Delta 2.0 Turns Apple's iPhone Duo Into a Folding Handheld

Delta 2.0 Turns Apple's iPhone Duo Into a Folding Handheld

Delta 2.0 Adapts to the iPhone Duo

Delta, the Nintendo emulator built by Riley Testut, shipped its 2.0 update on October 22 with full optimization for Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. The Verge reports that the update can turn the iPhone Duo into your favorite folding handheld: controller skins adapt to "every pose in both portrait and landscape," and folding the device puts emulated Nintendo DS games into sleep mode, just like closing the lid of a real DS. Testut told The Verge that split-view multitasking still works alongside running other apps.

A Natural Fit for the Foldable Form Factor

The iPhone Duo's folding shape lines up neatly with the DS clamshell experience. Testut says portrait mode best mimics holding a real DS. Redesigning every skin was "a huge undertaking" for designer Caroline Moore, Testut said, adding that he "genuinely haven't had this much fun playing around with new app ideas since when the iPad came out." On Mastodon, Testut showed the game library in four iPhone Duo simulator poses: three columns on the closed cover, four columns open flat, two rows of five as a tent, and three columns half-folded like a laptop.

Sega Genesis and Pokémon DLC Arrive Too

Beyond iPhone Duo support, Delta 2.0 adds Sega Genesis emulation with new iPhone and iPad controller skins that "recreate the classic Genesis controller look." A Pokémon DLC feature adds "custom in-game experiences for classic Pokémon games," including event items and rare Pokémon, supporting all mainline Pokémon games released for the Game Boy Advance. The first DLC is coming "soon," developed by the Pokémon ROM hacking community "without any use of AI tools." Delta 2.0 is also the app's first release on the EU App Store, available globally on Apple's App Store and via AltStore PAL in supported regions.

A Redesigned Interface and Skins

The app's UI has been overhauled for Apple's Liquid Glass design language, adapting to all screen sizes across iPhones, iPads, and the iPhone Duo, with default artwork getting a light, glassy look. Controller skins now support fully animated buttons and controls, including third-party designs, with an official animated GBA skin designed by Caroline Moore. The game library gains "recents" and "favorites" pages, along with new settings options. Delta 2.0 also adds global in-app purchases with a "Become a Patron" option.

More Ideas Saved for Future Updates

Testut says the team "didn't even get to ship all the ideas we came up with," with "plenty more fun stuff to work on in the next couple of updates." The page-control placement (sidebar or elsewhere) is still undecided, and controller skins still need moving off the crease. For buyers of Apple's first foldable, Delta 2.0 makes "unfolding your phone feels like opening that iconic clamshell from 2004" a real experience rather than a marketing line.