The best retro game emulators for iPhone and Android 2024

Gaming is unique as a medium, in that it’s so heavily tied to specific hardware. Fancy digging into the history of music or cinema? What you’d like to check out is probably on a streaming service. Games? You’d best hope you have the original console or micro and the games themselves – and that everything still works. Or that a company has deigned to release your favourites for a newer platform.

And even then, it’ll be tied to that hardware instead. Or… you could just try a retro game emulator on whatever device you choose, including your phone. Because emulation has come a long way.

Emulation first exploded in the 1990s as computers became powerful enough to replicate older systems. Apps mimicked old hardware to the point you’d swear someone had glued a Commodore 64 to your brand-new PC.

Increasingly, commercial products started using emulation too, reselling old games to new and old audiences. Then even Android phones got in on the act, letting you cart about gaming’s history in your pocket. And of late, emulation is back in the news, due to Nintendo suing everyone over Switch emulation, and Apple finally allowing emulators on the App Store. Well, some emulators. 

Crossing the streams

All of which might make you wonder why there isn’t a Spotify for old games. Well, there kind of is. Antstream Arcade brings over 1300 old games to your browser – or your Android or iOS device – for $4.99/£4.99 per month.

Honestly, it’s a bit weird streaming a game whose entire binary is smaller than a JPEG, but Antstream does add value. There’s no faff element. (Emulators can be tricky to set up.) It’s all perfectly legal. (Emulation is legal, but downloading ROMs and game images is not, unless you have the right to do so.) And you also get global leaderboards and bespoke challenges. (It turns out that when you’ve just one life in Space Invaders, it’s really hard.) So it’s worth checking out.

But what if you want to play something Antstream doesn’t have, or you’re offline? Back to emulators! But which emulators? Start with these six…

Delta

This is the one that changed everything for iPhone. It took 10 years for Delta to reach the App Store, and it only happened then because Apple performed a screeching U-turn on allowing emulators. We’re glad it did, because Delta is a slick, usable way to play games from old Nintendo consoles. Note that, for reasons too complicated to go into here, EU residents need to grab it from altstore.io instead. 

Get Delta for iOS (free)

PPSSPP

It wasn’t the first widescreen handheld (hello, Atari Lynx), but Sony’s PSP cemented itself in people’s memories thanks to its superb games. That aspect ratio also means it’s well suited to modern phones. PPSSPP is the best way to play… and tinker, since there are loads of settings. Want to give the developers a reward for their hard work? Grab the identical paid version, PPSSPP Gold – $3.99/£3.99 on Android or $4.99/£4.99 on iOS.

Get PPSSPP for Android or iOS (free)

ZX81

In the UK, consoles didn’t gain a solid foothold until the 16-bit era. Until then, people battled with home micros, coaxing games to load from cassette tape. Sometimes they’d even work. The ZX81 app ditches the old medium (fortunately) but packs everything else from Clive Sinclair’s breakthrough PC, along with dozens of legal homebrew titles – and you can of course also load your own. 

Get ZX81 for iOS (free)

Redream

Sega’s last home console, the Dreamcast has a place in history for marking the end of an era. But it should also be remembered for being fantastic – and home to a slew of greats. Redream lets you get your Ikaruga on, or dig into deep sessions of Shenmue, all while side-eyeing Sega for not bringing more Dreamcast classics to Android in standalone form. (We love Crazy Taxi, but it’s a bit lonely in the Play Store.) 

Get Redream for Android (free or $5.99/£5.49)

RetroArch

If we’ve skipped your favourite console, there’s probably an emulator for it – but we’re low on space, so consider RetroArch a handy catch-all. The interface is horrible, but the app plays almost anything. Watch some tutorials and then revel in the sheer power and customisation on offer… or ignore all that and just play more old games. (Android folks, this one’s best downloaded direct from retroarch.com.) 

Get RetroArch for Android or iOS (free)

Daijishō

Dedicated Android retro gaming devices exist – or you might prefer to nudge your phone in that direction. Either way, Daijishō is a fine front-end… at least once it’s set up. And that’s just a case of pointing it at where your games and emulators live. You can even go full retro-head, making it your default launcher and using its Apps tab during those annoying times when you’re not gaming.

Get Daijishō for Android (free)