Nandbin introduced a dynamic frame skip that can skip up to 3 frames if the emulated GPU falls behind. Unlike mainline’s “auto” skip (max 1 frame), this makes games playable on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ but causes audio crackling and desync in rhythm games (Elite Beat Agents, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan).
If you have a valid NAND backup (usually named nand.bin or similar), follow these steps to set it up:
To understand Nandbin MelonDS, one must first understand the state of Nintendo DS emulation in the late 2010s. For years, DeSmuME was the only viable option—stable but notoriously single-threaded, slow on ARM-based devices (like early Raspberry Pis and smartphones), and lacking certain hardware-accurate features. Then came MelonDS (by StapleButter), a ground-up emulator focused on accuracy over speed. MelonDS brought near-perfect Wi-Fi emulation, JIT recompilers, and excellent game compatibility. nandbin melonds
However, accuracy came at a cost: high CPU requirements. MelonDS struggled on low-power x86 hardware (e.g., Intel Atom, Celeron) and was virtually unusable on ARM-based SBCs (Single Board Computers) like the Raspberry Pi 3/4 without significant frame drops.
Enter Nandbin (a handle of a Korean developer), who decided to fork MelonDS with a singular, controversial mission: aggressive optimization, even at the expense of accuracy. Nandbin introduced a dynamic frame skip that can
Since the Nandbin is copyrighted firmware (extracted from a real DSi), we will cover the process without providing direct download links. You will need to dump your own NAND using a homebrewed DSi or find a legally obtained dump from your personal console.
What you will need:
Installation steps:
Troubleshooting: If you see a “NAND not found” error, double-check that the file is named exactly
nand.bin(all lowercase) and that Melonds has storage permissions. Installation steps:
Once you have a valid nand.bin (and DSi BIOS files), follow this setup.