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<languages/>{{shortcut|3DS:GBA}}
The Nintendo 3DS can play GBA games through several methods, both natively and through emulation.

== Comparison of methods ==

In order of most to least recommended.

=== open_agb_firm ===

{{Main|3DS:open_agb_firm}}
* Runs natively, not via emulation (high compatibility, but no cheats, fast-forward, etc)
** Supports real-time clock for Pokemon, but no camera or accelerometer
* Must be booted from chainloader (by holding START on boot), like GodMode9
** This ''does'' allow faster launching than injects if your system is powered off.
* Has a file manager that allows you to select a ROM
* Supports button remapping (including circle pad and touchscreen, but not New 3DS L2/R2)
* Brightness can be adjusted in-game
* Automatic ROM patching is supported
* Streaming, 3DS HOME Menu, etc. are inaccessible while a game is running
* Saves are stored on SD card and easy to manage
* Lacks a user interface for configuring settings (a text editor must be used to change the config file)
* Still under active development
=== Virtual Console (VC) injects ===

{{Main|3DS:Virtual Console}}

* Run natively, not via emulation (same caveats as above)
* Must manually be created using a PC program (Windows-only, closed-source and abandoned by dev)
* Each game has its own separate icon on the HOME Menu
* No button remapping
* No adjustable brightness
* No automatic ROM patching
* Streaming, 3DS HOME Menu, etc. are inaccessible while a game is running
* Saves are stored in NAND and are difficult to backup and restore (requires GodMode9 and multiple reboots for each save)

=== mGBA ===
* A full emulator, which means that it has fast-forward, cheats, save states
* Performance isn't perfect, especially on old 3DS
* Not compatible with all games, but may have higher compatibility with ROM hacks that are not designed to run on actual GBA hardware
* Runs in 3DS mode, so you can stream it or use the HOME Menu while it's running
* Supports button remapping
* Has a ROM picker
* Saves are stored on SD card and easy to manage
* Supports additional hardware features, such as accelerometer (for WarioWare: Twisted!) and camera (for Game Boy Camera)

=== GBARunner2 ===
* A middle-ground between emulation and native
** it's basically the worst of both worlds, still no emulator features, but some games are incompatible or have issues
* Included with TWiLightMenu++
* Has a ROM picker
* Streaming, 3DS HOME Menu, etc. are inaccessible while a game is running
* Saves are stored on SD card and easy to manage

== Overview table ==
{| class="wikitable colortable"
!Feature
!open_agb_firm
!VC Injects
!mGBA
!GBARunner2
|-
|Games run natively
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|-
|Runs full speed on Old 3DS
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|-
|Retail game compatibility
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|-
|Homebrew/ROM hack compatibility
(For things not intended to run on official hardware)
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-yellow"|△
|-
|Runs from HOME Menu
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|-
|Drag-and-drop / ROM picker
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|-
|Cheats, fast-forwarding,
save states
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|-
|Motion sensor support
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|-
|Easy save file access from SD
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-green"|✓
|-
|Wireless streaming via NTR
(New 3DS only)
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|-
|Under active development
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-red"|✗
|class="ct-green"|✓
|class="ct-blue"|?

|}

[[Category:Nintendo 3DS guides]]

3DS:GBA games/en - Revision history

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