Dolphin Emulator – A Free-to-Play App on Steam Store
Dolphin emulator, the popular emulator for Nintendo GameCube and Wii consoles, will be available on the official Steam store in the second quarter of 2023. According to reports, Dolphin will be added to the Steam store as a free-to-play app that will allow users to play legal backup copies of games available for GameCube and Wii platforms on their desktop PC and other platforms.
Manual Setup Made Easy
Though Dolphin has been available for a while, it has required manual setup until now. However, with its inclusion in the Steam store, newcomers will find it easier to install as it will earn its own Steam store listing, offering a facility that enables them to download it with just a single click.
What’s So Special About Dolphin?
Dolphin is one of the most favored emulators for Nintendo’s GameCube and Wii consoles. Reports say that it can play backups of the entire library on PC. Additionally, it can run GameCube and Wii games on Xbox Series X|S.
One of the standout features of Dolphin is its ability to support classic games from GameCube and Wii consoles on modern displays. The emulator also supports modern controllers, netplay, and save states. Furthermore, Dolphin is fully open source.
Legalities
It should be noted that the emulator does not include any games. Moreover, none of the screenshots on the store page are from GameCube or Wii games. Users are required to own an original copy of the game they want to use with Dolphin. Hence, they need to ensure they have proper gaming licenses before downloading.
Community Response and Feedback
The development team behind Dolphin has worked hard towards bringing this experiment to fruition. Users are encouraged to share their feedback about Dolphin coming to Steam, and whether they have used this emulator before. The community will undoubtedly make it clear what Dolphin is made for through reviews and comments.
Dolphin on Steam Deck
Dolphin is also a top choice for playing GameCube backups on Steam Deck if users can find compatible disk drives for ripping the mini DVDs. Emulating with Dolphin will also allow access to community-made mods.
Other Emulators on Steam
It is worth noting that other emulators like RetroArch have also previously been released on Steam. Therefore, the inclusion of Dolphin is not a novelty in the world of emulators.
Conclusion
The addition of Dolphin emulator to the official Steam store presents a real treat for gaming enthusiasts who love playing classic games from Nintendo’s platforms in modern times. With its free-to-play access, increased resolution and frame rate, netplay for online gaming, and save states, it certainly has the potential to be a huge hit among gamers worldwide.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
