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Nintendo has sent Valve a DMCA notice over the Steam release of the Dolphin emulator. Following this, the emulator's release on the platform has been delayed by its developers. While emulators are considered legal, as they do not use proprietary files, the DMCA claims that the emulator decrypts ROMs during or before run-time by using cryptographic keys without Nintendo's authorization.
In March 2023, the emulator's developers announced they would release it on the popular PC gaming platform in "early access" by Q2 2023. This would help interested players directly access the software from their library and better incorporate it with the UI. Considering how popular Steam Deck has become as an emulation machine, this would have greatly streamlined the process and made emulation accessible.
The emulator's developers have not had any direct communication from Nintendo nor received takedown notices for the other platforms where the emulator is hosted, such as Xbox or GitHub. In a blog dated May 27, 2023, the team stated:
"We were notified by Valve that Nintendo has issued a DMCA against Dolphin's Steam page, and have removed it from the platform uuntil the matter is settled."
They are currently investigating their options and promise to share more in the future. Emulation doesn't fall under the DMCA as long as they don't use any proprietary file; however, this situation could change that and set a new precedent for what is considered fair use.
What is Dolphin? Nintendo Wii and GameCube emulator explained
Dolphin is a free and open-source emulator used for emulating and playing Wii and GameCube games on hardware other than the game's intended console, including Windows PC, MacOS, Linux, Android, and Xbox (One and Series X|S). It should be noted that while it does emulate GameCube and Wii titles, it does not distribute the ROMs, as they are copyright-protected by Nintendo.
To download it, head over to the official site and select the repository for the preferred operating system. The current stable version is 5.0, and for regular use, it is recommended to go with the stable version over the beta and development versions.
When is Dolphin releasing on Steam?
The Dolphin Emulator was planned to be released on Steam by Q2 of this year. However, in light of the recent DMCA to Valve, it has been delayed indefinitely. Players can still download it from the official website as well as the GitHub repository and add it to the library as a non-Steam game.
Dolphin is also available on Xbox, and PCs running Windows 10 or later, MacOS, and Linux. While it may be a little complicated, players can still set up the emulator to run seamlessly on their Steam Deck.
