If you’re a fan of retro games, you’ve likely explored several emulators already. They’re widely available across Windows and Android devices. Considering Apple’s rigid security guidelines, you might wonder whether you can also play your Nintendo 3DS games on your iPhone.
Emulators have had a bad reputation, as some use these tools to play games illegally. However, in April of this year, Apple released new guidelines on emulating games on the App Store. Shortly after that, the release of Folium, the first paid Nintendo 3DS emulator for the iPhone and iPad, has become a game-changer for most.
How To Play Nintendo 3DS Games on iOS: Free And Paid Emulators
We’ve looked at some of the most popular Nintendo 3DS emulators for iPhones and what you can expect from them.
1. Folium
Image credit: Reddit
Other than the Nintendo 3DS, Folium also supports emulation for the Nintendo DS and GameBoy Advance. You can use your phone’s touchscreen or a separate controller for an enhanced gaming experience.
Folium garnered excitement from many gamers, but this new release has some caveats. Gamers who have purchased the app have experienced frequent crashes, lag, and reduced game performance. It’s important to note that these users have older iPhones (14 and below).
Until now, Apple does not allow emulators to use JIT (just-in-time) compilation, which may explain the performance issues. Many game emulators and cores depend on this function to achieve playable speeds while emulating demanding systems. Jarrod Norwell, Folium’s developer, is working on patches to ensure a smoother gaming experience across different iPhone models.
2. Limon
Limon is a free Nintendo 3DS emulator also created by Folium’s developer. It also lets you emulate your 3DS games on your iPad and Apple TV. Those who’ve used it have noted that Limon provided smoother and more polished gameplay versus Folium.
Note that Folium is more frequently updated compared to Limon. It is not available on the App Store and requires side-loading.
(Possibly) Coming Soon: Nintendo 3DS Emulators For iPhones
Delta
Image credit: Delta
The Delta emulator is available for free on the App Store. Very recently, its developers released an update for iPadOS.
Delta currently supports most Nintendo platforms, excluding the 3DS. However, there are no clear indicators of when Nintendo 3DS games can be emulated through the app. Riley Testut, Delta’s developer, has hinted at a tentative plan to work on 3DS, with no definite release date.
While we wait to play Nintendo 3DS games on iPhones, there are still other DS emulators readily available. Just make sure to download your ROMs from official game distributors and from trusted and verified sources.