The Delta iOS app has released a new update that introduces the retro gaming emulator’s redesigned logo, alongside native iPad support that allows users to play multiple games simultaneously. Users in the EU can download the update immediately via AltStore PAL, but everyone else will have to wait for Apple to approve Delta 1.6 for the App Store, which could take a few days, according to Delta developer Riley Testut.
The app was technically available on iPad before today, but the lack of full support forced it to run as a letterboxed iPhone app, which impacted the emulator’s touch controls and prevented games from using the full iPad screen.
The new Delta 1.6 update rectifies those issues and enables the app to make full use of native iPad features like Stage Manager support, Handoff (presumably to continue gaming sessions started on an iPhone), and Split View — the latter of which allows users to run emulated games across multiple windows.
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Image: Riley Testut
Delta has also finalized its new app icon, having abandoned the stylized letter “D” it previously used after Adobe took issue with similarities it shared with its own logo. Delta’s updated icon sports a more fragmented look and was designed by Caroline Moore, who also creates all of the emulator’s controller skins.
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Image: Riley Testut / Caroline Moore
Testut previously said he was prioritizing providing native iPadOS support over other “big” features, so its release now clears the way for him to work on exciting things like device-to-device multiplayer and Sega Genesis emulation.
Those features would be the icing on an already feature-rich cake considering Delta currently emulates the NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, GBA, and Nintendo DS and can be played on TVs thanks to AirPlay. One thing it won’t do, however, is run on Android, with Testut confirming to The Verge that there are “no plans” to port over the iOS exclusive.
