Phosphor Emulator

Phosphor is the first iOS App Store emulator with mods for GB & GBA games. Play classics on iPhone and Apple Watch with fast-forward, rewind, save states, iCloud & more.

Phosphor is a retro handheld emulator for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, built for classic .gba, .gbc, and .gb game files with fast-forward, rewind, save states, iCloud saves, controller support, mods, and a glowing CRT-style interface.

No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. No tracking.

Import your own compatible ROM files through Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop, build your library, and play anywhere.

Why Phosphor?

Most emulators feel like utilities. Phosphor is designed to feel like a device. From the deep black screen well and glowing CRT effects to responsive controls, quick resume, and color themes, every detail is built around making classic handheld games feel at home on modern Apple hardware.

Mods powered by gen1recomp

For supported games, Phosphor can switch from its standard emulator core to the open-source gen1recomp engine. This allows compatible community mods to run directly inside Phosphor while still using Phosphor’s library, controls, display framing, and interface.

Because gen1recomp is a different engine, some features work differently in mod-enabled play. Rewind and cheat codes are available with Phosphor’s standard emulator core, but are not currently available while using gen1recomp. Other features may also vary by game, engine, and mod.

Features

Play classic handheld ROMs Run compatible .gba, .gbc, and .gb files from your own legally obtained collection.

Community mods Install compatible mods for supported games and launch them through Phosphor’s integrated mod experience.

Fast-forward up to 15× Speed through battles, grinding, travel, intros, and repeated sections at 1×, 2×, 3×, 5×, 10×, and 15× where supported.

Live rewind Hold rewind to roll gameplay back and continue from an earlier moment. Available with Phosphor’s standard emulator core.

Save states Create quick save states so you can stop, retry, experiment, and resume without losing progress where supported.

Quick resume Close Phosphor and return later to quickly pick up where you left off.

iCloud battery saves Keep compatible in-game saves synced across your Apple devices using the same Apple ID.

CRT visual engine Play with glowing scanlines, dot-grid texture, vignette, phosphor bloom, and deep arcade-style contrast, with multiple color themes.

External controller support Use compatible controllers for a console-like experience with customizable haptics.

Cheat support Use supported GameShark-style codes with compatible games while using Phosphor’s standard emulator core.

Apple Watch play Take compatible games with you on Apple Watch and keep playing when your phone is charging or out of reach.

Live Activities See your current game, play time, and quick-resume status from the Lock Screen.

Built for serious retro play

Phosphor combines traditional emulation with a separate mod-capable path through gen1recomp. Standard play focuses on emulator features such as rewind, cheats, save states, and fast-forward. Supported modded games can instead run through gen1recomp for experiences that may change how classic games look and feel.

Phosphor’s CRT effect is rendered live, with scanlines, glow, dot-grid texture, vignette, contrast, and tint working together to create the look of a tiny powered-on arcade monitor.

Bring your own games

Phosphor does not include games, ROMs, BIOS files, or copyrighted game content. You must provide your own legally obtained game files.

Community mods are separate from the original games and may have their own authors, licenses, and compatibility requirements.

Phosphor is free, private, and built for players who want a polished retro emulator with modern Apple-native features and a new way to experience supported games through community mods.