Here’s how to play SEGA Saturn Games on iPhone and iPad – Paid & FREE Sega Saturn Emulators for iOS & iPadOS
Sega Saturn recently picks up the steam again (at least, that’s how I felt), for both the console and the games. People were talking about the console hardware variations; best, obscure and must-try Sega Saturn games and even the flash carts and ODEs available for Sega Saturn, such as SAROO, Satiator, Fenir and many more. And the craze is not stopping right there, because for people who just want to play the Saturn games without much hassle, they go looking for the available emulators for Sega Saturn. Hence the reason why I’m writing this article – to share the available Sega Saturn emulators, in this case for iPhone, iPad and the almost-forgotten iPod Touch.
For your curiosity only, these are the available Sega Saturn variants – you’ll be surprised there are many different variants of Sega Saturn made during its era!
Available Sega Saturn Emulators for iOS and iPadOS
When it comes to emulating Sega Saturn, there are at least 4 options available for iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch) and iPadOS (iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro), here they are:
Option 1) Yaba Sanshiro 2 – Paid
The emulator that comes from the long-time Sega Saturn emulator developers.
Here’s the YouTube video directly from the dev, showing what Yaba Sanshiro 2 can do.
| Pros | + Better UI (compare to the other alternatives). + Better overall performance, since this app is coming from the actual developers. |
| Cons | – You have to fork some amount of money (which is ok and fair – to support the devs). |
| Link | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaba-sanshiro-2/id1549144351 |
Option 2) Yaba Sanshiro 2 Lite – Free
Same as Option 1, but this one free version, that can only play 3 games and with ads showing.
| Pros | + Free + Better UI (compare to the other alternatives). + Better overall performance, since this app is coming from the actual developers. |
| Cons | – Limited to 3 games and showing advertisement |
| Link | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaba-sanshiro-2-lite/id6630365688 |
Option 3) RetroArch on AppStore – Free
Whatever the “Yaba Sanshiro 2” developers built and fixed, it then transformed into the form of RetroArch Sega Saturn core.
Here’s the YouTube video showcasing how to play Sega Saturn games on RetroArch.
| Pros | + Free alternative to play Sega Saturn games that doesn’t limit number of games you can play + Readily available on Apple App Store – no sideload required. |
| Cons | – UI/UX takes some time to get used to it, however, do check here for tips on using RetroArch: RetroArch Tips at JILAXZONE. |
| Link | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/retroarch/id6499539433 |
Option 4) RetroArch via Sideload – Free
Similar pros and cons with RetroArch on AppStore, however there are some additional worth noting.
| Pros | + Free alternative to play Sega Saturn games that doesn’t limit number of games you can play + Nightly built – which means features/issues/bugs will get addressed the fastest, compare to the other options |
| Cons | – UI/UX takes some time to get used to it, however, do check here for tips on using RetroArch: RetroArch Tips at JILAXZONE. – You need to sideload the app into your device, check here on the full step by step guide: RetroArch sideloading steps at JILAXZONE. |
| Link | https://apps.apple.com/us/app/retroarch/id6499539433 |
Here’s YouTube video showing how you can setup the RetroArch on iPhone and iPad – trust me, it’s not that difficult.
Controllers Recommendation – Play better with Controller!
Playing retro games is always better with controller!
While you can always use the touchscreen of the iPhone to play the games, but for greater fun and enjoyment, I would recommend you to play the games with the Controller using physical buttons – so the experience is (almost) the same as the original. Just in case you need recommendation, here they are. I am personally using Nimbus and DualShock 4 to play the games.
All controllers’ images shown below are trademarks of the respective owners.
