Free open source 3DS emulator
Citra is a free to download Nintendo 3DS emulator. In construction by fans since 2014, the software allows owners of 3DS games to dump their files and then play on a PC.
Boot up
Citra is one of the most popular emulators around for the handheld 3DS. An unofficial fan creation, the software is a simple to use open source project which can be modified by anyone. Roughly 50 casual developers have made improvements to the project, with regular updates available from the main site. Despite the simplicity of the software and the long development cycle, one of the main complaints about Citra is general poor performance. Loading a 3DS title is something of a gamble, with many either simply crashing or running at unplayable frame rates. This is in part down to the custom hardware of the 3DS being difficult to translate to PC. Powerful machines generally help improve performance, especially relating to CPU speed, but stable emulation is still some way ahead. The legal technicalities surrounding the software and emulation in general should also be noted in order to avoid potential copyright infringement.
Troublesome
Citra is a simple to use emulator currently lacking in stable performance. An above average PC helps, but most games will still be buggy.
