, and Vita builds
  • Offers upscaling, multi-core rendering, and configurable file paths
Cons
  • Wi-Fi emulation is not supported
  • Linux users may need to build from source
  • Focused only on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite
  • Requires legally dumped DS BIOS and firmware files
  • Uses software rendering rather than a broader rendering approach
  • Focuses on core DS and GBA emulation rather than wider features
Our verdict

DeSmuME is a free, open-source desktop emulator for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite software. It is intended for users who want to run Nintendo DS titles on Windows, macOS, or Linux computers. Its feature set covers the core DS hardware…

Read the review →

NooDS is an open-source Nintendo DS and GBA emulator developed by Hydr8gon as a personal project. It is aimed at users who want portable access across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, with documented builds also covering Switch,…

Read the review →
  1. DeSmuMENintendo DS Emulators 9.4Free plan
  2. NooDSNintendo DS Emulators 8.0Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • DeSmuME — where it wins

    • Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop systems
    • Offers high-resolution 3D with GPU scaling and multiple renderers
    • Includes touchscreen, microphone, save, and Action Replay support

    Where it doesn't

    • Wi-Fi emulation is not supported
    • Linux users may need to build from source
    • Focused only on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite

  • NooDS — where it wins

    • Supports Nintendo DS and GBA emulation
    • Runs across desktop, mobile, Switch, Wii U, and Vita builds
    • Offers upscaling, multi-core rendering, and configurable file paths

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires legally dumped DS BIOS and firmware files
    • Uses software rendering rather than a broader rendering approach
    • Focuses on core DS and GBA emulation rather than wider features

More comparisons

All nintendo DS emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update