Azahar Emulator

If you’re moving from Citra or Lime3DS, you can keep using your decrypted .3ds cartridge backups in Azahar. The emulator accepts that extension again, so there’s no need to rename those files to .cci. Azahar is an open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator that combines Lime3DS and PabloMK7’s fork of Citra.

Azahar 2126.2 builds

The four downloads on this page are standalone builds from the official Azahar release.

• Windows (43.4 MB). Run the MSYS2 .exe installer on an x64 PC with Windows 10 or later.
• macOS (114.4 MB). Extract the ZIP and move Azahar to Applications. The universal build supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 13.4 or later.
• Android (50.2 MB). Install the Vanilla APK on a 64-bit device running Android 10 or later. On first launch, choose a folder for Azahar’s user data, then select the folder where you keep your games.
• Linux (103.7 MB). On x86-64 Linux, mark the AppImage as executable before you open it. The project also offers a Flatpak on Flathub, including a build for ARM64 Linux.

Opening a cartridge backup or installing a CIA

Extract your game backup first if it’s inside a ZIP or 7z archive. Open a decrypted .3ds or .cci cartridge backup directly from Azahar. A decrypted .cia is an installable package. On desktop, use File → Install CIA…, then launch the game from the library. Changing a filename extension leaves the file’s encryption intact.

If your games don’t show up, our 3DS setup guide for Windows and Android covers folder permissions and missing games.

Keep both screens visible if the game uses the lower one for a map or inventory. If a decrypted backup still fails to boot, look up the title in Azahar’s compatibility tracker and check which emulator version the report used. A result from an older build may differ from what you see in 2126.2.