6 Best Pokémon Emulators For iPhone or iPad (iOS & iPadOS)

In the world of retro gaming, Pokémon is one of the most loved games and everyone enjoys playing Pokemon on their video game console or on television. This classic game is so popular that people want to play Pokémon games on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Playing Pokémon classic games is no big deal today because the best Pokemon emulator for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is available in the market that can be used to emulate the old Game Boy games on your iOS and iPadOS devices. Read: 5 Best PS4 Emulators For Windows PC & Laptop

In this article, I’m going to share a list of the top 5 best Pokémon emulators for iOS and iPadoS devices (iPhone and iPad). But, before moving to that part, let’s know a bit about Pokémon:

About Pokémon

Since 1995, the Pokémon company has been gracing us with some of the best titles. There are so many Pokémon games for mobile phones, but they are not as fun as the console ones.

The Pokémon Company has released some of the most popular titles to ever grace the gaming community. These epic games date back to 1996 and have shaped many of our childhoods. But you don’t have to stop playing Pokémon just because you don’t own a Game Boy anymore.

Top 6 Best Pokémon Emulator For iPhone and iPad [2022]

Do you know you can install emulators on your mobile phone to have the best experience of playing classic retro games like Pokémon on a gaming console? Yes, you can, and they even work on iPhones and iPads. Alongside Pokémon games, you can play almost any retro classic game whose ROM file you have.

Read: Best Strategy Games for iPhone and iPad [Top Pick]

If you want to play the classic Pokémon games on your iPhone or iPad, here are the 6 best Pokémon emulators for iPhone and iPad to play classic Pokemon games on your device. Let’s now get to the list of best Pokémon emulators for iOS and iPadOS.

1. GBA4iOS Emulator
2. Delta Emulator
3. Game Play Color
4. iNDS
5. Eclipse
6. Happy Chick

1. GBA4iOS Emulator

Developed using the ZodTDD’s gpSPhone codebase in 2013, Riley Testut’s emulator has grabbed millions of players worldwide using his virtual game launcher, GBA4iOS. It is one of the most popular and best iOS Game Boy Advanced emulators. The GBA4iOS emulator comes with easy installation and a user-friendly interface that allows users to emulate old Nintendo Game Boy Advanced console games on iPhone and iPad without jailbreaking them.

Using this GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, you can install almost any retro games including the older Pokemon franchise games on iPhone and iPad. It occupies only around 12.36 MB of your mobile phone’s memory and is updated until the 2.1.5 version. The emulator supports features like multiplayer support, controller skins, save states and cheat codes as well. The app also contains an iOS Developer Enterprise certificate and jailbreak-free features.

Talking about the GBA4iOS emulator features, what we like the most about this app is the wireless linking capability that uses either Bluetooth or local Wi-Fi to wirelessly link to other iOS devices. The GBA4iOS emulator supports any iOS device running iOS 7.0 or higher.

Download GBA4iOS Emulator

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t allow the GBA4iOS emulator to be on its App Store, hence you will have to download it from somewhere else. You can download and install GBA4iOS from its official website or from Cydia sources. You can also install it from some App Store alternatives like AltStore.

For more info, you can read my guide to download and install GBA4iOS.

How To Install GBA4iOS on iPhone via Cydia

To install the GBA4iOS emulator on iPhone or iPad via Cydia, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Open the Cydia app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on Sources and Edit.
3. Add HackYouriPhone Repo.
4. Switch to the Search tab and type GBA4iOS.
5. Finally, tap on the Install button to install GBA4iOS.

That’s it. The GBA4iOS Emulator is now successfully installed on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Delta Emulator

Delta Emulator for iPhone and iPad comes from the creator of GBA4iOS. GBA4iOS was once our favorite GBA emulator for iOS and iPadOS, but now we chose to switch to the Delta emulator. Unlike the GBA4iOS, which supports Game Boy Advance games, the Delta is an All-in-One emulator supporting Nintendo 64, SNES Classic Edition, and Game Boy.

Currently, the GBA4iOS emulator situation is not so good as it has become old and may not work on your new iPhone running the latest iOS. Hence, Riley Testut – the developer of GBA4iOS has built a new emulator – Delta Emulator. You can also consider Delta as the newer version on GBA4iOS with an all-new name.

The Delta emulator for iPhone supports iOS 10 and above. You can play all the Pokémon games available for Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and SNES using this emulator along with features like cloud syncing and multi-player facilities. The Delta emulator is available for iOS and iPadOS. 

Download Delta Emulator

Same as GBA4iOS, the Delta emulator is not available on App Store but you can still download and install it from an external store like AltStore, Emus4U, or BuildStore. Also, this emulator for iPad and iPhone doesn’t need your iPhone to be jailbroken.

