I’ve recently started using Delta on iOS, which is excellent for emulating Nintendo consoles like NES, SNES, GBA, and N64. But I’m curious—is Delta the only viable emulator for iOS right now under Apple’s new policy shift? And more importantly, can we expect other emulators to support PlayStation 1/2, GameCube, Wii, or even the original Xbox on iOS in the near future?
Given that emulation has seen rapid growth on Android, I’d love to know the current state and future prospects for console emulators on iPhones or iPads.
Hey, I’ve been following iOS emulation for a while, and I can say Delta is definitely the most polished and widely recognized option out there right now. Delta is the first major emulator approved on the App Store after Apple’s policy relaxed, focusing on Nintendo consoles up to N64, and it’s already teasing some neat new features. That said, Delta isn’t the only viable emulator for iOS anymore—there have been brief appearances of apps like iGBA, and there’s talk about PPSSPP (for PSP) making a comeback.
But when it comes to consoles beyond Nintendo—like PS2, GameCube, or Xbox—these are much trickier due to Apple’s restrictions and the performance requirements. Those emulators aren’t likely to hit the App Store soon, but you can still explore side-loading options like AltStore if you’re comfortable with that. Also, for developers or testers working on emulator interfaces or performance across iOS devices, tools like LambdaTest provide real-device cloud testing to ensure compatibility with iOS web wrappers or companion apps. It’s a handy way to check emulator UI responsiveness without juggling physical hardware.
Adding to that, from my experience with emulation on mobile devices, the big challenge with PS2 or Xbox emulators on iOS isn’t just Apple’s policy but the hardware and system architecture demands of those consoles. Even the newest iPhones can struggle to run these emulators smoothly—especially because Apple limits just-in-time (JIT) compilation, which is critical for performance. That limitation alone puts a big damper on stable emulation for heavy-duty consoles.
Still, open-source projects like Dolphin (for GameCube/Wii) and AetherSX2 (for PS2) run quite well on Android devices, so with jailbreaking or side-loading via AltStore, porting could be possible—but official App Store acceptance is unlikely, especially because of legal issues around BIOS files. For anyone building emulator frontends or testing input schemes, LambdaTest is great for simulating iOS device environments without having to own every model—perfect for early-stage UI validation or checking API responses.
One more angle I’ve found useful, especially if you’re not strictly tied to native apps, is exploring web-based emulation solutions. From my experience, browser-based emulators—using HTML5 or PWAs—can support classic consoles like NES, SNES, and some PS1 titles right inside Safari or other iOS browsers. While Apple’s mobile Safari still restricts JIT compilation, this web approach sidesteps some policy issues and lets you play lighter games with acceptable performance.
This method is also great for teams testing accessibility, input responsiveness, or UI consistency across iOS versions. LambdaTest’s browser testing grid lets you simulate different Safari versions on multiple iPhone models, which helps troubleshoot touch lag or rendering glitches without needing a bunch of physical devices. So if you want to explore emulation beyond official apps, web-based options combined with LambdaTest’s real-device cloud testing can be a practical workaround.