Popular iOS game emulator Delta released version 1.7, bringing live online multiplayer functionality to Nintendo DS games, the app said Thursday. Delta emulator with online multiplayer makes for a significant development for retro mobile gaming enthusiasts. Anyone who loves playing classic titles like Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown and Mario Kart should be delighted.
Delta emulator with online multiplayer for Nintendo DS games
Delta’s groundbreaking update allows Apple users to once again experience classic multiplayer titles that have been largely inaccessible since Nintendo discontinued online DS platform services in 2014. So a new generation of players can experience multiplayer modes that would otherwise be lost to time. For long-time Nintendo fans, it offers a nostalgic return to online communities they enjoyed years ago, now revitalized on modern Apple devices.
The update enables players to compete against each other in beloved Nintendo DS classics. What makes this particularly noteworthy is the straightforward implementation. Users simply need to select their preferred server within the emulator settings, with no complex DNS or network configuration required.
Delta’s implementation relies on alternative Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection servers. Dedicated community members worked to maintain them, preserving these gaming experiences long after official support ended. This restoration of multiplayer functionality breathes new life into a gaming library many thought permanently lost online
Other enhancements
✅ Delta 1.7 has been approved for the App Store and is now available worldwide! https://t.co/dywLHVyY09 pic.twitter.com/BpYBPr6w2V
— AltStore.io (@altstoreio) March 31, 2025
Beyond the headline multiplayer feature, version 1.7 introduces several other improvements to enhance gaming:
- Nintendo 64 emulation received particular attention, with new options to upscale resolution and support for custom texture packs that can dramatically improve visual fidelity on modern devices.
- The update also adds a convenient quick screenshot feature.
- Includes numerous bug fixes and performance optimizations that should make gameplay smoother across all supported platforms.
Delta has established itself as one of the most refined and feature-complete game emulators available on iOS. It supports a wide range of Nintendo platforms including NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The application offers comprehensive features that modern gamers expect, including robust controller support, save states, cheat functionality, game backups and cloud syncing capabilities.
For Apple users eager to try these new features, Delta 1.7 is currently available through AltStore PAL for those in the European Union, with a global App Store release expected soon. The emulator continues to be free to download on the App Store.
Check out our guide to using iPhone game emulator Delta.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