How To Install Delta Emulator on iPhone or iPad via AltStore

Installing this 40.6 MB Delta emulator app on your iPhone or iPad is made easy due to its clear and simple installing process. Playing your favorite old-school retro games has never been easy with the Delta emulator. Moreover, there’s no need to backdate the app to play your favorite games.

Note: AltStore is the official distribution platform for the Delta emulator for iPhone and iPad.

To install the Delta Emulator on iPhone or iPad via AltStore, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Open a web browser on your Mac or Windows PC and go to https://altstore.io.
2. Now, follow the AltStore installation process mentioned on their official website.
3. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer and open iTunes (make sure Wi-Fi sync is enabled).
4. Start AltServer and make sure it’s running. When its logo appears in your Windows bar, select the logo.
5. A dialog box will appear with a button “Install AltStore“, click on it and then select the device you want to install the app on.
6. Enter your Apple ID credentials and wait for the installation process to finish.
7. Once the app is installed on your device, open the AltStore app on your iPhone or iPad and search for the Delta Emulator App.
8. Click on the “Free” button to install Delta onto your iOS or iPadOS device.
9. Launch the Delta app and click on “+” sign, you can then browse through your iPhone’s files and click on the desired game ROMs in order to load them and start playing.

Important: Make sure your Pokémon ROMs are downloaded on your iPhone or iPad. If you don’t know how to download Pokemon ROM, then check our guide mentioned below.

How To Install Delta Emulator on iPhone or iPad via Emus4U

To install the Delta Emulator on iPhone or iPad via Emus4U, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to https://emus4udownload.org.
2. Once the website is loaded, click on the “Download Emsu4U” button and install it on your device.
3. Upon installation of the Emsu4U app, the app will appear on your device’s home screen.
4. Now, go to Settings > General > Device Management > Trust the Emsu4U Profile.
5. Now, open the Emsu4U app, go to the “Emulators” section and search for Delta. Click “Get“.
6. Tap “Install” on the pop-up windows.
7. After the Delta app is downloaded on your device’s home screen, go to Settings > General > Device Management > Trust the Delta Profile.

That’s it. The Delta Emulator is now successfully installed on your iPhone or iPad.

3. Game Play Color Emulator

The third emulator on our list is the Game Play Color emulator, which allows you to play classic Pokémon games on your iOS and iPadOS device. It is an open-source web-based emulator for iPhone and iPad which comes with support for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Alike Eclipse, the Game Play Color also has Google Drive integration allowing users to save ROMs or cover arts in the GDrive.

Game Play Color emulator also supports the saved game, offline games, and 8-bit audio. it is one of the best emulators to play Game Boy Nintendo Pokemon games on iPhone and iPad. Game Play Color now supports iPadOS and iOS 13. Playing Pokémon’s iconic titles on your iPhone and iPad has never been more convenient, mainly because this emulator supports GB (Game Boy) and GBC (Game Boy Color) games and ROMs.

The emulator offers a long list of features that includes an offline support function that allows you to play games even without any Wi-Fi or cellular internet connection.

How To Download and Play Game Play Color Emulator on iPhone and iPad

If you’re wondering how to download and use the Game Play Color emulator, just follow the below-mentioned instructions:

1. Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and go to the Game Play Color website – https://gamepaycolor.com.
2. Tap on the Share button.
3. Select the “Add to Home Screen” option from the list.

Doing this will add the Game Play Color to your device’s home screen. Now, launch the app, sign in to your Google Drive and sync it with Game Play Color to get the ROM files for games you want to play emulated into the emulator.

4. iNDS Emulator

iNDS is a powerful Nintendo DS emulator for iPhone and iPad derived from the original NDS4iOS Emulator which is the most powerful DS Emulator. It is also one of the best emulator apps for Nintendo Developers system (DS) Games. Using the iNDS emulator, you can play almost all types of Nintendo DS games on your iPhone or iPad.

The iNDS emulator comes with some great features like External Game Control support, Cheat Codes Support, AirPlay, Dropbox integration, and Save state support. The best feature of iNDS is that you don’t need to search elsewhere for the game ROMs; the emulator comes with an in-app browser to search and download Nintendo DS game ROMs.

Download iNDS Emulator

You can download the iNDS emulator for free, and you can use it without jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad. The emulator comes optimized for iOS and iPadOS devices, making it one of the best Pokemon emulators for iPhone and iPad.

