The very best GameCube emulators for many platforms

Dolphin Emulator Google Play

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

The Nintendo GameCube is a console that launched in 2001. It had loads of basic video games, together with Mario Kart Double Sprint, Tales of Symphonia, Tremendous Mario Sunshine, Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In fact, most of these video games aren’t out there on fashionable consoles, so your solely option to play them immediately is emulation. Listed here are one of the best GameCube emulators for many platforms.

Presently, Dolphin Emulator is the general greatest GameCube and Nintendo Wii emulator. It is out there for PC, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. OpenEmu and RetroArch additionally use Dolphin for his or her GameCube plug-ins on macOS. Thus, Dolphin is the one we suggest first. We now have a information to putting in and utilizing Dolphin Emulator in case you want it.

Dolphin Emulator

Dolphin Emulator Super Mario Sunshine

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Dolphin is, by far, your most suitable option in case you’re on a platform this emulator helps.

What we like:

  • Excellent sport compatibility, with over 95% of video games both excellent or playable.
  • Works effectively on PC, Linux, macOS, and Android units. It even helps fashionable Apple silicon and macOS variations.
  • It really works effectively out of the field, with little configuration wanted on most programs.
  • It’s free and open-source.

What we don’t like:

  • It has eaten up all of its opponents, so it’s the one actual alternative.
  • Linux customers most likely need to construct it from supply.

Dolphin Emulator is your most suitable option for PC, Linux, and Android units. It’s the highest canine on this house by a large margin, with most different opponents bowing out a few years in the past. It has wonderful compatibility, good customization, and it labored fantastic in our testing. We tried it out on Android and PC, the place it was constantly good. We particularly admire how effectively it really works on Android. In any case, there isn’t a lot else to say right here. That is your only option. It’s additionally our alternative for one of the best GameCube and Nintendo Wii emulator on Android.


DolphiniOS

DolphiniOS screenshot

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

The most suitable choice for iOS customers, even when the set up course of is a bit of irritating.

What we like:

  • It’s a great emulator for iOS, a platform not identified for its emulators.
  • It’s Dolphin Emulator, so it boasts the identical compatibility and performance as the opposite emulators on this checklist.
  • The emulator is in lively growth, so it’s bettering on a regular basis.

What we don’t like:

  • The set up course of is a bit of tough for the technologically unsavvy.

DolphiniOS is principally Dolphin Emulator made particularly for iOS. The one a part of this emulator that’s powerful to take care of is the set up. You’ll want to make use of both AltStore or a handbook set up methodology as a way to get it in your machine. From there, it really works as Dolphin Emulator does on different platforms. You get the identical excessive compatibility fee, identical performance, and identical efficiency. Since we’ve talked about Dolphin Emulator already on this article, we’ll spare you having to learn the small print a second time. Suffice it to say, that is the one you need on iOS.


OpenEmu

OpenEmu GameCube screenshot

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

An all-in-one emulator for macOS that features assist for GameCube

What we like:

  • It makes use of Dolphin Emulator for its GameCube assist, so it has the identical stage of compatibility because the common Dolphin Emulator.
  • All-in-one emulator assist provides assist for a lot of different consoles.
  • Easy UI and menus make customization fairly simple.
  • It really works on Apple silicon and fashionable macOS variations.

What we don’t like:

  • It’s a bit extra finicky to arrange and get going than Dolphin Emulator.

OpenEmu is a macOS-only emulator that helps varied consoles. That features many programs from Nintendo and Sony, together with some good Sega emulators as effectively. In follow, this works fairly effectively. You obtain your video games, the emulator finds them, and also you play them. The UI is fairly easy, and it’s a type of experiences the place it really works fantastic out of the field. Exterior of the controls, we didn’t want to vary a lot to get it to work. It additionally works on fashionable macOS variations together with Apple silicon, a boon when you have a more moderen Mac.


RetroArch

RetroArch Mario Sunshine screenshot 2023

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

RetroArch is a beast of an all-in-one emulator, however it does take a while to learn to use it.

  • Pricing: Free
  • Platforms: PC, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi, and others (Downloads)

What we like:

  • It’s out there on most platforms.
  • Makes use of Dolphin Emulator for its GameCube core, so it has the identical compatibility and efficiency because the common Dolphin Emulator.
  • It may possibly emulate tons of various sport consoles, making it a great all-in-one emulator for all of your video games.
  • It will get up to date continually, making certain continued assist and efficiency.

What we don’t like:

  • Usability has a studying curve.
  • A little bit of a ache to put in on iOS, however it’s no totally different from DolphiniOS.

RetroArch is arguably one of the best all-in-one emulator on any given platform. It makes use of “cores” to run a sport console. You obtain the cores for the sport consoles you need, and RetroArch performs the sport. It makes use of Dolphin Emulator for its GameCube core, so you possibly can anticipate the identical compatibility and efficiency because the standalone model. As well as, you take pleasure in downloading different cores for different consoles, providing you with entry to tons of video games. When it comes to day-to-day use, RetroArch has wonderful efficiency, and it ran all of our take a look at video games with no downside. Nevertheless, the UI is a bit of tough to be taught at first in case you’re not used to it.


If we missed any nice GameCube emulators, inform us about them within the feedback.