FOSSPicks
Citra
Citra is a Nintendo 3DS emulator from the same team behind the trailblazing yuzu Switch emulator (see above). The big difference is that 3DS has a far more modest hardware specification, because it's considerably older. It also helps that this emulator has been in development for a considerable time. As a result, Citra is relatively mature. This can be seen with the setup wizard that helps you choose between versions and automatically download the binaries of whatever you choose. It also means you can play real games if you have the hardware facility and permission to copy them from your cartridges. The main Qt-based UI window is almost identical to yuzu, and it's obvious that both emulators and hardware have a lot in common. But the big difference is that, with Citra, you can actually play games. Like the Wine compatibility list for Windows titles, the wiki contains a list of games and a rating of how well they work: 36 titles are rated as having "Perfect" emulation, and a whopping 62 reportedly work "Great."
The games themselves will need to be sourced before you can play anything. Using your own cartridges is likely the most legal option. Games are also encrypted against your original hardware, which can create more legal and moral hurdles, but Citra is capable of excellent performance if you get that far. Like many emulators, modules are used to perform the CPU, system, input graphics, and audio hardware. Each of these can be configured separately and changed to adjust performance for your specific system. In particular, you can change the rendering's native resolution so that the output supersedes the original viewport's size. The original 3DS selling point, of course, was its 3D screen. Unfortunately, this isn't yet supported, even if you have the hardware, but touch is emulated, as is network gameplay, so you get almost the whole experience.
Project Website
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.