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GAMES // EMULATOR

Version 3.1 iPhone & iPad 10 Consoles iPhone Duo Offline

Retro Handheld

Turn your iPhone or iPad into the ultimate retro gaming machine. Import your own game files from the Files app and play Game Boy through Dreamcast in one app, with controller support, cheats, save states, a split tabletop layout that follows an iPhone Duo fold, and no accounts or internet required.

Download on the App Store

Screenshots

Classic Libraries, Modern iOS Feel

iPhone

The Retro Handheld library in dark mode, with cartridge-style cover art for each game and filter chips for every console
A Game Boy game running inside the handheld shell, with the dot-matrix screen, D-pad, and action buttons
Tabletop layout with a Game Boy Advance game above the split and the control deck below it
Built for iPhone Duo: the library when open, and the game above the fold with controls below it when folded

iPhone landscape

A console game in landscape with touch controls on either side of the screen
A Game Gear game inside the black Game Gear shell, with the D-pad on the left and Start on the right
A game detail card showing the console, the shell it uses, and whether a controller is recommended

iPad

The iPad library showing twelve games across Game Boy, SNES, NES, Genesis, Game Gear, N64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast
A console game filling the iPad screen with the touch control deck beneath it
Tabletop layout on iPad, with the game on the upper half and the controls on the lower half
A game detail screen on iPad listing the engine, firmware requirements, and shell for that title

Features

Built for Your Whole Retro Library

Play 10 Classic Consoles

Play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast in one app. PlayStation works immediately with bundled OpenBIOS, and Dreamcast runs on Flycast with an HLE BIOS, so neither needs firmware files of your own.

Built for Controllers

Pair Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro, and MFi controllers with automatic per-console mapping, or use touch controls and Bluetooth keyboard support when you want a different setup.

Cheat Codes

Enter Game Genie, GameShark, or Action Replay codes for each game, then toggle individual cheats on or off whenever you want to switch styles mid-run.

Save Anywhere

Use save states at any point, rely on auto-save when you exit, and jump back in with one-tap resume so your progress is always ready when you are.

Make It Yours

Choose fullscreen or a retro TV shell on iPad, tune scanlines, color filters, volume, and haptics, and shape the look and feel of each session around the way you like to play.

Built for iPhone Duo

Fold an iPhone Duo part-way and the game moves above the hinge with the controls below it. Fold the other way for game on one side and controls on the other. Unfold and your session carries on in the normal shell, with no restart and nothing lost.

Tabletop Layout on Any Device

Settings > Display > Gameplay Layout has a Tabletop option that gives you the same split view on any device with a tall enough screen, with a control deck matched to whichever console you are playing.

Import and Play

Bring in your own game files from the Files app and start playing without account setup, online checks, or extra downloads. The emulator cores ship inside the app, ready to go.

Compatibility

Systems, Formats, and Controls

Supported Consoles and Cores

  • GameBoy — mGBA — Playable
  • GameBoy Color — mGBA — Playable
  • GameBoy Advance — mGBA — Playable
  • NES — ares — Playable
  • Super NES — ares — Playable
  • Sega Genesis — ares — Playable
  • Game Gear — ares — Playable
  • Nintendo 64 — Mupen64Plus + GLideN64 — Playable
  • PlayStation — SwanStation + OpenBIOS — Playable
  • Dreamcast — Flycast + HLE BIOS — Playable
  • Sega Master System — ares — Planned
  • PSP — PPSSPP — Planned

Supported File Formats

  • GameBoy — .gb
  • GameBoy Color — .gbc
  • GameBoy Advance — .gba
  • NES — .nes
  • Super NES — .smc, .sfc, .fig
  • Sega Genesis — .gen, .md
  • Game Gear — .gg
  • Nintendo 64 — .n64, .z64, .v64
  • PlayStation — .bin, .cue, .iso, .pbp, .chd, .ecm
  • Dreamcast — .cdi, .gdi
  • Sega Master System — .sms planned
  • PSP — .cso planned

Controller Support

  • Xbox Wireless Controller
  • PlayStation DualSense and DualShock 4
  • Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
  • MFi game controllers
  • Bluetooth keyboards with full per-console key mapping

Keyboard Controls

  • Arrow Keys or WASD — D-Pad
  • Z — A or Circle
  • X — B or Cross
  • C — X or Square
  • V — Y or Triangle
  • Q — L or L1
  • E — R or R1
  • R — L2
  • T — R2
  • Enter — Start
  • Right Shift — Select

Open Source

Bundled, Configured, and Ready to Play

What You Need

Retro Handheld does not include games. You must own the original cartridge or disc to legally use game files with the app. Import your library from the Files app and keep control of it on your own device.

Free Consoles and the Unlock

Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, and Super NES are free to play. Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast are unlocked with a single in-app purchase. There is no subscription, and the unlock restores on your other devices.

Powered by Open Source

Retro Handheld is built on proven emulation cores that are compiled and bundled inside the app, so there is nothing extra to download or configure before you play.

  • mGBA — GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance
  • ares — NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Gear
  • Mupen64Plus + GLideN64 — Nintendo 64
  • SwanStation — PlayStation with bundled OpenBIOS
  • Flycast — Dreamcast with an HLE BIOS

Licenses

  • Retro Handheld app — Proprietary
  • mGBA — MPL-2.0
  • ares — ISC
  • Mupen64Plus — GPL-2.0
  • GLideN64 — GPL-2.0
  • SwanStation — GPL-3.0
  • Flycast — GPL-2.0
  • OpenBIOS — MIT

Need Help?

We've Got You Covered

Need help with game imports, supported systems, controllers, cheats, or save states? Use the dedicated support page or review the Retro Handheld privacy policy below.

Get Support Privacy Policy Terms of Use