DolphiniOS tested working with latest iOS and iPadOS running at full speed!
- This guide shares the steps how you install, run and play DolphiniOS on your iOS device to play Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Gamecube games.
- This tutorial though intended for iPhone, but works the same for iPad.
- For other interesting articles, check it out here Raspberry Pi, Linux, Windows, Xbox, PS5, Nintendo Switch, other gaming, iOS, Tech or more at JILAXZONE.
- If you find this article / content inside is already obsolete, do let me know by commenting on the comment section below so that I can update the article to reflect the latest process/news. Thanks.
Early May 2024 was like miracle happened for many retro gamers having iPhone or iPad. After so many years, finally Apple gave in and allowed emulators to exist in Apple App Store. Multiple game emulators started appearing, however and unfortunately for DolphiniOS – the emulator for Nintendo Wii and Nintendo GameCube – even until today (as of when this article is written) has never appeared on the Apple App Store. The main reason behind as the developer wrote it on the official website (https://oatmealdome.me/blog/why-dolphin-isnt-coming-to-the-app-store/) is: “We are not able to submit DolphiniOS to the App Store or AltStore PAL, because Apple still does not allow us to use a vital technology that is necessary for Dolphin to run with good performance: JIT (Just-In-Time compiler)”.
And that’s my main reason writing this article. So, although DolphiniOS is not available on Apple App Store, but that doesn’t mean you can’t install and play Nintendo GameCube or Wii on your iPhone or iPad. Inside this article, I’m going to walk you through all the steps you need to get DolphiniOS up and running at full speed including how to setup JIT, so DolphiniOS can run both Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii games at their full speed. So, without further ado, let’s start.
Steps overview
These are the high-level steps available on this article. While I fully recommend the steps to be done in sequence as shown below, but feel free to jump around to section that interest you.
1) Prerequisites: Things you need to prepare.
2) Steps to install DolphiniOS on latest iOS & iPadOS: Full detail steps to get DolphiniOS installed – including how to enable JIT.
3) Controllers Recommendation – Play better with Controller!: To play the games better with recommended physical controllers.
4) Other retro game emulators available on iPhone (and iPad and iPod Touch): In case you need other emulators available on iPhone and other iOS / iPadOS devices.
Prerequisites
These are the things you need to prepare to get DolphiniOS installed and running. If there are certain things you don’t have / don’t know yet, don’t worry, as part of the installation and configuration steps, all the download links and how to create / configured them are shared in details.
1) Install SideStore on your iPhone & iPad
This is the most important steps, and you need to do this since DolphiniOS emulator as of when this article is written does not exist yet on the Apple App Store.
SideStore is a fork from AltStore (that doesn’t require computer to refresh once installed) which enables your iPhone / iPad to sideload apps that are non-existent in Apple App Store. So, using SideStore, we are going to sideload the Nintendo Wii / GameCube emulator.
In case you are still preferring to use AltStore instead of SideStore, you can follow the steps to get AltStore installed on your iPhone/iPad here:
2) Get the Nintendo GameCube and/or Nintendo Wii games / ROMs ready
Well, due to legal reasons, I won’t detail much here. Google here is your best friend. You may want to start with this: https://www.google.com/search?q=dumping+nintendo+wii+games or https://www.google.com/search?q=dumping+nintendo+gamecube+games.
I have to remind you this: Please DO RESPECT the Console Maker, Game makers, Developers, Publishers by always buying and playing the originals on their original systems. Without you supporting them, there won’t be any good and great systems and games in the coming future.
If you need game recommendations, do check out my article below for Nintendo Wii games recommendation.
| Link | Recommended multiplayer Nintendo Wii games which you can play 2 player or more together at JILAXZONE |
3) Transfer the Nintendo GameCube and/or Nintendo Wii games to your iPhone and iPad
Follow these 2 methods to transfer your Nintendo GameCube or Nintendo Wii games into your iPhone or iPad.
Adding Nintendo Wii / GameCube games to your iPhone or iPad WITHOUT using Computer
Step a) Using the step detailed here: Configuring Safari Download Folder on your iPhone at JILAXZONE, on your iPhone, set your Safari default download folder into On My iPhone > Downloads.
Step b) Once you have set the download folder, now open Safari on your iPhone. Head to the game repository, then choose the game that you want to add (read: download) into your iPhone. Tap on the game title or “Download” button to start download the game from the game repository. DolphiniOS iOS supports GameCube/Wii games in the .iso format. If you game is in .zip format, there will be extra step (detailed below) you need to do.
Step c) Safari will start downloading Nintendo Wii/GameCube game to On My iPhone > Downloads folder.
Step d) This is optional step and to be done only if your Nintendo Wii/GameCube game is in zip format. Go to Files app, navigate to On My iPhone > Downloads. Tap on the .zip file to start extracting the Nintendo Wii/Gamecube games into .iso format.
You are all set.