8BitDo M30 | The Bluetooth controller that looks like the 6-button SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive controller. Get 8BitDo M30 on Amazon Get 8BitDo M30 on AliExpress Get 8BitDo M30 Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
Backbone Controller 2nd Generation with USB-C / Lightning | The controller that uses USB-C (or lightning) to connect. Very handy and portable to carry around. Get Backbone Controller on Amazon |
Razer Kishi | Best telescopic controller for iPhone. It comes with Lightning connector for passthrough charging as well as better low-latency gaming. In case you need it: Get Razer Kishi for Android on Amazon Get Razer Kishi for Android on AliExpress Get Razer Kishi for iPhone on Amazon Get Razer Kishi for iPhone on AliExpress |
SteelSeries Nimbus+ | For playing iOS games. I like it because it’s MFi certified – Made for iOS, any controller-compatible games will for sure run with this controller. In case you need it: Get SteelSeries Nimbus+ on Amazon Get Nimbus iPhone clipper on AliExpress. |
Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller | Great controller from Xbox compatible with your Xbox (of course!) as well as Windows PC, Android and iOS, recommended for those with big hands. Read here for pairing Xbox Series X|S Controller with your iPhone at JILAXZONE. In case you need it: Get Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller on Amazon Get Xbox Series X|S Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress Get Xbox One Controller on Amazon Get Xbox One Controller on AliExpress Get Xbox One Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
PS5 DualSense | Awesome controller from PlayStation compatible with your PS5 (of course!) as well as Android and iOS, recommended for those with smaller hands. Read here for pairing PS5 DualSense Controller with your iPhone at JILAXZONE. In case you need it: Get PS5 DualSense on Amazon Get PS5 DualSense Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
PS4 DualShock | While DualSense is the latest PlayStation controller but doesn’t mean DualShock 4 is bad. DualShock 4 is indeed one of the cheaper alternatives to get into gaming on your Android and iOS, recommended for those with smaller hands. In case you need it: Get PS4 DualShock 4 on Amazon Get PS4 DualShock 4 on AliExpress Get PS4 DualShock 4 Android/iPhone Clipper on AliExpress |
Here’s my own setup:
Note: If you buy anything from Amazon / AliExpress using links above, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost charged on your purchases.
Bring it all together
So, what will be your emulator choices – is it Yaba Sanshiro or RetroArch on AppStore or RetroArch via Sideload? Leave your comments and thoughts below.
As the time this article is written, my personal choice is to use RetroArch on AppStore. So far, my experience with it (RetroArch on AppStore), playing Saturn games, have been good – no noticeable lags/issues. I’ve been playing some of Saturn great games, such as Burning Rangers, Guardian Heroes and Radiant Silvergun.
In case you encountered any difficulties and/or have queries, don’t hesitate to put your queries or thoughts on the comment section down below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Other retro game emulators available on iPhone and iPad (and iPod Touch!)
These are retro game emulators available on the iOS and iPadOS platform. Some of them are available officially on Apple App Store, while the rest of them, you can install via Sideloading method – no jailbreak required. Head out to their individual links for detail step by step on how to get them installed on your device.
| Emulator | Description | Installation guide Link |
|---|---|---|
| CEMU | Nintendo Wii U emulator, workaround for iOS | CEMU workaround for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Delta | Multiple Nintendo console emulator for iOS | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) Delta for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Delta iPac | Multiple SEGA Genesis & Nintendo console emulator for iOS | Delta iPac for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| DolphiniOS | Nintendo Wii & Nintendo GameCube emulator for iOS | DolphiniOS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| EmuThreeDS | (Early) Nintendo 3DS emulator for iOS | EmuThreeDS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| eNGE | PS1 emulator for iOS | eNGE for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Flycast | SEGA Dreamcast emulator for iOS | Flycast for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Folium | (Latest & Working) Nintendo 3DS emulator for iOS | Free version of Folium for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| iNDS | NDS emulator for iOS | iNDS for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Play! | PS2 emulator for iOS | Play! for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| PPSSPP | PSP emulator for iOS | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) PPSSPP for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Provenance | Multiple game console emulator for iOS | Provenance for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| RetroArch | Multiple game console emulator for iOS (PSX, SEGA, Nintendo) | 1) Apple App Store Link 2) (Sideload) RetroArch for iOS at JILAXZONE 3) Alternative RetroArch for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| RetroGameBot | Multiple game console emulator runs on Safari for iOS | RetroGamesBot for iOS at JILAXZONE |
| Yuzu | Nintendo Switch emulator, workaround for iOS | Yuzu workaround for iOS at JILAXZONE |
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