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Gamecube on the go: Dolphin emulator runs smoothly on the Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S8 is able to smoothly emulate the Nintendo Gamecube. (Source: GuruAidTechSupport, Youtube)
The Galaxy S8 is able to smoothly emulate the Nintendo Gamecube. (Source: GuruAidTechSupport, Youtube)
A video from GuruAidTechSupport shows off the Gamecube emulator Dolphin running at an incredibly smooth framerate on a display model of the Samsung Galaxy S8. While the emulator has been around for a while, this is one of the first times we've seen gameplay this smooth.

Retro console emulation has long been a staple of the Android operating system, and with recent announcements by Microsoft, the feature is likely to attract more users to the platform. However, emulating newer consoles can be taxing for the relatively low-powered SoCs found in smartphones. The Gamecube emulator app Dolphin is a prime example of this; while Dolphin emulates a console released over 15 years ago, current smartphones still have trouble emulating smooth gameplay. However, it seems that the Galaxy S8 may be up to the task.

YouTube channel GuruAidTechSupport recently posted a video showing the emulator running smoothly on a Samsung Galaxy S8. Interestingly, the video shows the app running on a display model in a retail store. However, he was still able to capture video of the emulator running popular Gamecube games like Super Smash Brothers Melee, Super Mario Sunshine, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

There are only a few short snippets of actual gameplay, but it’s smooth and clear. This is pretty impressive, considering other flagships like last year’s Samsung Galaxy S7 have game-breaking performance issues and framerate drops. Also, the on-screen button layout is pretty cluttered and may result in clumsy gaming, but the emulator may soon bring support for Bluetooth controllers.

The YouTube video showing off gameplay can be viewed below. This is an exciting time for retro gamers; mobile console emulation is quickly becoming more and more of a reality.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2017 04 > Gamecube on the go: Dolphin emulator runs smoothly on the Galaxy S8
Sam Medley, 2017-04-13 (Update: 2017-04-13)