How To Download and Install iNDS Emulator on iPhone and iPad

1. First of all, copy the following link then paste it on the Safari New window Tab for iNDS Emulator Download.
2. Once the download page is loaded, simply scroll down and Click on the INDS Emulator icon.
3. Now you will get the Install Notification screen, Simply Look bottom and Tap on Install.
4. While your iDevice system will Raise a Pop-up Message for installation confirmation. So Again click on Install.
5. Head back to the Home screen and there watch INDS Emulator complete Download and Install.
6. Once the Emulator is installed, simply Launch and Play your Childhood Games on it.

5. Eclipse – The Unrevokable Multi-Emulator

Eclipse is a web-based multi-emulator supporting SNES, Game Boy, NES, Game Boy Classic, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Master System. It is a feature-rich emulator that can be used to play Pokemon games on your iPhone and iPad without installing an emulator. What sets Eclipse apart from other alternative emulators such as iNDS and Delta is that it never gets revoked.

Eclipse emulator comes with an option to select UI skins, and there are hundreds of them. Also, users can make the skin of their own and contact the developers to get them featured. You can upload and install the game ROMs from iPhone’s internal storage, Google Drive, Dropbox, or URL.

All of these improvements are owed to a unique installation method of choosing GBC and GBA games within the tool.

How To Use Eclipse To Play Pokemon Games on iPhone and iPad

1. Open Safari or Google Chrome on your iPhone/iPad.
2. Visit eclipseemu.me and tap Get.
3. Now, tap Setup Eclipse and follow the setup process.
4. The Eclipse is up and running in your browser. Now you can upload the game ROM files by tapping the ‘+’ button on the top right corner.

Best Ways To Add Games on Eclipse Emulator for iPhone and iPad

Adding games is simple. Here are three ways showing how to add games to Eclipse Emulator:

1. The first method to add games to escape Apple’s revoke system is by sideloading them from a webpage online through a web browser. Simply upload GBA ROMs or GBC ROMs to Google Drive. The eclipse will then access Google Drive to fetch the uploaded ROMs which you can then quickly launch. The entire process takes place online, not on your iPhone. This is perhaps the reason games installed via Eclipse Emulator avoid falling inside Apple’s detection radar.
2. The second method involves using the Game Hub. This includes adding ROMs from an external repository, such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
3. The third method is adding the ROM directly from a URL along with the name and the Box art.

All of the above three methods are simple to use so that you can focus on what you are using this tool for – play games.

6. Happy Chick Emulator

Looking for an emulator for iPhone and iPad that can be played on any iOS and iPadOS version? Happy Chick Emulator is your answer. It is a simulator that simulates all emulators, Apps, and Games on iOS and iPadOS devices. There are a lot of emulators available on the web like PlayStation 1, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, and many more. But you can get these emulators in a single platform, that is nothing but Happy Chick Emulator. Read more to Download Happy Chick iOS on iPhone or iPad Without Jailbreak.

With its latest version 1.7.4.2, the Happy Chick Emulator is one of the best virtual game launchers which offer an amazing gaming experience. It can be compatible with various devices and provide multi-functional features. It must also run through 2GB RAM size to fully enjoy the app. You’ll only need a 56.5 MB space in your phone’s memory to run this app.

Like any other similar app, there’s no need for a jailbreak because its settings and system were accepted by Apple’s certification policies. You’ll just need to click on the Trust option to remedy the Untrusted Enterprise Developer error. Thereafter, the Apple authentication detectors will permit and accept the unfamiliar certificate. As its edge among the rest, it can be played on various consoles other than GBA or GBC.

Download Happy Chick Emulator

Happy Chick is also available for iOS, iPadOS, and Android users, just download its apk file directly from the Happy Chick website.

How To Install Happy Chick Emulator For iOS and iPadOS

• At first, open the Safari browser on your iDevice, for third-party App store downloading
• Next, Download and install the “Tweak Box” or “App valley App” on your iDevice.
• After the installation process is done, launch the Tweak Box or “App Valley App Store“.
• Download AppValley
• Now tap on the “Games Section“.
• And after a click on “Paid and other Games” at the top right corner.
• After that search for Happy Chick Emulator.
• When you find this App store, simple Tap and “Install Happy Chick iOS 10, 11, 9, 8” on your iDevice.
• Once you Tap on the install option the installation will start immediately
• Now, return to Home Screen, here the Happy Chick App is downloaded and installed on the Home screen.

How To Download Pokémon Game ROMs on iPhone or iPad

Now that you know which iOS emulators you can use to play Pokémon games on your iPhone or iPad, you need to know how to find and download the ROMs for Pokémon games on your iPhone or iPad. The emulators are completely legal, but things are not so simple with the Pokémon Game ROMs. 

You can create a ROM for the game you already own, but it is not so legal to download ROMs from third-party sources. However, you can still download them from several websites using a simple Google search. Below-mentioned is a list of websites where you can download ROMs for Pokemon games.

