Kitsmith / Utilities / Dolphin
A free, open-source GameCube and Wii emulator for Mac — with HD upscaling, netplay, and support for standard PC and Bluetooth Wii controllers.
Our take
The standard emulator for Nintendo’s GameCube and Wii, in continuous development since 2003. Renders original games in up to full HD with several enhancements (turbo speed, save states, networked multiplayer) rather than the console’s native output, and its own compatibility list rates the large majority of tested games as playable or better. Requires game backups you already own — Dolphin emulates the hardware but doesn’t provide games.
- Price
- Free, open source
- License
- Open source
- Requires
- macOS; specific minimum version varies by release, per the developer’s download page.
- Get it via
- Direct · GitHub
- Developer
- Dolphin Emulator Project
Do you use Dolphin?
Who made this
Site (opens in new tab) GitHub (opens in new tab)
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What it does
HD upscaling
Renders original GameCube/Wii output at up to 1080p and beyond.
Netplay
Networked multiplayer for supported games.
Controller support
Works with standard PC controllers and Bluetooth Wii Remotes.
Save states & turbo speed
Save at any point and fast-forward through slow sections.
The deal
- Free and open source
Worth knowing: Per Dolphin’s own compatibility list, most tested GameCube/Wii games run perfectly or are playable, but compatibility is not universal — some titles have known issues.
Dolphin — questions people ask
Is Dolphin free?
Yes — free and open source.
What consoles does Dolphin emulate?
The Nintendo GameCube and Wii; as of 2026 it also has support for Namco/Sega/Nintendo’s Triforce arcade hardware.
Is Dolphin free?
Yes — Dolphin is free.
Does Dolphin work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — Dolphin lives in the dock, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download Dolphin?
Dolphin is available via Direct, GitHub.
Is Dolphin open source?
Yes — Dolphin is open source.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified September 18, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
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