Top 5 Emulators Coming Soon To iOS

It’s safe to say that Apple’s recent decision to allow emulators in iOS has paved the way for a new era, enabling millions of users to relive their childhood and play their favorite games on iPhones and Apple TVs. While the Delta emulator works well for most users, there is a whole sea of emulators with unique features available on Android that could soon arrive on iOS. That is why we’ve curated a list of five upcoming emulators you should look out for.

1. Provenance

For long-time emulation users, Provenance needs no introduction, as the app has been available on various platforms for quite some time. For iOS users, the Provenance emulator supports a wide variety of consoles, including NES, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy, SNES, Game Boy Color, Virtual Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Pokemon Mini, Genesis, Mega-CD, Saturn, the Sony PlayStation, Bandai WonderSwan, NEC TurboGrafx systems, and others as well.

While this extensive console support instantly makes the emulator an instant favorite, its developers are currently in the process of making the app available on the App Store and haven’t mentioned an exact timeline. This cautious approach aims to prevent any action from Nintendo, which is notorious for suing emulation apps and games.

What we like	Potential risks
Biggest console support	Nintendo could take action
App is already in avitve development

2. PPSSPP

Perhaps the most popular emulator on the list, PPSSPP, as the name suggests, is a PSP emulator that allows users to enjoy their favorite games. Additionally, considering that the PSP is a relatively newer console, users can also play games such as GTA, Tekken 6, and Spiderman 3.

However, there is one cause for concern regarding the software’s availability in the App Store. In a blog post from April 6, the developers mentioned possible confusion relating to ISO or ROM picker emulators in the documentation. Therefore, until this confusion is resolved, the developers will not submit the app.

What we like	Potential risks
Ability to play fairly new games	Possible confusion in Apple’s documentation
App is already in developement

3. iDOS

In contrast to other emulators that support consoles like Nintendo 3DS and PSP, the iDOS emulator, true to its name, allows users to run software and games made for the DOS operating system. However, if you’ve been following emulation software, you’d know that iDOS has been wanting to enter the App Store for quite some time. While Apple has rejected all three of its prior applications, there’s a good chance that iDOS could finally make it to the App Store following the rule change.

What we like	Potential risks
Only emulator to support DOS software and games	The app has already been rejected thrice from the App Store
Developers have the app ready

4. Folium

Folium is another one of those emulators that, while doing nothing particularly special, nails the basics by supporting consoles like Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS, with support for PS1, PS2, and Sega Genesis in active development.

Moreover, the fact that the developers are already beta-testing the application on TestFlight means that the app could be available on the App Store fairly soon.

What we like	Potential risks
Support for PS1 and PS2 games	Nintendo’s threat of legal action
App is already in testing phase

5. MAME4iOS

While all the other emulators on our list enable users to play their favorite console games, there’s a significant portion of the audience who didn’t have consoles in their childhood and instead went to arcade parlors.

MAME4iOS is made for exactly that audience, allowing them to play all arcade games from the past 30+ years. Additionally, the emulator supports Atari 2600, Apple I, CAVE CV-1000, Vic-20, GP32, HP-38G, PC 5150, and PolyGameMaster (PGM). Furthermore, the developer has already submitted the app to Apple for review.