emulator: Citra
type: standalone + libretro
core_classification: community_fork
source: "https://github.com/libretro/citra"
upstream: "https://github.com/citra-emu/citra"
profiled_date: "2026-03-23"
core_version: "Git"
display_name: "Nintendo - 3DS (Citra)"
cores: [citra]
systems: [nintendo-3ds]

notes: |
  Citra 3DS emulator. Upstream taken down March 2024 (Nintendo lawsuit).
  Mirror: https://github.com/citra-mirror/citra
  Data dir: {save_dir}/Citra/ or {system_dir}/Citra/
  ref: src/citra_libretro/citra_libretro.cpp:460-466

  HLE for most services. Embedded open-source replacements for shared font,
  Mii data, country list, and bad word list compiled into the binary.
  ref: src/core/file_sys/archive_ncch.cpp:9-27, 133-167

  firmware_count absent in .info (= 0). All files optional.

files:
  - name: aes_keys.txt
    path: "Citra/sysdata/aes_keys.txt"
    system: nintendo-3ds
    description: "AES encryption keys"
    required: false
    source_ref: "src/core/hw/aes/key.cpp:207-208 LoadPresetKeys()"
    note: "needed for encrypted games"

  - name: boot9.bin
    path: "Citra/sysdata/boot9.bin"
    system: nintendo-3ds
    description: "ARM9 bootrom"
    required: false
    validation: [size]
    source_ref: "src/core/hw/aes/key.cpp:162-172 LoadBootromKeys(), src/core/hw/rsa/rsa.cpp:55-65 InitSlots()"
    note: "expected size 65536 bytes, provides AES and RSA keys"

  - name: shared_font.bin
    path: "Citra/sysdata/shared_font.bin"
    system: nintendo-3ds
    description: "system shared font (legacy format)"
    required: false
    hle_fallback: true
    source_ref: "src/core/hle/service/apt/apt.cpp:259-267 LoadLegacySharedFont()"
    note: "fallback to embedded open-source replacement font"

  - name: seeddb.bin
    path: "Citra/sysdata/seeddb.bin"
    system: nintendo-3ds
    description: "game seed database"
    required: false
    source_ref: "src/core/file_sys/seed_db.cpp:13-27 SeedDB::Load()"
    note: "needed for seed-encrypted games (9.6+ titles), creates empty if missing"