This reference is frequently cited in forums such as XDA‑Developers and Reddit’s r/emulation for users attempting to run Citra on older Android versions.
You may find older "cores" within RetroArch that support legacy Android versions, though a 3DS core is unlikely to run at playable speeds on KitKat hardware. Summary of Minimum Needs for 3DS Emulation: Requirement Modern Standard (e.g., Azahar) Typical Android 4.4.2 Device OS Version Android 10+ Android 4.4.2 Architecture 64-bit (ARMv8) 32-bit (ARMv7) RAM 512MB - 2GB Graphics OpenGL ES 3.2+ OpenGL ES 2.0 / 3.0
: While the official Citra is discontinued, a developer named Weihouya created "Citra MMJ," which was optimized for lower-end phones. You would need to search for very early APK versions (circa 2018–2019) on sites like GitHub to find one that might support older Android APIs.