Whether you want to explore gaming history or just have some retro fun, these mobile emulator apps will transform your phone into a classic console.
Delta | iOS (Free – IAPs)
This is the one that changed everything for iPhone. It took 10 years for Delta to reach the App Store, and it only happened then because Apple performed a screeching U-turn on allowing emulators. We’re glad it did, because Delta is a slick, usable way to play games from old Nintendo consoles. Note that, for reasons too complicated to go into here, some folks need to grab it from altstore.io instead.
ZX81 | iOS (Free)
In SA, consoles didn’t gain a solid foothold until the 16-bit era. Until then, people battled with home micros, coaxing games to load from cassette tape. Sometimes they’d even work. The ZX81 app ditches the old medium (fortunately) but packs everything else from Clive Sinclair’s breakthrough PC, along with dozens of legal homebrew titles – and you can of course also load your own.
Redream | Android (Free – IAPs)
Sega’s last home console, the Dreamcast has a place in history for marking the end of an era. But it should also be remembered for being fantastic –and home to a slew of greats. Redream lets you get your Ikaruga on, or dig into deep sessions of Shenmue, all while side-eyeing Sega for not bringing more Dreamcast classics to Android in standalone form. (We love Crazy Taxi, but it’s a bit lonely in the Play Store.)
PPSSPP | Android (Free) | iOS (Free)
It wasn’t the first widescreen handheld (hello, Atari Lynx), but Sony’s PSP cemented itself in people’s memories thanks to its superb games. That aspect ratio also means it’s well suited to modern phones. PPSSPP is the best way to play… and tinker, since there are loads of settings. Want to give the developers a reward for their hard work? Grab the identical paid version, PPSSPP Gold.
Daijishō | Android (Free)
Dedicated Android retro gaming devices exist – or you might prefer to nudge your phone in that direction. Either way, Daijishō is a fine front-end… at least once it’s set up. And that’s just a case of pointing it at where your games and emulators live. You can even go full retro-head, making it your default launcher and using its Apps tab during those annoying times when you’re not gaming.
RetroArch | Android (Free) | iOS (Free)
If we’ve skipped your favourite console, there’s probably an emulator for it – but we can’t list emulators forever, so consider RetroArch a handy catch-all. The interface is hideous, but the app plays almost anything. Watch some tutorials and then revel in the sheer power and customisation on offer… or ignore all that and just play more old games. (Android folks, this one’s best taken directly from retroarch.com.)