Adding Nintendo Wii / Gamecube games to your iPhone or iPad WITH the help of Computer
| Before Start: 1) iTunes – Ensure you have iTunes installed on your Computer. It’s required to transfer your Nintendo Wii/GameCube games into your iPhone. 2) Data Transfer Cable (Lightning cable or USB-C cable) – Required to connect your iPhone to the Computer so iTunes can recognize it. |
Prepare the Nintendo Wii/GameCube games in this format: .iso, then do the following steps to add any Nintendo Wii/GameCube games into your iPhone:
Step a) Plug your iPhone to your Computer.
Step b) On your Computer, open iTunes. On iTunes screen, click on your iPhone icon located on top section to show your iPhone details.
Step c) On iPhone detail screen inside iTunes, on the left side of the iTunes screen, click on “File Sharing”.
Step d) On File Sharing section, click on “DolphiniOS” or any apps that enables you to store the files into them. Click “Add File…” to add the game. If you can’t find the “Add File…” button, scroll the iTunes File Sharing screen a little bit down.
Step e) Locate your Nintendo Wii/GameCube games to add and then click on “Add”. Add only Nintendo Wii/GameCube games with .iso format.
Step f) Once finished transferring the game, click on “Done” button, then click on “Eject” button to safely remove your iPhone from your Computer.
With or without Computer, using the above steps, you should be able to get any Nintendo Wii/GameCube games into your iPhone or iPad.
Steps to install DolphiniOS on latest iOS & iPadOS
Here’s how to install and configure DolphiniOS so you can play Nintendo Wii and GameCube games on your iPhone and iPad.
| The steps written here are tested on: a) Latest iOS – at the time this article is written is iOS 17 Public Beta (17.5.1) and using the iPhone that I currently have – iPhone XR. In case you are not on iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 yet, check the link here to get iOS 17 & iPadOS 17: Here’s how to update iPhone to iOS 17 today (iPad included!) at JILAXZONE. b) Latest Windows – at the time this article is written is Windows 11 Pro Insider Review Build 26085. In you are also using Windows and would like to install Windows 11, check the link here to get them installed: Getting Windows 11 and installing on your Computer at JILAXZONE. Should you are using different version of iOS or iPadOS and / or different version of Windows, the steps may be slightly different but should not deviate too much. Anyway, in case you have questions / issues, feel free to put them down on the comment section down below, I’ll be more than happy to help you. |
Step 1) Download DolphiniOS into your iPhone & iPad
Using your iPhone/iPad, open the link using Safari.
I would highly recommend trying beta version – since its newer and it has rewritten code (supposedly to be more optimized). However, if after installing beta on your device, you are encountering multiple issues, only then install the stable version.
Whichever version you choose, download the .ipa file directly using your iPhone/iPad. Click the link above from Safari browser. Once downloaded, the file shall be stored under your Files app. In case you don’t know, IPA (.ipa) is short for iOS Application Package (iOS app/game file – it’s like EXE file for Windows or APK file for Android). In case you don’t know where Safari put the downloaded file, configure it here: Configure Safari default download folder for iOS at JILAXZONE.
Step 2) Install DolphiniOS Emulator to iPhone & iPad
| Before start: Ensure you have installed SideStore on your iPhone/iPad and you have downloaded the DolphiniOS emulator .ipa file. |
Follow these steps to install DolphiniOS. If you haven’t installed SideStore, do check out the Prerequisites section above.
Step 2a) Run SideStore app.
Step 2b) Inside SideStore, go to “My Apps” tab.
Step 2c) Tap on “+” button located on the top left of SideStore screen.
Step 2d) Navigate to the download folder where you have downloaded DolphiniOS emulator .ipa file. Tap on the file to begin installing. In case prompted, key-in your Apple ID and password – this is required for code signing.
DolphiniOS should now in-progress being installed to your iPhone/iPad, you just need to wait until it finished installing. Once finished installing, it will appear on “My Apps” tab under “Active” section.
Step 3) Move the game to DolphiniOS Game folder on your iPhone & iPad
| Before start: Ensure DolphiniOS is installed on your iPhone or iPad and you have dumped your own Nintendo GameCube or Nintendo Wii games into your iPhone. |
Follow these steps to move any Nintendo Wii or Nintendo GameCube games into DolphiniOS game folder. If you haven’t dumped your own Nintendo Wii/Nintendo GameCube games, do check out the Prerequisites section above.
Step 3a) Once DolphiniOS is installed, open Files app.
Step 3b) Inside Files app, navigate to “On My iPhone” > DolphiniOS > Software. This is where DolphiniOS game folder is located.
Step 3c) Move your Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii game ROMs into this location.
Once you have moved the games, you can check them by opening DolphiniOS from Home screen. If you moved the games into the correct folder, you should be able to see the games listed there, however when you tap on the game, the game won’t run and instead showing you with this “Waiting for JIT” screen:
Don’t worry, you just miss 1 step to play the games. Refer into the next step to get rid of the message.
