Guide
Every DS game you can play natively on PC
7 DS games run as native PC programs, with no emulator. Fans rebuilt them in 1 decomp, 2 recomps and 5 rebuilt engines, and 0 of these ports are playable now. This list is built from the PlayPorted catalog, so it changes as projects ship.
8 ports · Updated
In beta 7
They run, with missing pieces or known problems.
| Game | Project | Method | Systems | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metroid Prime Hunters | MetroidPrimeHuntersRecomp | Recomp | Windows, Linux | v0.7.3-alpha Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon Black Version | Gen2Recomped | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.8.45 Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon HeartGold Version | Gen2Recomped | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.8.45 Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon Platinum Version | Gen2Recomped | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.8.45 Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon SoulSilver Version | Gen2Recomped | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.8.45 Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon SoulSilver Version | ssrecomp | Recomp | macOS, Linux | v0.4.2 Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon White Version | Gen2Recomped | Rebuild | Windows, macOS, Linux | 0.8.45 Oct 2026 |
In progress 1
Still in development.
| Game | Project | Method | Systems | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario 64 DS | sm64ds-decomp | Decomp | Windows | Oct 2026 |
How to play them
- Get the game files from a copy of the game you own. Check each project's page for the version it needs.
- Download the port from its project page. Every row above links to the port's page on PlayPorted, which links to the project.
- Point the port at your game files the way its project page describes.
Some ports take a long time to reach a release, and how they are made explains why.Decomp vs recomp covers the difference.
Questions
Is this emulation?
No. Each port is the game rebuilt as a native program, so it runs without an emulator.
Do they work on Steam Deck and Linux?
7 of these ports ship for Linux, which is what Steam Deck runs. Check each port's page for its systems.
What about Mac?
6 ship for macOS. Check each port's page for its systems.
Can I download the games here?
No. PlayPorted links to the projects and never hosts game files. Every port needs game files from a copy you own.