iOS game emulator Delta has been downloaded three million times since its release on April 18, according to Appmagic estimates.
The data suggests that the app is most popular in the US, with over 670k downloads to date. The second most popular market is China with ~525k installs, followed by Mexico (147k), UK (120k) and Japan (95k).
Delta is one of the first Apple-approved game emulators to hit the App Store since it changed the App Review guidelines to allow them. Apple appears to have changed the rules to stop players moving over to alternative app stores to play retro games through emulators. The tech giant was forced to open up its EU App Store to alternative marketplaces as a result of the region’s Digital Markets Act, which came into effect in March.
Delta supports the emulation of NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, N64 and Nintendo DS games, and its press materials showcase games like Pokémon Gold, Tetris, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Mario Kart DS being played through the app.
Delta is also compatible with a variety of popular game controllers and allows users to stream the app to other screens via AirPlay, effectively becoming a mini console.
Apple had previously worked closely with Nintendo for the launch of several games on the App Store, which kickstarted when the game-maker’s legendary figurehead Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage during Apple’s 2016 keynote to announce Super Mario Run.
Nintendo, which recently took legal action to remove Switch emulators from Steam, has yet to comment on Apple’s decision to open up emulation on the App Store. A range of game emulators has been freely available on Android devices for years, though some are sporadically pulled from the store for violating Google’s guidelines.
Delta is the first emulator to reach mass popularity on iOS since the App Review rule change, though one previous app, iGBA, made it through review and onto the store before Apple pulled it down again for breaching its guidelines.
Retro game ROMs operate in a rather murky legal grey area, so Delta’s explainer text and links do not lead users to ROM sites directly, but it’s clear that a quick Google search will lead players to exactly what they need.
“Delta needs ROMs in order to play games. ROMs are special files containing a game’s data,” reads Delta’s FAQ. “There are many ways to get a game’s ROM file, but we recommend using a tool like GB Operator – though you can find other similar tools online.”
