Developers Riley Testut and Shane Gill have officially released the Delta emulator for the iPhone. Originally accessible only through their underground AltStore, a recently revised App Store policy has ushered in a new era for retro game emulators.
From your iPhone, click here to launch the App Store for “Delta – Game Emulator”
Delta supports the emulation of
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
- Nintendo 64
- Game Boy and Game Boy Color
- Game Boy Advance
- Nintendo DS
Delta is a multi-system emulator for six Nintendo home and handheld consoles that originally launched in 2019. By pairing the iPhone’s excellent display with a functional user interface and colorful control overlay, Delta made it easy to forgive the compromises of software emulation or touchscreen controls.
It was initially developed alongside Riley and Shane’s AltStore, which allowed users to install unofficial iOS apps using Apple developer permissions. However, jumping through the AltStore’s hoops of computer tethering and developer account registration left Delta an obscure emulation option for only the most dedicated hobbyists and tinkerers.
In April 2024, Apple reversed its ban on retro game console emulators in its App Store. Today, Delta has officially transitioned out from the underground and into the pockets of retro game enthusiasts. As user mierau_ remarked on threads, the release of Delta presents a unique opportunity for homebrew developers to sell or distribute their games to iPhone users through Delta.
For most consoles, playing your legally acquired backups is as simple as pressing the (+) button and selecting your desired ROM. However, to play Nintendo DS games, its BIOS and firmware files are required to launch and play games. Archades Games provides a step-by-step walkthrough on how to dump your BIOS and firmware using a Nintendo DS, an R4 flashcart, and the “dsbf_dump” homebrew. Do note that the filenames and extensions must match what is requested by the Delta app (bios7.bin, bios9.bin, and firmware.bin)
