Dolphin, a game-system emulator, will soon be available on Steam

The software will also support the Steam Deck, its developer says.

Dolphin, the Nintendo GameCube and Wii emulator, is getting a Steam release.

The emulator, which has seen consistent development since its 2003 debut and will soon be available on Valve’s digital storefront, now has a Steam page.

The emulator’s developer OatmealDome stated on Twitter: “We’ll release in Early Access during Q2 2023 (Apr to Jun). When the time comes, we’ll have more details for you.

Additionally, they said, “Yes, we will be backing the Steam Deck.”

Although Dolphin can already be added to Steam and played on the Steam Deck, the process should be simplified for new users if the game is officially integrated into Steam.

The emulator supports playing GameCube and Wii games with a number of alterations, such as higher resolution and frame rate, widescreen support, high definition textures, network play, and quick save states.

Downloading GameCube and Wii image files is illegal, but emulation in and of itself is not; the popular multi-system emulator RetroArch has been available on Steam for years, and Dolphin has been around for twenty years without Nintendo successfully shutting it down.

[Dolphin Emulator]

Dolphin, a GameCube and Wii emulator, is coming to Steam!

We’ll release in Early Access during Q2 2023 (Apr to Jun). More info will be provided closer to launch.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our store page and wishlist us!https://t.co/m3XRhabK9V

— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) March 28, 2023

As such, the Steam page for Dolphin is not only careful to never mention Nintendo or its systems by name (it instead claims to be “an emulator for the big N’s 6th and 7th generation consoles”), it also stresses that players have to provide their own “legally obtained” games, even if this doesn’t always happen in practice.

Some players already use the Steam Deck as a portable emulation system, something that was leaned on a little too heavily when Valve posted (and then quickly deleted) a promotional video for the Steam Deck which showed a prominent Nintendo Switch emulator on the screen.