There are many gaming options for iPhone and iPad that we offer in the App Store. However, enjoy retro video game consoles This is not within our reach on these devices. No? Well yes, it is possible by installing an emulator for the consoles that support them.
In this article we will tell you what best emulators for iOS and iPadOS, in addition to evaluating the legality of this type of programs, as well as their installation. And we already told you, none of them are normally available in the App Store.
Are emulators legal?
Short answer: yes. Even if there are nuances. In recent years this has been ruled out by the courts, arriving at the conclusion that emulating a machine itself is not illegal as long as the original equipment code is not used to develop the emulator code.
The problem is with the ROMs. With some exceptions…homebrew Yes fan games In general, game ROMs are privately owned by copyright that prevents their free distribution for emulators. Older video games are usually legal because the copyright has already expired or because their own creators released the code. Some examples of open source games are the early “Doom” or “Frozen Bubble”.
How to install an emulator on iOS and iPadOS
The first thing we must say is that There are no emulators as such in the App Store, but in the AltStore. Even emulators that do not pirate ROMs are not allowed in the official Apple store, so you have to resort to this other alternative store.
If you don’t know it, tell yourself that it is an old, well-known alternative store on iOS, which we have already told you about in depth previously, explaining not only how to install it and what it is for , but also it is risks. And anything downloaded from AltStore is unreliable (the emulators we chose, yes).
Download AltStore on an iPhone or iPad
The fact is that AltStore allows you to install IPA files, which is the format in which apps are found on iOS and iPadOS (just like the APK on Android). To install AltStore, first, download AltServer on a Mac or Windows computer and install it.
Image: AltStore
Once AltServer is installed, you must connect an iPhone or iPad to a computer and, in AltServer, open the tab where the device appears and click “Install AltStore”. It will then be a matter of trusting the certificate and waiting for it to be installed on our iPhone or iPad.
It must be said that you must have a free Apple developer profile valid for one week to sign the AltStore trust certificate.
How to install emulators from AltStore
Once you have the AltStore, it will be your turn download IPA files from emulators, which are usually found on the website of each of them (we will leave you links later). Next, you will have to open the AltStore and in your applications section, press the Add button that appears next to the IPA file that you had previously downloaded.
The six best emulators for iPhone and iPad
Below is a selection of what we think are the best emulators for iOS and iPadOS. Not all of them need to be downloaded via AltStore.
Delta
Image: Delta
At Delta we find one of the best emulators the entire Game Boy series, Nintendo NES, Nintendo 64 and even Nintendo DS. It can be played with both on-screen controls and external controllers compatible with iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth.
Delta | Download via their website
DolphiniOS
Image: DolphiniOS
What this emulator allows us is to bring back GameCube and Wii, two of Nintendo’s most iconic home video game consoles. Among its functions there is even the possibility of playing online games with other players from around the world.
DolphiniOS | Download via their website
MAME
This is one of the rare exceptions where no need to go through AltStore. We have already explained to you in other articles how to install MAME on an iPhone or iPad without jailbreak and even on an Apple TV. Mame stands for “Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator”, which already gives clues about its functionality: bring classic arcade machines to iPhone and iPad that arcades abounded decades ago.
Play!
Image: Play!
Its simple name clearly refers to the best-selling video game console in history: the PlayStation 2. Stake! We find one of the few emulators that exist for this game console if we want it on our iPhone and iPad. Like most of the previous ones, it supports the use of external drivers.
Play! | Download via their website
Origin
In addition to being an emulator of some of the video game consoles already mentioned in this article (like the Game Boy or the NES), Provenance brings emulation of the big Sega consoles like the Saturn or the Game Gear, in addition to the PlayStation.
Origin | Download via their website
Retroarch
Image: Retroarche
Finally, although it is not the worst because it is one of the most used emulators on iOS and iPadOS, Retroarch is an emulator capable of recreating Atari, PlayStation, NES and PC Engine included among many others.
Retroarch | Download via their website
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