WatermelonDS vs Delta

WWatermelonDS8.5Visit Delta8.2Visit

Higher score W WatermelonDS #5 in Nintendo DS Emulators 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit WatermelonDS

vs

Delta #7 in Nintendo DS Emulators 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Delta

• WatermelonDS fits best

  Android users wanting DS and DSi features

• Delta fits best

  iOS users wanting DS plus other consoles

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Side by side

Feature	WWatermelonDS 8.5/10 Visit ↗	Delta 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.2
Ranking	#5 in Nintendo DS Emulators	#7 in Nintendo DS Emulators
Best for	Android users wanting DS and DSi features	iOS users wanting DS plus other consoles
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Mobile	Mobile, Desktop
Platforms	Android	iOS, macOS
Support	Community	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features WatermelonDS 3/4 · Delta 0/4
Save states	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Local multiplayer	—	Not checked yet
Nintendo DSi support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Cheat support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Android	Not checked yet
Screen layout options	Per-ROM layouts, screen rotation, external-screen layouts, layout editor	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports Nintendo DS and DSi software, including DSiWare integration Offers multiple renderers, resolution scaling, shaders and external-display support Includes save states, cheats and RetroAchievements with offline play	Supports Nintendo DS alongside NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy and more Save states, cheats, controller mapping and external controller support Syncs games, saves, cheats and settings through Google Drive or Dropbox
Cons	Local multiplayer is not supported DSi SD-card support is not included Available as an Android port rather than across multiple platforms	Available on iOS and macOS, with no Android support Nintendo DS multiplayer depends on compatible games and community servers Sega Genesis/Mega Drive support is still in beta
Our verdict	WatermelonDS is an open-source Android emulator for Nintendo DS and DSi software. It is aimed at Android users who want DS and DSi features on handheld devices or hardware connected to external displays. The feature set covers core… Read the review →	Delta is a free, open-source emulator for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple silicon Mac and Apple Vision devices. It is aimed at Apple users who want Nintendo DS emulation alongside NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• WatermelonDS — where it wins

  • Supports Nintendo DS and DSi software, including DSiWare integration
  • Offers multiple renderers, resolution scaling, shaders and external-display support
  • Includes save states, cheats and RetroAchievements with offline play

  Where it doesn't

  • Local multiplayer is not supported
  • DSi SD-card support is not included
  • Available as an Android port rather than across multiple platforms

• Delta — where it wins

  • Supports Nintendo DS alongside NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy and more
  • Save states, cheats, controller mapping and external controller support
  • Syncs games, saves, cheats and settings through Google Drive or Dropbox

  Where it doesn't

  • Available on iOS and macOS, with no Android support
  • Nintendo DS multiplayer depends on compatible games and community servers
  • Sega Genesis/Mega Drive support is still in beta

• WWatermelonDS8.5/10 · Free plan

  A free Android emulator with broad DS and DSi features, but no local multiplayer.

  Visit WatermelonDSFull verdict →
• Delta8.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad Apple-focused emulator with strong DS support and useful synchronization tools.

  Visit DeltaFull verdict →