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For a typical Nintendo 3DS cartridge game dump, use a .3ds or .cci file. Both are listed as loadable content by the Libretro Citra core. A .cia file is different: it is an installable archive rather than a plain game image, so whether you can use it depends on your specific Citra build or frontend. Whether any file opens also depends on encryption, the integrity of the dump, and whether the individual game needs extra system files.
Which extension fits which kind of file
The Libretro Citra core documentation introduces its list with the sentence “Content that can be loaded by the Citra core have the following file extensions:” That list describes one core. It does not tell you what a file contains, and it does not guarantee that a file will run. Other Citra frontends, standalone builds, and successor forks can accept different extensions, so check your own build’s instructions before assuming a format works.
| Extension | What it usually is | Listed as loadable by the Libretro Citra core | Practical guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
.3ds |
Cartridge game dump | Yes | The plain-language example for a cartridge game. Check encryption status and your exact build. |
.cci |
Game image | Yes | Also a supported game image. The extension alone does not show whether the image is encrypted. |
.cia |
Installable archive for installed or digital titles | Not in the core’s loadable list | Needs an install workflow in a build or frontend that supports it. Do not expect a loader to open it directly. |
.3dsx |
Homebrew application | Yes | Keep it separate from retail cartridge dumps. |
.cxi |
Specialized content | Yes | Not a typical choice for retail games. The cited documentation gives no basis for prescribing it. |
.app |
Specialized content | Yes | Same as .cxi: loadable in the core, but not a standard retail game format. |
.elf and .axf |
Executable content | Yes | Specialized executables, not standard game dumps. |
Three separate questions drive the choice: whether a format is loaded directly or installed, whether the file is a game dump or homebrew or specialized content, and whether the content is encrypted or decrypted. Treat them separately rather than assuming every supported extension is interchangeable.
Cartridge dumps: .3ds and .cci
A cartridge dump is the image of a game card, and it is the format most readers mean when they ask what to load. .3ds is the example a Citra-focused dumping guide uses, and it is the safest name to use in instructions. .cci is the other game-image extension on the Libretro core’s list. Choose whichever your dumping tool produces; both are loadable in that core.
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The extension does not reveal whether a dump is encrypted. A decrypted and an encrypted file can carry the same suffix, so the extension is a starting point, not a verdict.
Installed titles and .cia
A .cia file holds an installed or digital title. A 2026 Citra-focused dumping guide describes installed and digital title dumps as CIA files. That guide is not official project documentation, so treat it as practical guidance rather than a specification.
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The Libretro core’s loadable-extension list does not include .cia. If your build offers a CIA installation command, use the command in that build’s own documentation and follow its steps. If your build has no install function, a .cia file will not work as a plain game image, and converting it to a cartridge format is not a step the cited sources describe.
Homebrew and specialized content
The Libretro core also lists .3dsx, .cxi, .app, .elf, and .axf. These are specialized content types. .3dsx is the one most readers will meet, usually as homebrew software, and it belongs in a separate category from cartridge dumps. The remaining extensions are for specialized content, and the available documentation does not justify recommending them as typical retail game choices.
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Encryption: what the extension cannot tell you
Libretro’s Citra core documentation states that encrypted games require AES keys. A 2019-era Citra progress report describes the project extracting keys from a 3DS, then adding support for encrypted ROMs. The same report said decrypted ROM dumps remained the recommended choice for general use at that time.
That is a historical statement about one project period. It is not a current instruction from the project, and it does not say whether a given fork still handles encrypted files the same way. Keys must come from your own console, and they must be set up in the build you use.
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When a file will not open
- Confirm that your exact build accepts the extension. Use the Libretro list only as a reference for the core, not as a guarantee for your frontend.
- If the file is an encrypted game, confirm that the required AES keys and user system keys are configured in your build.
- Check that the dump is intact. If you suspect a copy error, dump or copy the file again rather than repeatedly trying to load a damaged one.
- Check whether that particular title needs system archives or a config savegame dumped from a 3DS.
System archives and config savegames
Some games cannot run from the game file alone. The preserved Citra compatibility page says that certain titles need files dumped from a 3DS and integrated into Citra. The preserved user-directory documentation explains where those supporting files belong in the emulator’s storage. Both pages are archived snapshots dated 2024-03-04, so confirm the current folder layout against your build before copying anything.
Getting your own dump off the console
A 2026 dumping guide lists a USB SD card reader for moving files from a console’s SD card to a computer. This matters only for transferring your own dump. A card reader does not affect whether Citra accepts a file, and it is not needed to play a game that is already on the target device.
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The Libretro Citra core page is current documentation for that core. The Citra user-directory and compatibility pages are preserved archives, and the snapshot date for both is 2024-03-04. The encryption statement comes from a 2019-era project report. The dumping guide is a 2026 third-party resource, not official documentation. Forks and frontends may diverge from all of these, so the instructions for your exact build take precedence.
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