MelonDS Just Became The Best Nintendo DS Emulator On Android With New Update
Nick Fernandez / Android Authority
TL;DR
- melonDS just updated to version 1.10 on Android, with support for 8x upscaling, better cheat support, and more.
- Developer Rafael V. Caetano has stated that local multiplayer support is his next big target.
- The update is available now on GitHub, with the Play Store update available soon.
Nintendo DS emulation on Android has long been dominated by DraStic, which offered incredible performance on low-spec devices. However the app has long been abandoned, and last month it was finally removed from the Play Store. Thankfully, the latest update to melonDS gives Android users a new champion.
Release 1.10 of melonDS on Android adds OpenGL renderer, with support for up to 8x upscaling on devices that can handle it. It’s still missing Vulkan support, but the new renderer can breathe new life into DS games on more powerful gaming phones.
Other new additions include memory expansion via the GBA slot, better cheat support, and improved support for foldable devices. There are also many minor tweaks and fixes, such as a new toggle for microphone input, which is essential for some Nintendo DS games.
The next update could bring local multiplayer, which would be a game-changer.
While this update is exciting, the next one could be even bigger. In a post on Reddit, Rafael V. Caetano, the developer of the Android fork of melonDS, stated that his next target is local multiplayer support. This was added to the desktop version of melonDS in November of last year. Development of the mainline version has largely stalled since then, so this would bring the Android port up to near feature parity.
You can download the latest version of melonDS on Android via GitHub today. The Play Store update is expected to land in the next few days.
Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at [email protected]. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it’s your choice.
