Halo on 3DS has become a reality through a community port of Halo: Combat Evolved based on recent decompilation work of the original Xbox version. Modder GeneralKidd presented the project on September 29, 2026, showing the Bungie classic running on the New Nintendo 3DS.
The implementation is still in development. Even so, it already loads the campaign, offers local multiplayer, plays audio, and takes advantage of specific features of Nintendo's handheld. In addition, the bottom screen receives interface elements that would normally occupy the main image.
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Halo on 3DS uses the handheld's two screens
GeneralKidd adapted the presentation of Halo: Combat Evolved to the dual-screen format. The bottom display shows elements such as radar, ammo, and player information. This way, the top screen can dedicate more space to gameplay.
The project also takes advantage of the New Nintendo 3DS's stereoscopic 3D effect. According to the original demonstration, the campaign, local multiplayer, audio, second screen, and 3D effect are already working at this stage.
GeneralKidd's original demonstration shows Halo: Combat Evolved running on the New Nintendo 3DS with campaign, second screen, and 3D effect support.
Performance ranges between 20 and 30 FPS
GeneralKidd himself reports performance between 20 and 30 FPS, depending on the load. This number represents the test presented by the developer and not an independent benchmark performed on different models of the handheld.
To achieve this result, the project makes visual concessions. Models and effects from the original game must adapt to the handheld's CPU and GPU limitations.
Even so, the demonstration clearly preserves the identity of the Xbox version. Therefore, this work should not be confused with a demake recreated from scratch to imitate Halo on weaker hardware.
The community shared images and demonstrations of the alpha version of Halo: Combat Evolved on the New Nintendo 3DS.
Campaign and local multiplayer are already working
The demonstration is not limited to a technical room. GeneralKidd confirms that the campaign can already be loaded on the handheld. Local multiplayer also appears among the functional features.
In contrast, online multiplayer remains unavailable. In addition, the developer acknowledges the presence of several bugs. Therefore, the project should not yet be treated as a final or stable version.
There is also no mature public release at this time comparable to the ports already distributed for PC, Linux, or Android. The 3DS work remains an implementation under development.
Port stems from the decompilation of Halo: Combat Evolved
The technical classification is important. The project utilizes the decompilation work of the original Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved. Thus, it does not rely on a virtual Xbox machine running inside the Nintendo 3DS.
The game's decompilation also paved the way for other modern implementations. The Halo CE Android, for example, already runs ARM64 code on mobile phones through the halo-ce-universal project.
This movement recalls other recent preservation and native port initiatives. The Conker Recompiled also seeks to liberate a classic from its original hardware, although it uses a different technical approach.
Recent community discussion about the port of Halo: Combat Evolved for the Nintendo 3DS family.
New Nintendo 3DS is the current target
The faster hardware of the New Nintendo 3DS family constitutes the functional target of this first phase. GeneralKidd explained that he started with the more powerful model because it offers the best chance of running the game in an acceptable manner.
The developer also stated that he intends to try to make the port available for the base models of the 3DS family. However, this represents a development goal, not a proven compatibility yet.
Therefore, there is not enough basis to state that Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 2DS or New Nintendo 2DS XL offer exactly the same performance presented on the New Nintendo 3DS.
Android and iOS are different projects
The port for Nintendo 3DS does not have an APK, IPA, App Store or TestFlight. Therefore, it should not be confused with the separate implementation that has already appeared on Android.
On Android, halo-ce-universal has its own ARM64 target and uses OpenGL ES and SDL3. This version is a separate project, despite sharing the same technical workflow wave derived from the Halo decompilation.
For iPhone and iPad, there is no equivalent native version of this port by GeneralKidd. There are also no documented minimum requirements for iOS, iPadOS, Metal, or touch controls associated with the 3DS project.
Online does not work yet
Local multiplayer already appears among the functional features. In contrast, GeneralKidd explicitly marks online multiplayer as unavailable.
The project also continues to have several bugs. Performance, stability, graphics, and compatibility may change significantly as development progresses.
The demonstration, however, represents an important technical breakthrough. A game created for the original Xbox now runs its campaign on a Nintendo handheld through a port derived from reverse engineering, with specific adaptation for dual screens and 3D effect support.
Sources: GeneralKidd — original demonstration; Halo 1 Decompilation — GitHub; PCLabs; FRVR; Tweakers.
