Regardless of whether you’re a devout Android fan or firmly in the Apple iOS camp, it’s fair to say that Google’s operating system has a reputation for being more versatile than its Apple counterpart. As a company, Apple is a little stricter about what it allows on the iOS App Store, which is why the recent release of the Delta emulator app (which lets you play old-school Nintendo games) may have come as a surprise to some gaming fans. Indeed, in a move that has seen iOS gain ground on the more flexible Android operating system, Apple recently lifted its ban on retro game emulators appearing on the App Store – provided they comply with “all applicable laws”. This means that while the emulator software will allow users to play classic video games, apps like Delta are unable to supply pirated game files. Users will instead need to find their own game files and upload them separately.
Currently one of the top free apps on the App Store, the Delta app lets users play NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS games.
It features touchscreen controls, as well as support for a variety of Bluetooth controllers.
This includes the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, Joy-Cons, NES, SNES and N64 Nintendo Switch Online Controllers, as well as PlayStation and Xbox pads.
Other nifty features include save states and load states, including the ability to lock certain saves to ensure you don’t accidentally delete them.
Something that’s pretty handy when playing old-school role-playing games is the fast-forward function, which lets you speed through slower parts of a game.
Likewise, there’s also a Hold Button feature that frees up your fingers and thumbs. According to Delta, it’s “perfect for games that typically require one button to be held down constantly”.
Whether or not the Delta app remains on the iOS App Store for long remains to be seen.
As long as the app doesn’t break any laws or violate App Store policies, then there’s a decent chance that it’s here to stay.
However, other Nintendo emulation software hasn’t been so lucky. Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu and Nintendo 3DS emulator Citra were recently discontinued after Nintendo claimed the emulators helped to “facilitate piracy at a colossal scale”.
Dolphin – which is a popular Gamecube and Wii emulator – was also removed from Steam in 2023.