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How to Use Delta, the iPhone Game Emulator
Apr 30, 2024
Delta on App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-game-emulator/id1048524688
Delta on AltStore PAL: https://altstore.io/#downloads
Delta Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rileyshane
If you want a game #emulator on #iPhone the Delta app is now available on the App Store to play games for #Nintendo DS, GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, NES, SNES and N64.
More Apple news: http://www.cultofmac.com
Produced by Extra Ordinary for Cult of Mac
Music composed by Will Davenport, arranged by D. Griffin Jones
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0:00
Game emulators are finally on the iPhone
0:02
on the regular app store. No need to jailbreak, no need to plug your phone into your computer
0:07
through a hacked together process. You can emulate Nintendo DS, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance
0:13
Game Boy Color, NES, SNES, and N64 games on your iPhone. And best of all, it's mostly free and mostly legal
0:23
This is all made possible thanks to Delta, which is an easy to use all-in-one emulator app for iPhone
0:31
You can download it for free on the app store if you just click right there
0:35
In the European Union, however, there's an extra step you need to go through. Because of how Apple changed the app store rules
0:41
in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act, you first need to install an alternative app marketplace
0:48
It's called AltStorePal. It costs just 1.50 Euro, and you can buy it from the project website
0:53
Once you've got that on your phone, then you can install Delta for free
0:58
Now, because the Digital Markets Act only applies to the iPhone, there's not yet an iPad native version of the app
1:04
It's the iPhone app running in compatibility mode. The old, slightly more complicated method
1:10
of installing Delta through the original AltStore is still available if you have a PC
1:16
or a Mac running macOS Ventura. It's free, but it has some drawbacks
1:21
mainly that if you don't have a paid Apple developer account, the apps expire after only seven days
1:27
So, once you've installed Delta, you're gonna need to add some games
1:31
In order to play games, you need what's called a ROM file
1:35
which is a digital version of the old physical cartridge. Now, legally speaking, if you own a game
1:41
either if you bought it way back when in the 80s, or if you bought it used on eBay
1:46
you are free, legally, completely, to make digital copies for your own personal use
1:52
For all the most popular consoles, you can buy these game cartridge adapters
1:56
like this one for the Super Nintendo or the Game Boy. You just plug your cartridge in
2:01
and then on the other end, there's a USB cord that you can use to plug into your computer
2:05
or just your iPhone directly. You might need a lightning to USB adapter
2:09
if you have an older iPhone, but you plug it in, you open the Files app, and then you go to the Browse tab
2:16
and it'll appear just like a USB drive. Now, Illegal Gray Area assumes
2:20
that if you already own a copy of a game, you can skip the step
2:24
of buying the special hardware yourself, and go to one of those online ROM websites
2:29
and download it relatively guilt-free. Murkier Gray Area assumes that if the original creators
2:36
or studio, or company that developed the game in the first place no longer exists
2:43
or if the game is no longer available to buy anywhere, that you can download it online, guilt-free
2:51
knowing that you're not really taking money away from anyone. Now, where could you find such a website
2:57
They come and go as various legal entities threaten them with legal action, and have them shut down
3:03
but as of April 2024, my favorite is consoleroms.com. It's very easily navigable, very easy to use
3:11
You search for what you're looking for. There's no minefield of ads that you need to click around
3:16
So, you've downloaded Delta, you've downloaded all your favorite games, now it's time to add them to your library
3:22
and start playing. You open Delta, you tap the plus icon in the upper right
3:27
and you tap files. You navigate to the folder where you downloaded them
3:31
and you can just tap one, and then you can tap select all in the bottom left corner
3:36
to select everything, and tap open. It'll add them, and it'll sort them automatically by console
3:42
You can swipe left and right to navigate your library. Just tap a game to launch it
3:48
You have these gorgeous on-screen controls that mimic the look and feel of the original controller
3:53
with haptic feedback. And just like a physical controller, you can roll your thumb between two buttons at once
3:59
to press both simultaneously. And you can turn it sideways for a bigger screen
4:04
with semi-transparent buttons on either side. Tap the menu button to go back to your library
4:08
It'll automatically save the state of the game when you close it, or you can manually create a save state
4:13
for better peace of mind. And when you launch a game, you can long press on it
4:17
to look at your previously saved states that you wanna resume. So RPGs like Pokemon, Earthbound, Paper Mario
4:24
are easy enough with the on-screen controls, but games like Tetris or Super Mario Brothers
4:29
are quite a bit harder. And games like Mega Man and Super Mario 64
4:33
are downright clumsy. Luckily, connecting a physical controller is really easy. If you already have a PlayStation, Xbox
4:40
or Nintendo controller, you can pair it to your iPhone over Bluetooth
4:44
On your iPhone, go to settings, Bluetooth, and then with your controller, there's probably a button or two
4:49
that you need to hold down to enter pairing mode. Connect it, and then when you open Delta
4:54
the on-screen buttons have disappeared. That's your cue that it's taking input from the controller
5:00
You can even connect multiple controllers at the same time for multiplayer games like Mario Kart, Mario Party
5:07
or Super Smash Brothers. Now, crowding everybody around an iPhone will do in a pinch if you're on the go
5:11
but it's not exactly ideal. But you can AirPlay your iPhone to an iPad, Mac
5:19
or Apple TV to see your games on a bigger screen. And you can even go one step further than that
5:26
for true authenticity. If you buy an old TV with a CRT
5:32
you can also get an HDMI to RF modulator to plug it into the coaxial port on the back of your TV
5:41
see that gorgeous 8-bit artwork as it was meant to be seen
5:45
on a fuzzy, slightly dodgy CRT television. There's another way you can customize Delta
5:51
to your liking as well. If you want your Nintendo DS games to match the dark red Nintendo DSi you had growing up
5:58
or you want your Nintendo 64 games to match your green, transparent controller
6:02
you can download skins online. Go to deltaskins.github.io, or you can click here for the link
6:10
You can easily browse by console, and if you see a skin you like
6:14
tap on it and tap download. Then you'll open the files app
6:19
browse to where it downloaded, and tap on it to import it into Delta
6:24
From here, you'll tap on settings in the top left, tap on the console, tap on the skin you want
6:30
and then scroll to select it. Delta is a versatile emulator that's incredibly easy to use
6:36
Links in the description where you can download it from the App Store or from Alt Store Pal
6:40
and where I highly encourage you to donate to their Patreon that keeps the project running
6:45
and available for everybody for free. Remember to like and subscribe. I'm Diegerfen Jones with Cult of Mac
#Consumer Electronics
#Games
#Computer & Video Games
#Sports Games
#Video Game Emulation
#Video Game Retailers