Back in the day, I remember needing to jailbreak my iPhone to access apps like GBA4iOS and play my classic Game Boy Color games. But last year, Apple finally opened up the App Store and allowed developers to release emulators. It was easily one of the best things Apple could have done. I immediately downloaded Delta and started running through all my old Pokémon games. And while Delta’s haptics and software button layouts are great, nothing beats clicking real, physical buttons. That’s why the GAMEBABY case caught my eye. I reviewed the original version last year and loved it, so when the new model arrived for the iPhone 17 series, I had to test it again. Here’s what you need to know.
Be sure to catch our video on how to get everything set up!
The design of the case is what really draws you in. The case is a two-piece design that snaps together. A regular protective case on top with a camera plateau cut out and a camera lip, and a flip-to-play button panel on the bottom. As a standard case, it’s completely normal. The case is slim, lightweight, and surprisingly durable, even though it’s made of plastic. When you use it as a case, it just looks like a fun, playful, and retro-inspired one. It has all the necessary cutouts for the speaker grills, the USB-C port, and the Camera Control button as well.
The function of the new case remains the same, but everything feels a tad bit tighter. Buttons are more clicky, there are fewer accidental misses or presses when in use, and the way the two pieces clip together is more confidence-inducing. The best part is that since there is no battery or Bluetooth, the case remains extremely lightweight. So how does this work?
How it works
As I stated above, this case has no electronics in it: no battery, Bluetooth, WiFi, or anything else. This works with capacitive button caps. If you have ever used one of those pens or styluses that have that black squishy capacitive material, then you will know what this is. So underneath each of the buttons on the cases, there is this material. Every time you tap the button, it just mimics the touch of a finger, so your iPhone thinks you are using your hands, but in reality, you are using the buttons on the case. It is so simple, but genius.
What is great is that you can see the year-over-year improvements made to the case. Buttons are firmer and more precise, and everything is just more dialed in. So when you are ready to start playing out, slide the bitton of the case off, flip it over, and slide it back on. No need to turn a switch on or worry about anything. It just works.
Delta Emulator & the GAMEBABY case
Of course, to play, you will need an emulator. I am not sure if GAMEBABY and Delta have any real affiliation or if GAMEBABY just chose Delta because it’s the best emulator, but it works great. If you have ever used Delta, then you are familiar with the classic controller layout it offers. But if you use that classic controller layout, some of the buttons won’t work. The Delta emulator allows you to upload your own custom controller layout and skin. In the GAMEBABY packaging, you scan a provided QR code, and it walks you through how to install the GAMEBABY controller skin. So the physical buttons line up perfectly with the digital buttons. Once all of this is installed, you can then use the physical buttons and play to your heart’s content.
One small thing to note about this case is that, due to the buttons and layout, it does not support MagSafe. So, if you need to use Maagsde for any reason, you must remove the case. Other than that, there are no real sacrifices to the case itself.
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