Is Dolphin Still on Steam?

Dolphin, the open-source emulator for Nintendo GameCube and Wii, is no longer available on Steam, as its planned release was cancelled due to legal objections from Nintendo. The Dolphin Emulator Project Team announced the cancellation, citing a request from Nintendo of America to Valve to prevent the emulator’s release on the Steam store, citing the DMCA as justification.

Introduction to Dolphin Emulator

The Dolphin Emulator is a powerful tool that allows users to play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on their computers, and its cancellation on Steam has left many gamers wondering about the future of the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. What happened to Dolphin on Steam?: The Dolphin Emulator Project Team cancelled the Steam release of the emulator due to legal objections from Nintendo, which claimed that the emulator illegally circumvents Nintendo’s protection measures and runs illegal copies of games.
2. Can I use Dolphin on Steam?: No, Dolphin is no longer available on Steam, but it can still be downloaded from the project’s official website.
3. Why was Dolphin taken down?: Dolphin was taken down due to Nintendo’s claim that it illegally circumvents Nintendo’s protection measures and runs illegal copies of games, which is a violation of the DMCA.
4. Is Dolphin Emulator dead?: No, Dolphin Emulator is not dead, and its developers are still working on the project, although the Steam release has been cancelled.
5. What is the official site for Dolphin Emulator?: The official website for Dolphin Emulator is https://dolphin-emu.org/.

Technical Questions

6. Can my PC handle Dolphin?: Dolphin is a cross-platform emulator that runs on Windows (10 and newer), Linux, macOS (10.15 Catalina and up), and Android (5.0 and above), and requires a 64-bit operating system.
7. How much RAM does Dolphin Emulator use?: The minimum memory requirement for Dolphin Emulator is 2 GB of RAM, and the recommended amount is 4 GB of RAM.
8. How to increase FPS on Dolphin?: Low FPS issues in Dolphin can be fixed by adjusting the graphics settings within the emulator, such as toggling enhancements and adjusting aspect ratios and resolutions.
9. What console games can Dolphin run?: Dolphin can run Nintendo GameCube and Wii games, and a beta version of the emulator can also run these games on Windows as a Universal Windows Platform app.

Legal Questions

10. Is it legal to download Dolphin Emulator?: While downloading emulation software like Dolphin is not illegal, the act of uploading and downloading ROMs without proper authorization is against the law.
11. Why was Dolphin taken down from Steam?: Nintendo’s letter to Valve claims that Dolphin uses cryptographic keys without Nintendo’s authorization and decrypts the ROMs at or immediately before runtime, which is a violation of Nintendo’s intellectual property rights.
12. Is Dolphin Emulator in trouble?: Yes, Nintendo has deemed Dolphin an “illegal emulator” due to its use of cryptographic keys that are unauthorized by Nintendo.

Steam and Emulation Questions

13. Is there an emulator for Steam?: Yes, there are emulators available for Steam, such as PCSX2, which can emulate PlayStation 2 games on the Steam Deck.
14. Can Steam Deck run PS2 games?: Yes, the Steam Deck can run PS2 games using emulators like PCSX2.
15. Can I add ROMs to Steam?: Yes, you can add ROMs to Steam using tools such as Ice or Steam ROM Manager, and create your own shortcuts in Steam that will work with your ROMs.