Modern games have undeniably occupied a special place in the hearts of gaming aficionados. However, retro games haven’t really slipped into oblivion. Game Boy emulators have managed to sustain the fanfare of classic games by offering the same thrilling experience and fascinating gameplay that resemble the original ones. GBA emulators for android are quite popular. However, the ones for iOS are met with scepticism owing to safety concerns and legalities.
Top GBA Emulators For iOS
Let’s take a closer look at Game Boy emulators and understand their functionality. In the process, we will also address concerns like safety pertaining to the use of these emulators on iOS devices, their legalities, etc.
How Does A Game Boy Emulator Work?
Game Boy emulators are guardians of retro games and help gaming fanatics enjoy vintage games on an unsupported platform. The first emulator, Nintendo Game Boy, which was launched in the 80s became instantly popular. This ultra-compact handheld game console sold like hotcakes with the entire first batch getting shipped within the first two weeks itself. The 8-bit game console was followed by the advent of more contemporary gaming consoles like the Nintendo’s GameCube, Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Playstation 2.
Game Boy replicates the functionality of the original hardware. This entails that if one has the game’s code, then it can be played on any device without necessitating hardware modifications.
Are Game Boy Emulators Legal?
Yes, Game Boy emulators are 100% legal to use on your iOS and iPhone. However, downloading and uploading ROMs is not legal. Therefore, it is important to utilise one’s own game files.
Also Read: Best ROM Sites For Classic Gaming
Are Game Boy Emulators Safe To Use On iPhone?
This largely depends on the type of Game Boy emulator that you are downloading. It is advised to always thoroughly check the reviews of any GBA emulator that you are downloading on your iOS device.
Top Game Boy Emulators For iOS 16 Devices
Here are the best GBA emulators for iPhone and iPad users to help you enjoy your favourite retro games.
- GBA4iOS
This extremely efficient Gameboy emulator developed by Riley Testut is your best bet if you wish to play GBA and GBC games without any interruptions. The GBA4iOS supports a multiplayer feature alongside offering excellent hardware facets like enhanced controller grip. Its Dropbox feature ensures seamless integration of data across devices. The emulator is free to install on certain platforms. However, the developer urges players to install the emulator on BuildStore which is priced at $19.99 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Vast library of retro games | Complicated setup |
| Dropbox integration | |
| Cheats | |
| Sustain button | |
| AirPlay | |
| Distributing Events |
- Happy Chick
This emulator for iPhone and iPad has the ability to emulate over 18 systems. These include, DC, NGP, PS, PSP, FAB/MAME, GBA, GBC, MD, NDS, etc.This can be undoubtedly hailed as the most powerful emulator for iOS 16 devices.
It hosts a vast collection of classic games like Street Fighter 97, Super Mario, Pokemon, Monster Hunter, etc. The biggest advantage is that you can enjoy these games using this app without having to jailbreak your device. It supports online multiplayer features and is compatible with PSP and arcade games. Setting up this emulator is pretty simple. It offers cloud synchronisation which ensures that data is backed up across multiple devices.
| Pros | Cons |
| Can emulate over 18 systems | Compatibility issues with certain games |
| Huge collection of retro games | Occasional performance issues or glitches |
| Compatible with PSP and arcade games | |
| Seamless user-interface | |
| Offers cloud synchronisation |
- Delta Emulator
The GBA4iOS developer Riley Testut, launched this super efficient all-in-one GBA emulator for iOS 16, dubbed as “Delta Emulator”. This iPhone and iPad Game Boy emulator includes NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), N64 (Nintendo 64), SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), GBC (Game Boy Colour), GBA (Game Boy Advance), etc.
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It has an intuitive user-interface alongside controller support. This allows you to play your favourite games without hindrance, using PS4, PS5, Xbox One S/Series X and MFi game controllers. It comes with Dropbox and Google Drive synchronisation and helps maintain backup of games on multiple devices seamlessly.
| Pros | Cons |
| Game ROMs supported | Requires practice to master the platform |
| Multiple controller skins | |
| Cheat codes | |
| Save and load states | |
| Dropbox and Google Drive synchronisation |
Download Delta Emulator for Free
- Provenance Emulator
This versatile emulator equips iOS users with the ability to play almost any console-based game on their phones. It has a neat user interface, great navigability and is relatively easy to set up. This is a lag free emulator that permits saving and loading games without any interruptions. The onscreen controller can be optimised depending on the needs of the user. The Provenance emulator also allows you to download and import game ROMs without any issues.
| Pros | Cons |
| Displays FPS count | Glitches in auto-saving |
| Auto-save and CTR filters | |
| Cloud Storage | |
| Customise game map | |
| Change controller opacity |
Download Provenance Emulator for Free
- Eclipse
This web-based multi emulator is compatible with GB, GBC, GBA, NES, GG, SNES, SMS, and more. It allows you to seamlessly enjoy retro games on your iOS 16 device. You can upload a ROm to eclipse through various methods. Its interface is clean and lightweight, although it might entail occasional lags. This emulator also offers a variety of skins to choose from.
| Pros | Cons |
| Compact user interface | Lacks in terms of customisation |
| Supports multiple systems like NES, GG, GB, GBC, etc. | web-based |
| Features Skins page | |
| Offers Google Drive and Dropbox integrations |