Step 4) Configure JIT on your iPhone & iPad
Like I mentioned earlier, the main reason why DolphiniOS is not yet available on Apple App Store was due to JIT is not enabled on iOS/iPadOS by default. Hence follow the steps on this section to configure JIT enabling it for DolphiniOS usage.
First time setup will take you about 30 minutes (depending on your device and Internet speed), but once the initial setup has been done, next time would be just about less than 5 minutes.
Step 5) Run DolphiniOS on iPhone & iPad
| Before start: Ensure you have configured JIT on your iPhone and iPad. |
At this point, DolphiniOS should started on its own, you just need to tap on which game do you want to play with.
On my own test using iPhone XR (iPhone released back in 2019 with 3GB of RAM), I can get Mario Kart Double Dash! for GameCube to run at 60fps and Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube to run to run at 30fps (its maximum speed), so they are playable!
Controllers Recommendation – Play better with Controller!
Playing retro games is always better with controller!
While you can always use the touchscreen of the iPhone to play the games, but for greater fun and enjoyment, I would recommend you to play the games with the Controller using physical buttons – so the experience is (almost) the same as the original. Just in case you need recommendation, here they are. I am personally using Nimbus and DualShock 4 to play the games.
All controllers’ images shown below are trademarks of the respective owners.
8BitDo M30 | The Bluetooth controller that looks like the 6-button SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive controller. Get 8BitDo M30 on Amazon Get 8BitDo M30 on AliExpress Get 8BitDo M30 Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
Backbone Controller 2nd Generation with USB-C / Lightning | The controller that uses USB-C (or lightning) to connect. Very handy and portable to carry around. Get Backbone Controller on Amazon |
Razer Kishi | Best telescopic controller for iPhone. It comes with Lightning connector for passthrough charging as well as better low-latency gaming. In case you need it: Get Razer Kishi for Android on Amazon Get Razer Kishi for Android on AliExpress Get Razer Kishi for iPhone on Amazon Get Razer Kishi for iPhone on AliExpress |
SteelSeries Nimbus+ | For playing iOS games. I like it because it’s MFi certified – Made for iOS, any controller-compatible games will for sure run with this controller. In case you need it: Get SteelSeries Nimbus+ on Amazon Get Nimbus iPhone clipper on AliExpress. |
Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller | Great controller from Xbox compatible with your Xbox (of course!) as well as Windows PC, Android and iOS, recommended for those with big hands. Read here for pairing Xbox Series X|S Controller with your iPhone at JILAXZONE. In case you need it: Get Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller on Amazon Get Xbox Series X|S Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress Get Xbox One Controller on Amazon Get Xbox One Controller on AliExpress Get Xbox One Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
PS5 DualSense | Awesome controller from PlayStation compatible with your PS5 (of course!) as well as Android and iOS, recommended for those with smaller hands. Read here for pairing PS5 DualSense Controller with your iPhone at JILAXZONE. In case you need it: Get PS5 DualSense on Amazon Get PS5 DualSense Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
PS4 DualShock | While DualSense is the latest PlayStation controller but doesn’t mean DualShock 4 is bad. DualShock 4 is indeed one of the cheaper alternatives to get into gaming on your Android and iOS, recommended for those with smaller hands. In case you need it: Get PS4 DualShock 4 on Amazon Get PS4 DualShock 4 on AliExpress Get PS4 DualShock 4 Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
Here’s my own setup:
Note: If you buy anything from Amazon / AliExpress using links above, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost charged on your purchases.
Other retro game emulators available on iPhone and iPad (and iPod Touch!)
These are retro game emulators available on the iOS and iPadOS platform. Some of them are available officially on Apple App Store, while the rest of them, you can install via Sideloading method – no jailbreak required. Head out to their individual links for detail step by step on how to get them installed on your device.
| Emulator | Description | Installation guide Link |
|---|---|---|
| CEMU | Nintendo Wii U emulator, workaround for iOS | CEMU workaround for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Delta | Multiple Nintendo console emulator for iOS | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) Delta for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Delta iPac | Multiple SEGA Genesis & Nintendo console emulator for iOS | Delta iPac for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| DolphiniOS | Nintendo Wii & Nintendo GameCube emulator for iOS | DolphiniOS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| EmuThreeDS | (Early) Nintendo 3DS emulator for iOS | EmuThreeDS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| eNGE | PS1 emulator for iOS | eNGE for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Flycast | SEGA Dreamcast emulator for iOS | Flycast for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| iNDS | NDS emulator for iOS | iNDS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Play! | PS2 emulator for iOS | Play! for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| PPSSPP | PSP emulator for iOS | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) PPSSPP for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Provenance | Multiple game console emulator for iOS | Provenance for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| RetroArch | Multiple game console emulator for iOS | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) RetroArch for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| RetroGameBot | Multiple game console emulator runs on Safari for iOS | RetroGamesBot for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Yuzu | Nintendo Switch emulator, workaround for iOS | Yuzu workaround for iOS at JILAXZONE |
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