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Has Do you have an iPhone and want to play retro video games? I have good news for you.
This year, Apple started allowing emulators to be installed on the App Store. Emulators are software applications that simulate older game consoles, such as those from Nintendo and Sega. They can load game files, called ROMs, that are extracted from the original cartridge or disc.
The easy availability of emulators means that you no longer need to jailbreak your iPhone to load ROMs and play retro games. It also means that you don’t need to tinker with a Raspberry Pi or buy a purpose-built retro gaming console to play classic games on your phone or even your TV.
I should mention that it’s not legal to download ROMs for games you don’t own, so I won’t explain where you can download ROMs. However, assuming you have access to a collection of ROMs, here’s how you can turn any iPhone or iPad (including the old one you keep in a drawer) into a retro gaming console.
Setting up an emulator
The first thing you need to do is set up an emulator or several. The easiest option and the one I recommend is Delta emulatorThis is an extremely polished app that supports NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and even Sega Genesis titles. Even better, it’s free to download and extremely easy to use, as we wrote in April.
If you want compatibility with many more systems, including Playstation, Atari and even MS DOS, you should check out RetroArchIt will take more work to set up (you’ll need to download kernels for each system you want to emulate and there are endless settings to tweak), but you’ll be rewarded with the ability to play more games and have them look exactly the way you want.
Connect a controller
You can play retro games with a touchscreen, sort of; the two emulators above will even display an on-screen controller that looks just like the original hardware. The problem is that most games are nearly impossible to play without touch buttons. That’s why it’s a good idea to pair a controller with your device.
There are a few options here. If you want, you can purchase a mobile game controller designed specifically for this purpose (some are even designed to hold your phone in place and give you a form factor similar to the Nintendo Switch). Or, if you don’t want to spend money, you can use a controller you already have. We have articles explaining how to connect a PlayStation or XBox controller to your iPhone, along with another guide to pairing the Switch’s Joy-Con with your iPhone; Apple offers most widespread official documentation. The Basics: Open the Settings application, go to Bluetooththen press and hold the Connect button on your controller. You should see your controller listed as an option to connect to in your iPhone’s list of available devices. Press it and you’re good to go.
I did this with my Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and it worked perfectly. Loading up a few games on Delta, I found that the controller worked exactly as I expected. I was also able to configure the button mapping in the settings if something didn’t seem quite right. It’s also worth noting that you can connect multiple controllers at once, which is great if you want to play multiplayer games, and they don’t all have to be the same type – you can mix and match controllers if you want.
Stream to your TV
At this point I can load up retro games and play them with a real controller, but there’s one thing missing: a nice, big screen. Sure, the iPhone or iPad screen works, but these older games are meant to be played on a TV.
You have a couple of options here. Delta is compatible and works pretty well with Apple’s AirPlay, assuming you have an Apple TV receiver or a TV that supports AirPlay. I tested this with a Sony TV and found that the lag made things unplayable — which is fine for an RPG, sure, but horrible for a Mario game. The Verge tested it and didn’t notice the lag.but the most notable thing is that they were using an actual Apple TV. Your mileage will vary, I recommend you give it a try.
If you don’t like the results, you may want to consider purchasing an HDMI adapter for your iPhone. These allow you to connect your phone directly to the TV, meaning you’ll be able to play your game on the big screen with less lag. Apple sells an official cableBut you can also look into a Lightning to HDMI adapter if you’re using an older iPhone, or a USB Type-C to HDMI adapter if you have a recent model. Note that the best adapters, including Apple’s official ones, offer direct charging; this will allow you to charge your phone while it remains connected to the TV, which will be crucial if you plan on doing longer gaming sessions.
Either way, you can now play any classic game you have a ROM for right on your phone, complete with a real controller and the ability to play on your TV, just like the old days.
