Manic-EMU/ManicEMU: Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iOS. It packs powerful features while keeping a clean, sleek UI and delivering buttery-smooth gameplay.

All-in-one retro game emulation for iOS, with a clean interface and broad platform support.

Manic EMU is an all-in-one retro game emulator for iOS. It brings console, arcade, computer, and mobile Java systems into one app while keeping a clean, sleek UI and smooth gameplay-focused controls.

The sections below keep the app details up front, then connect availability, features, development notes, related documentation, repository layout, and licensing in one place.

Manic EMU does not include ROMs, ISOs, BIOS files, or copyrighted game data.

Use legally owned backups, homebrew, and public-domain software only. See

the upstream anti-piracy policy

for the full project position.

At a Glance

• App distribution: App Store, StikStore, and SideStore.
• Source target: iOS app built with Xcode 16+, iOS SDK 15+, and Swift 5.9+.
• Emulator model: multiple emulator cores, including Libretro-based frameworks

• User experience: game library, custom skins, saves, cheats, filters,

• Sync and import: iCloud sync plus Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Baidu

• Online and big-screen play: RetroAchievements, select online-capable cores,

• Project stance: open source, community-driven, and anti-piracy.

Availability

Manic EMU is available through Apple's App Store and through sideloading channels including StikStore and SideStore.

Compatibility and performance vary by device, iOS version, emulator core, game, and JIT availability. App Store builds and sideloaded builds may differ where Apple services, signing, or JIT workflows are involved.

Supported Platforms

| Category | Platforms | | --- | --- | | Nintendo | Nintendo Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Game Boy, NES, Famicom Disk System, SNES, Virtual Boy, Pokemon Mini | | Sony | PlayStation, PlayStation Portable | | Sega | Dreamcast, Saturn, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, Genesis 32X/Super 32X, Sega CD/Mega-CD, Genesis/MegaDrive | | Atari | Jaguar, Lynx, 7800, 5200, 2600 | | Arcade | MAME, FBneo | | Microsoft | MS-DOS | | Sun Microsystems | J2ME | | Commodore | Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga | | SNK | Neo Geo Pocket/Color | | NEC | PC-Engine | | Nokia | Symbian (S60v1, N-Gage 1.0, S60v2, S60v3, N-Gage 2.0, S60v5, and Symbian^3) |

More platforms are planned upstream.

Features

| Category | Details | | --- | --- | | Saves | Manual saves plus 50 auto-save slots. | | Gameplay controls | 5x speed control, cheat-code support, custom shortcuts, and landscape mode. | | Visuals | Retro filters, screenshot capture, and custom third-party-compatible skins. | | Achievements | RetroAchievements integration with Hardcore Mode support. A RetroAchievements account is required. | | Sync | iCloud sync for games, saves, and settings, with encrypted storage and cloud backups. | | Cloud import | Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Baidu Cloud, Aliyun, WebDAV, and SMB support. | | Controllers | Native Joy-Con, DUALSHOCK, Xbox, Bluetooth controller, keyboard, Mac, and multi-controller support. | | Cross-screen play | AirPlay mirroring and phone-to-TV play for big-screen sessions. | | Rewind | Rewind the game progress and keep tweaking the levels. | | Landscape Mode | Supports dynamic backgrounds, background music, a wide variety of game cover carousel styles, and full customization. | | Global Navigation and Focus | Fully operate the UI using a keyboard or controller. |

Development Notes

Runtime

• iPhone or iPad hardware capable of running the selected emulator core.
• Legally obtained game backups and any required system files.
• Optional RetroAchievements account for achievement tracking.
• Optional cloud provider accounts for cloud import and sync workflows.

Build

• macOS with Xcode 26 or newer.
• iOS SDK 15 or newer.
• Swift 5.9 or newer.
• Git LFS for binary cores and bundled system assets.
• Apple Developer Program account for services such as App Groups,

• Third-party API keys for services configured through Cipher.swift, when

Build Steps

1. Install Git LFS:

brew install git-lfs
   git lfs install

1. Clone the upstream Manic EMU repository:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/Manic-EMU/ManicEMU.git

1. Open the Xcode project:

open ManicEMU/ManicEmu/ManicEmu.xcodeproj

1. Update the developer team and bundle identifier in the ManicEmu target's

1. Wait for Swift Package Manager to finish resolving packages, then run the

Some cores are integrated as binary frameworks, while most cores are built from upstream source code without modifications. Upstream core changes are tracked through the Daiuno repositories.

Documentation

• Manic EMU upstream README
• Anti-piracy policy
• Contributing guide
• Code of conduct
• Security policy
• Third-party notices
• AGPL-3.0 license

Community

Repository Layout

The upstream Manic EMU repository is organized around the native iOS app, bundled emulator cores, runtime assets, and supporting project documentation:

| Path | Purpose | | --- | --- | | ManicEmu/ | The Xcode project and iOS app source. | | Cores/ | Emulator core frameworks, including Git LFS-managed binary assets. | | System.core/ | Runtime system assets used by emulator cores. | | Dependencies/ | App dependencies. | | Scripts/ | Build and maintenance scripts. | | ANTI_PIRACY.md | Project policy for legal game backups, BIOS files, homebrew, and public-domain content. | | CONTRIBUTING.md | Contributor setup, issue-reporting, pull-request, and commit-message guidance. | | THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md | Notices for bundled open-source components and dependencies. |

Acknowledgements

Manic EMU is made possible by many open-source emulator projects and community toolchains, including emulator core maintainers, the architectural influence of DeltaCore, Libretro community tooling, and additional Swift Package Manager dependencies listed in Xcode.

Upstream And Licensing

Manic EMU source is licensed under AGPL-3.0 in the upstream ManicEMU repository. Additional notices for bundled emulator cores, app dependencies, and supporting projects are maintained in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.

Manic EMU is not affiliated with Apple, Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Atari, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Libretro, or any console manufacturer or game publisher.