Azahar Draws the Line With Anbernic Over 3DS Emulation

Checkmate honey, beat ya at your own damn game.

Earlier today, the Azahar team announced that it was withdrawing official support for Anbernic handhelds. This means the developers will no longer investigate or resolve bugs and compatibility issues specific to Anbernic hardware. Why, you ask? Well, the announcement comes on the heels of Anbernic’s promotional videos for its upcoming RG DDS handheld, which featured 3DS games running through AzaharPlus, an unofficial fork of the Azahar emulator.

Azahar has not announced that its emulator will stop working on Anbernic devices. The decision concerns official developer support, not whether the emulator can run on Anbernic hardware.

Before we go any further, let’s revisit some history from the last few years. Azahar emerged from the combination of Lime3DS and the PabloMK7 Citra fork following Citra’s shutdown in 2024. One of the project’s priorities was to distance itself from piracy concerns. With that in mind, the developers chose not to include built-in support for decrypting 3DS game files.

AzaharPlus, on the other hand, includes features not found in the official emulator:

• Built-in decryption support for encrypted 3DS game files.
• The ability to download certain system files without requiring an original 3DS.
• Compatibility with game files supported by earlier Citra forks.

The disagreement between Azahar and AzaharPlus isn’t entirely new. According to Retro Handhelds, the Azahar team previously raised concerns about the unofficial fork’s use of its name and logo. The developers reportedly requested changes to both, but those requests were rejected. Now, Anbernic’s decision to showcase AzaharPlus in its promotional videos has brought the dispute back into the spotlight. Azahar’s decision to withdraw official support applies to all Anbernic hardware, not just the RG DDS.

Users who already have Azahar installed on Anbernic handhelds should still be able to use the emulator. There has been no indication that the Azahar team intends to prevent its software from running on these devices. However, the developers have stated that they will not investigate or resolve issues specific to Anbernic hardware.

This isn’t great news for Anbernic owners, as their alternatives for 3DS emulation are somewhat limited. Many of the other emulators aren’t actively maintained or don’t offer the same level of compatibility.

Anbernic hasn’t been able to keep itself out of the news lately. If you remember, a few weeks ago, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) raised concerns about the company’s distribution and promotion of copyrighted games. The organization characterized Anbernic as a “superfake” and recommended its inclusion on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets List.

Since then, Retro Handhelds and other outlets have reported that Anbernic has begun removing optional microSD card bundles from its official storefront. While the timing suggests a possible connection to the ESA’s recommendation, Anbernic has not publicly confirmed that the changes were made in response.

Azahar is no stranger to controversy either. When the emulator first launched, its developers removed support for the .3ds file extension to distance the project from piracy concerns. The decision frustrated users, generated negative reviews on Google Play, and created confusion within the 3DS emulation community. Some users discovered they could work around the restriction by renaming compatible, decrypted .3ds files to .cci.

In the beginning of 2026, the team reversed that decision with the release of Azahar 2124.3. The developers acknowledged that removing .3ds support had caused more problems than it solved and created unnecessary divisions within their community. While the update restored support for the file extension, encrypted game files remained unsupported due to the project’s legal concerns.

Today’s development raises an interesting question. What responsibility does a handheld manufacturer have when it uses emulators to advertise and sell its products? Should manufacturers simply demonstrate games without identifying the emulator, or is that information an important selling point? Potential buyers may want to know which emulators work on a device before spending their money.

It’s also worth remembering that Azahar is an open-source project maintained by independent developers. While the team has its own priorities and concerns about piracy, it cannot necessarily control how others use its software. However, the developers can decide which devices they are willing to support, especially when a manufacturer’s decisions conflict with the project’s values.

Anbernic, on the other hand, is a commercial hardware manufacturer that benefits from the availability of these emulators. Would the company have been better off using the official Azahar emulator in its promotional materials to avoid further controversy? Or was the decision to feature AzaharPlus an attempt to appeal to consumers who prefer the unofficial fork?

There aren’t necessarily easy answers to these questions, but the situation highlights the sometimes complicated relationship between open-source developers and the companies that benefit from their work.

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