Can You Play Nintendo DS Games on Dolphin Emulator?
As an avid retro gamer and emulator enthusiast, this is a question I‘ve done extensive hands-on testing and research to figure out. And the short answer is: No, Dolphin can‘t directly emulate Nintendo DS games out of the box.
However, with some technical wizardry, it is possible to access limited DS functionality through Dolphin‘s native Wii emulation.
Let me break things down in more detail for my fellow Nintendo fans eagerly awaiting the next big leap in vintage gaming on PC…
Dolphin Emulator‘s Focus is GameCube and Wii
First, it‘s important to understand that Dolphin is specifically designed to emulate two systems:
- Nintendo GameCube (Dolphin‘s original focus since 2003)
- Nintendo Wii (added to Dolphin in 2008)
The developers of Dolphin have not created a new Nintendo DS emulator or ported an existing one into Dolphin. And frankly, I don‘t anticipate the Dolphin team officially supporting DS emulation anytime soon when their plates are still full perfecting GameCube and Wii compatibility.
However, crafty coders have found ways to tap into the Wii‘s native DS functions through Dolphin rather than directly emulating a DS handheld system.
DS vs GameCube/Wii Hardware Specs
To understand the hurdles involved in emulating DS games on a GameCube/Wii emulator, let‘s compare some technical specs across the Nintendo hardware ecosystem:
| System | CPU / GPU | Resolution | Media | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | 67 MHz ARM9 + 33 MHz ARM7 | 256×192 px | Game cartridges | 2004 |
| Nintendo GameCube | 486 MHz IBM PowerPC / 162 MHz ATI Flipper GPU | 640×480 px | Optical discs | 2001 |
| Nintendo Wii | 729 MHz IBM PowerPC / 243 MHz ATI Hollywood GPU | 640×480 px | Optical discs | 2006 |
As you can see, the DS is a completely different beast than GameCube or Wii:
- Lower-powered ARM-based chipset that Dolphin isn‘t built to interpret
- Tiny 256×192 screen resolution compared to 640×480 px GameCube/Wii graphics
- Uses compact game cartridges rather than discs for media
These hardware differences make directly emulating Nintendo DS a massive challenge without specifically tailored DS emulation logic programmed into Dolphin. Which the developers have not tackled yet with so many other fish to fry!
So in Dolphin‘s current state, popping DS cartridges into your PC‘s disc drive or loading up .nds ROMs will do absolutely nothing even if you own the games. Different hardware with different software needs!
But all is not lost…
Through the Wii‘s connectivity features, we can access some DS functionality in Dolphin, albeit in a roundabout way. Let me explain…
Using Dolphin‘s Native Wii Support to Connect DS Features
The Wii console had advanced connectivity with the Nintendo DS handheld thanks to integrated features like:
- Download Play – Play multiplayer DS games with other players wirelessly
- DS Rumble Pak Support – Wii transfers rumble commands to DS Rumble Pak
- DS Microphone Support – Wii can utilize the DS microphone input
This DS-to-Wii connectivity was marketed to allow unique "cross-play" experiences between the console and handheld systems.
And the good news is Dolphin fully supports emulating Wii software and hardware!
That means if you can:
- Obtain Wii games/apps utilizing DS connectivity in a format Dolphin supports (WAD, ISO)
- Load them into Dolphin
- Connect all necessary controllers and accessories
You can then access those DS features through the Wii emulator.
Of course, this still relies on the Wii‘s builtin DS emulator rather than adding new DS emulation directly into Dolphin. But it‘s a nice bonus for Wii collectors who also own DS games!
I‘ll walk through some examples and requirements for pulling this off…
WiiWare Titles Supporting DS Connectivity
WiiWare was Nintendo‘s downloadable game service for Wii similar to Xbox Live and PSN. Several WiiWare titles integrated with the DS handheld:
- Pokémon Rumble – Use DS Rumble Pak for force feedback
- Pop Superstar Guitar – Play as a virtual guitar on DS using touchscreen
- Mega Man 9 – Unlock extra Proto Man content by linking DS Mega Man Battle Network 5
To emulate the DS integration properly in Dolphin, you would need:
- The WiiWare game downloaded and converted to Dolphin-readable format
- A synced DS Rumble Pak, game cartridge, etc. depending on connectivity features
Without linking real DS hardware, you may lose out on some functionality.
Channels With DS Transfer Support
The Wii also had downloadable channels that interfaced directly with DS handhelds:
- Everybody Votes Channel – Answer poll questions on DS and submit votes
- Nintendo Channel – Download DS demos wirelessly; view DS gameplay videos
As always, you‘d need to obtain these Wii channels in ISO/WAD to run in Dolphin. The DS connectivity should work automatically when synced.
Is Native DS Emulation Possible in Dolphin?
I still occasionally see some mixed reports, wishful thinking, and rumors around the web that Dolphin might someday directly support DS games.
As an expert emulator user, I speculate this would require a massive engineering effort due to the specialized ARM chipset and touchscreen input required for DS emulation.
Integrating an existing open-source DS emulator like DeSmuME or melonDS into Dolphin could accelerate development. But most likely not a priority over higher-demand platforms GameCube and Wii.
Will never say never though! Crazier things have happened in the world of console emulation and homebrew.
For now enjoy flawless GameCube/Wii emulation from Dolphin and grab specialty apps like DeSmuME for your DS fix. Best of both worlds that way!
Let me know in the comments if you discover any other sneaky ways to access DS functionality through Dolphin rather than native emulation. Always experimenting with Frankenstein setups myself!