Download Pokémon Games ROMs

• http://www.romsgames.net/
• https://www.emulatorgames.net/
• https://romsworld.online/
• https://hexrom.com/

Read: 7 Best Open World Games For Android and iOS [2022]

List of Pokémon Games For Various Gaming Consoles

Following is a list of Pokémon games for various video gaming consoles:

1. Pokémon Games for Nintendo DS
2. Pokémon Games for SNES
3. Pokémon Games for Nintendo 64
4. Pokémon Games for Game Boy

List of Pokemon Games on App Store For iPhone and iPad

As we have said above, you have to obtain the Game ROMs to play Pokémon games on iOS and iPadOS after installing emulators on your iPhone and iPad. But what if you failed to get the ROMs? There are some newly-released Pokémon games on App Store, that you may have interest in. You could download the games from the App Store and play them directly on your iPhone.

Some of the best Pokémon games on the App Store for iPhone and iPad are listed below:

1. Pokémon GO
2. Pokémon Quest
3. Pokémon Masters

1. Pokémon GO

Among the launched Pokémon games in recent years, Pokémon GO is the most popular one. Launched in July 2016, Pokémon GO is a location-based VR game that allows players (also called trainers in-game) to locate, capture, train, battle Pokemon, and go head to head against Team Rocket. It is available for both iOS and Android devices and is free to play.

When you encounter a wild Pokémon, you could catch it by throwing a Poké Ball at it. After that, you will own it and be able to train it. Moreover, you could collect different Pokémons by traveling to different places. And if you want to collect more Pokémons but don’t want to or are unable to travel too far, you could change your location to anywhere with the help of some professional tools.

The most attractive part of this game is that, once you turn on camera on your iPhone, you can find Pokemon in real world.

2. Pokémon Quest

Another Pokémon game on our list that you could play on your iPhone and iPad is Pokémon Quest. Launched in June 2018, it’s an action-adventure game of the Pokémon series. Just as Pokémon GO, it’s also free to play and is available for download for both iOS and Android devices.

The game is set on Tumblecube Island. And players need to build a strong Pokémon team and coplete all the levels in this island through battling with wild Pokémon. As a free-to-play action-adventure game, Pokemon Quest with a blocky design, in the game, players can control the base camp and the Pokemon team. The task is to complete all the levels on the island and beat the wild Pokemon. To those Pokemon fanatics, this game is definitely worth trying.

3. Pokémon Masters EX

Launched in 2019, the Pokémon Masters EX (also called Pokémon Masters) game allows players to battle and recruits various Pokémon trainers from the main series game. Besides unlocking the main series, players can also take part in limited-time events. Events include single-player story events and cooperative multiplayer events. After defeated powerful enemies, players will receive event rewards and prizes.

[Bonus] How To Spoof Your Location in Pokémon GO Mobile Game

Installing a Pokémon emulator for iPhone and iPad can be a complex and technical process for many of us. Fortunately, Pokémon fans have the option to download some modern Pokémon games from App Store and play them directly on their iPhones and iPads. Pokémon GO is one such game.

In Pokémon GO, players usually have to physically move around in order to explore the virtual map, but there is a way to make this easier. With a location changer likeTailorGo, everyone can change GPS location in the game easily, quickly, and securely, which spares the trouble of moving physically and takes the user experience to another high level.

How To Spoof Your Location in Pokémon GO Mobile Gam

1. Download, install and launch TailorGo on your computer. Click “Get Started” to begin.
2. Connect your iOS device to the computer and confirm the trust of the computer. Enter the screen passcode when required.
3. After successfully connecting your device to the computer via USB cable for the first time, you can directly choose to get your iOS device connected next time as long as it is under the same WiFi network as the computer.
4. The map will be loaded and you can find your location on it.
5. In the top right corner, select Teleport Mode (the 4th one). Zoom in or out on the map to select a destination you want to “go” to. You can also search for a destination by its name or by entering the exact coordinates in the search box.
6. After you select a destination, a sidebar will pop up showing the destination information including the place name, coordinates, and distance. Click “Move” to change the location and it will be done instantly.

Conclusion

With that said, I’ll wrap up the list of the top 6 best Pokémon emulators for iPhone and iPad to play classic Pokemon games on your iOS or iPadOS devices. Playing classic games is a satisfaction that can’t be explained in words as it brings the time of our childhood, the good old days of no worry. I hope that this pokemon emulator for iPhone will help you in bringing you back to your boyhood days.

What are you waiting for? Now you know which iOS emulator to use to play Pokémon and other retro games on iPhone and iPad and where to get the classic retro games from? Go start playing your favorite Pokémon game on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Pokémon Games: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)