Dolphin is a GameCube and Wii emulator on which most games run perfectly. It allows games to be played in HD—something the original consoles cannot achieve. Dolphin is actively developed, with new features added and bugs fixed almost daily. It is a multi-platform project, supporting a wide range of operating systems including Windows 7/8 (both x86 and x64), macOS, and Linux.
As an open-source project, anyone can contribute improvements. That’s how Dolphin VR was born. Carl Kenner created Dolphin VR-Hydra based on the original Dolphin source code. While many games are not yet fully functional in VR, development is ongoing. You can adjust VR settings for each game individually. Some games work quite well, and here at VR Bites, we enjoy testing them all to show you what they look like in virtual reality.
Setting Up Dolphin VR
The standard (non-VR) version of Dolphin has excellent documentation available online. The guide explains all the configurations needed to get the emulator running smoothly.
Setting up the Dolphin VR emulator was very straightforward. The Oculus Rift and its tracking software were recognised automatically. GameCube discs can be easily dumped using a standard DVD-ROM drive, and the resulting image files work perfectly with Dolphin VR. We used an Xbox USB controller, which was easy to configure using the GCPad settings.
VR Game Impressions
So far, we’ve tried several GameCube games and most ran without major issues. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker really stood out, offering a breathtaking VR experience. 1080° Avalanche was also great fun with the Oculus Rift DK2.
Dolphin VR is a blast! If you own an Oculus Rift, this is something you won’t want to miss. Grab a few GameCube discs from eBay and experience Nintendo classics like never before. We’ll continue testing VR-emulated Nintendo games to let you know which ones are worth tracking down.
We did notice that playing while recording gameplay made things quite sluggish. However, once we turned off the recorder, performance improved significantly. If you have any tips, we’d love to hear from you.
Pikmin performed even better and has become our new favourite VR game. The vibrant colours and charming gameplay feel as if they were made for virtual reality. Just skip the first two minutes of our video.
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Playing with the recording on, made the game very sloppy. When we turned off the recorder it run a lot smoother. If you have any tips, don’t hesitate to let us know..
Pikmin did a lot better and is our new favorite game to play on the Oculus Rift.. Such joyful colors and lovely gameplay! It’s like Nintendo made these games to be played this way… Just skip the first two minutes of our video.
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