The iPhone gaming market has grown to rival console and PC offerings, offering complete experiences that are just as impressive. With the iPhone becoming more powerful, older games are now making their way onto the platform. Emulation is now allowed on the iPhone, opening up the possibility for retro games to be played on your phone. However, there are some important considerations to be aware of before diving in. Here’s a rundown of iPhone emulators and some of the best options available.
What you need to know about emulation on iPhone
Emulators on iPhone exist in a legal gray zone. Apple’s App Store guidelines were updated in 2024 to allow for emulators, but with restrictions. While emulators themselves are legal, using ROMs without permission is not. Companies like Sega and Nintendo may use this opportunity to sell ROMs of their older games on the App Store.
Best iPhone emulators
Since the new rules came into effect, here are some of the top emulators available for iPhone.
Emu64 XL
Emu64 XL allows you to play games from the Commodore 64 era with a virtual joystick or keyboard. You can also program your own games within the emulator if you have basic programming skills.
Delta
Delta is a versatile emulator that can run games from various Nintendo consoles with full controller support and additional features like save states and cheats. It has been a popular choice for iOS users and continues to receive updates.
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