Popular Delta Retro Game Emulator Officially Comes to iPad

Game emulator Delta, which has been a hit among retro gaming enthusiasts on iPhone, is now officially available for iPad, following an app update to version 1.6.

delta emulator ipad
Delta has been hugely popular since its debut on the App Store and the emulator has been a constant presence in the Top Charts, with users flocking to play retro games that originally appeared on NES, SNES, N64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance.

With iPad support in v1.6, users can now take full advantage of the device's larger display and play in fullscreen. There are new controller skins designed specifically for iPad, and the app supports multiple windows in Stage Manager and Split View, with games able to optionally pause when switching windows. The iPad version also supports external game controllers, and the developer Riley Testut says emulated games "hand off" seamlessly between iPhone and iPad, allowing gamers to continue playing where they left off.

Testut says the need for BIOS files has now been eliminated, streamlining the setup process. Users should also notice a considerable improvement in the performance of DS games. The update introduces various menu button gestures, providing more intuitive navigation options. An experimental feature, "Reverse Controller Skin Screens," has also been added, allowing users to switch controller skin screens at runtime, offering greater customization and flexibility during gameplay.

Testut previously explained that Delta for iPad had not originally been a development priority because the plan was to limit the emulator's launch to the EU via alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL, which doesn't support iPad.

However, in a reversal of a years-old policy, Apple in April decided to allow retro game emulators on the ‌App Store‌. Delta was therefore made available on the App Store as a free download in the United States and other countries, with users supporting the developer via Patreon. Official download links for the latest version can be found on the Delta website.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Apple Announces iOS 18.2 Launching Today With These New Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 5:23 am PST by
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing. For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also ...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds Second Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Monday December 9, 2024 10:06 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3

iPhone SE 4 Said to Feature 48MP Rear Lens, 12MP TrueDepth Camera

Monday December 9, 2024 4:48 am PST by
Apple's forthcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, according to details revealed in a new Korean supply chain report. ET News reports that Korea-based LG Innotek is the main supplier of the front and rear camera modules for the more budget-friendly ~$400 device, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won't Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows

Monday December 9, 2024 7:36 am PST by
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia. The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone's...
vipps nfc tap to pay iphone

World's First Apple Pay Alternative for iPhone Launches in Norway

Monday December 9, 2024 1:28 am PST by
Norwegian payment service Vipps has become the world's first company to launch a competing tap-to-pay solution to Apple Pay on iPhone, following Apple's agreement with European regulators to open up its NFC technology to third parties. Starting December 9, Vipps users in Norway can make contactless payments in stores using their iPhones. The service initially supports customers of SpareBank...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Friday December 6, 2024 4:42 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls...
Apple Watch Series 10 lineup 240909 feature

Apple Watch Could Get Blood Pressure Monitoring in 2025

Tuesday December 10, 2024 11:51 am PST by
Apple is ramping up work on a blood pressure monitoring feature for the Apple Watch and it could be ready as soon as 2025, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Blood pressure monitoring is a health addition that Apple has been working on for the last several years, and based on rumors, Apple wanted to debut it in 2024. The feature would not provide exact systolic and diastolic blood pressure...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.2 With New Apple Intelligence Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:02 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.2, the second update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that was released in September. macOS Sequoia 15.2 comes over a month after the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds Image Playground, an app that lets you create...

Top Rated Comments

con2apple Avatar
22 weeks ago
Thanks to the EU. Without them, there would be no emulator on iOS in the USA.

In case anyone asks why:
Because Apple had to install the opening for the EU anyway and could not explain why this change should be impossible in the rest of the world.
Compare this with the General Data Protection Regulation and Facebook's lamentations a few years ago.

So face it:
Even if you don't live in the EU, you benefit from regulations for more competition and user freedom.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neuropsychguy Avatar
22 weeks ago

Thanks to the EU. Without them, there would be no emulator on iOS in the USA.

In case anyone asks why:
Because Apple had to install the opening for the EU anyway and could not explain why this change should be impossible in the rest of the world.
Compare this with the General Data Protection Regulation and Facebook's lamentations a few years ago.

So face it:
Even if you don't live in the EU, you benefit from regulations for more competition and user freedom.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

Just because there is a temporal ordering of events does not mean the first caused the second.

There are at least two possibilities. 1. You are correct and this is because of EU regulations. 2. Apple’s allowing emulators again into the App Store is not tied to EU regulations.

Which one is correct? I don’t know. I don’t work for Apple. We just cannot assume that some action is caused by some factor without clear evidence. All I’m doing is pointing out there might be other explanations. Or, it’s because of the EU.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdnz Avatar
21 weeks ago

So Delta is available for free on the AppStore around the world except on the EU?! What a complete nonsense.
Blame Apple, they don’t allow putting an app on a marketplace and also put it in the App Store.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
purplerainpurplerain Avatar
22 weeks ago

Thanks to the EU. Without them, there would be no emulator on iOS in the USA.
Nonsense. There's no EU regulator saying "AaPle muST leT peoplE downLod EmulaTORs'.

Retro emulators existed in the App Store years ago. They were pulled because of unclear legality and security, both issues that still exist.

When this stuff is niche companies turn a blind eye. Making these emulators more popular is just going to get someone arrested. Now Nintendo will force a lot of sites to hand over the logs.

Don't think VPN protects you either. Trackers go around that stuff all the time. If you're downloading ROMS today you going to be F'd unless you live in Siberia.

Most of those ROM sites use click bait links and full of malware too. Good luck with them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MilaM Avatar
22 weeks ago

2. Apple’s allowing emulators again into the App Store is not tied to EU regulations.
And what would be the reason for Apple's sudden change of mind/policy? Give us just one that is plausible.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
grovian Avatar
21 weeks ago
The biggest scam is that Apple made people believe the company is the one who decides what people can install on their own devices that they own, not the owners themselves.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)