Since the demise of Citra, 3DS emulation fans have been in need of a solid alternative. But a new emulator, Azahar, is changing all that. Available from now on for Android, macOS and Windows**, it can already run several games and could well become a benchmark.

A spiritual sequel to Citra

A fork of Citra and Lime3DS, Azahar takes up the work left undone after official support ended. A first version is already available, allowing players to test it and report any bugs on GitHub while waiting for a more stable version.

Compatibility and performance

Unlike Citra, Azahar does not support encrypted games or .3DS files by default. It uses the CCI format, but you can still convert your games to make them compatible.

One of the most interesting additions is an option to disable right eye rendering (which allows 3D games to be displayed by combining it with left eye rendering), which can improve performance by up to 50% for 2D games. An advantage that could appeal to those looking for a lighter, more optimised emulator.

An uncertain future?

Although Azahar looks set to become the new benchmark emulator for the 3DS, it remains to be seen whether Nintendo will put a stop to its development, as was the case with Citra and Yuzu.

In the meantime, those who want to try it out can download it from the official website:
🔗 azahar-emu.org