With Apple opening the app Store to emulators on May 4, we have seen emulator apps steadily penetrate the ios ecosystem. We've already seen emulators for the original Nintendo, PlayStation1, PSP and Gameboy emulators (although the first one was quickly removed from the App Store). 

The latest thing that catches our eye is the Folium app. Folium works with Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS. What's unique compared to other emulator releases is that Folium, as seen in 9to5Mac, is the first emulator on the app store to work with Nintendo 3DS games.

Folium says the app is "a beautifully designed, high-performance multi-system emulator that is now a game boy app." You can play video games from a retro console or handheld, including the core of the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS."

It will be interesting to see how the 3DS screen is converted to an iPhone. The Android3DS emulator has the option to use split screen on some of the best foldable phones, including the Galaxy Fold5 and Google Pixel Fold. For phones that are not foldable, emulators like Citra push the bottom screen into a small corner of the app. Apple is inclined to design something foldable, an iPhone or iPad, but it's not clear yet. 

Folium is iPhone only, priced at44.99. If you want to try it yourself, you must be running iOS15 or later. Most iPhones should already be there, but IOS18 in particular is being released at WWDC2024 later this summer. If you're interested in emulating on Apple TV or iPad Pro, check out the first RetroArch emulator available on Apple TV.

The Folium app works with MFi controllers such as the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, PS4, and PS5 controllers. It also works with Xbox series controllers and backbone ones.

As a reminder, the iOS emulator does not come with a game (or Rom). If you are interested in getting the game to the emulator, you must already have a ROM or download it. Once you have the file, you need to sideload the rom to the front end of the emulator. For obvious legal and copyright reasons, the emulator can not actively provide the Rom to the user.