DeSmuME is a Nintendo DS emulator. It is also available as a libretro core for RetroArch.
Download[]
Review[]
DeSmuMe is currently the best Nintendo DS emulator out there. It is far better than No$GBA when it comes to accuracy.
Troubleshooting[]
If the game is slow.
- Enable the dynamic recompiler in Emulation Settings.
- If it's still slow, you must be running on a toaster. It can't be helped. But try tinkering with things for the fastest settings you can find.
- Use frameskip as the absolute last resort.
If the sound is distorted.
- Synchronous mode is far less buggy. Method Z seems to work the best in most cases.
If the video is hideous.
- DeSmuME's OpenGL 3D mode supports Multisampling Anti-Aliasing(MSAA). Turning it on helps the serrated edges of ultra low-res DS polygons and lines smooth out, appear to wobble less during movement, and retain their shape better when viewed from distance.
- The only other real thing you can do is filter it. Make sure OpenGL and Filter are checked under Display Method.
- Yes, filter it. Whether that is simple Nearest 2x or some pixel art scaling filter like HQx or xBRZ is up to you.
- OSX version of Desmume also has support for multi-pass post-processing shaders and filters which Windows version currently doesn't have.
- Leaving it native and aligning it to a CRT (Set to a 384 high resolution) is also an option, if you feel like going through the effort.
If the 3D is messed up.
- Set it to OpenGL 3.2. Old OpenGL had problems with 3D itself, while Softrasterizer had alignment issues with 2D. But 3.2 seems to fix most of both.
Internal Resolution[]
Internal Resolution and NDS Emulators:
http://6bit.net/shonumi/2013/02/25/true-internal-resolution-in-nintendo-ds-emulators/
tl;dr: Not currently possible in mainline Desmume. Use filters (e.g. bilinear) if you can't live with jaggies.
DeSmuME X432R is DeSmuME fork with option to increase internal resolution:
Win x64 build
- Binary of SVN r5043: with Hi-Res patch:
- Binary of SVN r5033: http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/emulators/download-desmume-highres-mod-x432r-r5033-x432r-r5033-f32783.html
Mac OS build
- Latest release V.0.9.11