We’ve already seen a few game emulator apps come and go since Apple began allowing emulators in the App Store. However, there is reason for rejoicing by classic video game lovers as the popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is now available for download in the App Store.
Delta is an all-in-one emulator that offers support for playing games for multiple Nintendo game consoles, including NES, SNES, N64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance. Delta is compatible with popular game controllers, and offers support for cheats, save states, backups, syncing, and more.
Delta is an all-in-one emulator for iOS. Delta builds upon the strengths of its predecessor, GBA4iOS, while expanding to include support for more game systems such as NES, SNES, N64, and DS.
FEATURES
Supported Game Systems
• Nintendo Entertainment System
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System
• Nintendo 64
• Game Boy (Color)
• Game Boy Advance
• Nintendo DS
• And plenty more to come!
Controller Support
• Nintendo Switch Pro controllers, Joy-Cons
• Nintendo Switch Online controllers (NES, SNES, N64)
• PS4, PS5
• Xbox One S, Xbox Series X
• MFi game controllers
• Bluetooth & wired keyboards
Save States
• Save and load save states for any game from the pause menu.
• Lock save states to prevent them from being accidentally overwritten.
• Automatically makes backup save states to ensure you never lose your progress.
• Support for “Quick Saves,” save states that can be quickly saved/loaded with a single button press (requires external controller).
Cheats
• Supports various types of cheat codes for each supported system:
• NES: Game Genie
• SNES: Game Genie, Pro Action Replay
• N64: GameShark
• GBC: Game Genie, GameShark
• GBA: Action Replay, Code Breaker, GameShark
• DS: Action Replay
Delta Sync
• Sync your games, game saves, save states, cheats, controller skins, and controller mappings between devices.
• View version histories of everything you sync and optionally restore them to earlier versions.
• Supports both Google Drive and Dropbox.
Custom Controller Skins
• Beautiful built-in controller skins for all systems.
• Import controller skins made by others, or even make your own to share with the world!
Hold Button
• Choose buttons for Delta to hold down on your behalf, freeing up your thumbs to press other buttons instead.
• Perfect for games that typically require one button be held down constantly (e.g. run button in Mario games, or the A button in Mario Kart).
Fast Forward
• Speed through slower parts of games by running the game much faster than normal.
• Easily enable or disable from the pause menu, or optionally with a mapped button on an external controller.
3D/Haptic Touch
• Use 3D or Haptic Touch to “peek” at games, save states, and cheat codes.
• App icon shortcuts allow quick access to your most recently played games, or optionally customize the shortcuts to always include certain games.
Game Artwork
• Automatically displays appropriate box art for imported games.
• Change a game’s artwork to anything you want, or select from the built-in game artwork database.
Misc.
• Gyroscope support (WarioWare: Twisted! only)
• Microphone support (DS only)
• Support for delta:// URL scheme to jump directly into a specific game.
Testut is well-known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. Due to Testut’s experience in developing emulators, Delta is a much more polished emulator than the others that have appeared in the App Store.
Delta also offers custom controller skins, an option to fast forward, a “hold” button for games where a button needs to be consistently held, and appropriate box art for imported games. It also supports local multiplayer gaming for up to four players.
Delta is available from the App Store for free, and it does not clog up the screen with ads and doesn’t collect any information. The app is currently available in the United States and other countries, but it is not available in the official European Union App Store. EU users can instead download it through an alternative app marketplace.