WatermelonDS on Retroid Pocket Duo: setup and compatibility
Nintendo DS and DSi emulator for Android, based on melonDS, with external-display support.
- Systems
- Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Newest checked release
- Preview · 0.8.0.rc3Oct 17, 2026
- Two-screen support
- Documented by project
- Duo support
- Not confirmed yetAndroid builds are available.
On this page
Release notes
The release candidate adds an optional Vulkan low-latency mode, control improvements, DSi profiles and game fixes.
Recent reports
Individual reports; versions and hardware may differ.
A Retro Game Corps review slide lists Duo battery life at 50% brightness and volume: Shadow of the Colossus in NetherSX2 Classic at 2x, 3 hours 2 minutes; Pokemon Ultra Sun in Azahar at 3x, 3 hours 42 minutes; TimeSplitters 2 plus YouTube in Dolphin at 2x, 5 hours 33 minutes; Phantom Hourglass in WatermelonDS at 4x, 6 hours 40 minutes; Golden Sun in RetroArch with Simpletex and run ahead, 16 hours 40 minutes. An owner says the 3DS test used fast forward and estimates 4 to 5 hours in normal play.
From Duo reviews
Reported settings and results. A tested build may differ from the latest release.
Retro Game Corps uses WatermelonDS at 4× resolution with its input-latency toggle enabled and reports good DS performance.
- resolution scale
- 4×
- low input latency
- On
The reviewer compares WatermelonDS against an original DSi XL and describes input delay as close, with a small remaining gap.
- low input latency
- On
The hosts mention manually correcting WatermelonDS’s initial top/bottom screen assignment. No application version is stated.
OJAYSAN names WatermelonDS for DS and Azahar for 3DS in their initial setup. No build numbers or detailed performance results are given.
Every DS game tried in WatermelonDS ran without noticeable slowdown at 4×, with fast-forward to spare and no perceptible delay between the two screens.
- internal resolution
- 4×
- filter
- Linear
Version and support notes
The latest tag is a release candidate, though GitHub does not mark it as a prerelease.
Sources
Games WatermelonDS could help run
These notes cover the same system but don't say they used WatermelonDS, so results may differ.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom HourglassThe Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass runs at reported full speed with SeedlessDS high-resolution rendering on Lite. The reviewer reports substantial fast-forward headroom early on; not every touch or lid-close puzzle was tried.Pocket Duo and Duo Lite
LEGO Battles: NinjagoIn LEGO Battles: Ninjago, the reviewer reports the SeedlessDS LCD shader appearing on only the top screen of Lite, and later disables it. The build is not shown, so newer versions may differ.Pocket Duo Lite
New Super Mario Bros. (DS)New Super Mario Bros. shows intermittent scrolling stutter in the reviewer’s DraStic rev i18n test on Lite even while the speed counter says 100%. The build is not shown and the cause is unresolved.Pocket Duo Lite
Mario Kart DSMario Kart DS exposes a hold-button problem in the Lite SeedlessDS test: drifting and holding items behave like repeated presses. A controller test looks normal to the reviewer, and no fix for the emulator or button mapping is found.Pocket Duo Lite
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry SkiesDragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies gets a positive verdict in a short test with SeedlessDS high-resolution rendering on Lite. No frame rate is given and only a short stretch was played.Pocket Duo Lite
Sonic RushIn Sonic Rush on Lite’s GammaOS preview, the reviewer reports smooth motion and closely synchronised screens by eye, with fast-forward headroom.Pocket Duo Lite
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit TracksThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks touch controls are described as substantially better than stock on Lite’s GammaOS preview, but the reviewer still notices some delay. They call the short rock-picking and throwing stretch playable.Pocket Duo Lite
Pokémon Black Version 2Pokémon Black Version 2 has a positive boot and title sequence on Lite’s GammaOS preview, including fast-forward headroom. Demanding battles and later areas were not shown.Pocket Duo Lite
Card screenshots come from Libretro, not from a Duo.
All Nintendo DS setupRelated software
DSSeedlessDSAndroid Nintendo DS emulator designed around handheld controls and dual-display layouts.Emulator · 1.0.1- Turnip for Adreno 722 / DuoCommunity Turnip builds specifically profiled for the Pocket Duo’s Adreno 722 GPU.Graphics driver · 5.1
- CocoonAndroid game-library frontend with dual-screen layouts, game information and companion features.Frontend · Preview · beta-3.11
- GammaOSCustomized Android firmware family with the GammaOS Nano console interface.Operating system · v1.4.4-ANBERNICRGDS
- DSDraStic rev i18nCommunity modification of DraStic adding translations, control improvements and dual-screen handheld features.Emulator · rev260701
- iiSUAndroid-first emulation frontend with configurable artwork and dual-screen presentation.Frontend · Preview · 0.0.7.4
Reviews covering this tool
The Dual-Screen Handheld We’ve Been Waiting For?OJAYSAN · First impressions
Retroid Pocket DUO Review: Mid-game (+ Odin 3 Portal thoughts)Retro Handhelds · Review discussion
Retroid Pocket Duo In-Depth ReviewRetro Game Corps · Review
Hands on With The Retroid Pocket Duo; A Little More Magic This TimeGardiner Bryant · Review