Nintendo games are finally coming to Steam (sort of)
The best GameCube/Wii emulator for PC hits Steam soon.
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What you need to know
The name Dolphin might not mean anything to many gamers, but before Nintendo officially launched its world-famous GameCube console, it went under the same title during development. Initially launched in 2003, Dolphin is now one of the best emulators for Nintendo’s GameCube and Wii consoles, capable of playing backups of your entire library on PC that willsoon be available on Steam.
Dolphin even runsGameCube and Wii games on an Xbox Series X|S, and many Steam Deck owners are well aware of the software’s capability to run Nintendo’s classics on the go. The only minor thing holding some curious users back is the need for manual setup, but that’s about to change as the Dolphin emulator earns its ownSteam store listingin Q2 2023.
I’ve specifically named Dolphin in my roundup of thebest emulators for Steam Deckas the top choice for playing your GameCube backups if you can find a disc drive suitable for ripping the mini DVDs. Now that the official release heads to Steam, newcomers will be able to install it with a single click. Understandably, the Dolphin team isn’t allowed to actually name-drop any Nintendo titles or company branding on the store, referring to them by a pseudonym instead.
None of the screenshots on the store page are from GameCube or Wii games either, which might confuse the unsuspecting gamer. However, reviews and comments take up a sizeable chunk of games and apps on Steam, so the community will undoubtedly make it explicitly clear what Dolphin was made for.
Either way, as a Steam Deck fanatic, you can expect follow-upemulator guidesfrom me when the app officially launches on Steam. For now, you canadd Dolphin to your wishlistfor a notification when it launches.
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Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.
