Best emulator for SoulGold: mGBA, Delta, iPhone and the inaccurate emulator screen
Use mGBA for SoulGold. What the inaccurate emulator screen means, playing on Delta, iPhone and Android, fixing crashes, and moving your save to a new version.
Short answer
Use mGBA. SoulGold checks your emulator when it boots and tells you to switch to mGBA if it thinks yours is inaccurate. On iPhone, run mGBA inside RetroArch or Manic. On Android, use Pizza Boy or mGBA in RetroArch. Delta works if you press Start on the warning screen, but bugs you hit there won't be fixed.
The best emulator for SoulGold is mGBA. The game checks your emulator every time it boots, and mGBA is the one it asks for by name. The picks below are mGBA, the apps named on the game’s own warning screen, and Delta, which works with one button press.
Which emulator to use
| You’re on | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, Mac or Linux | mGBA | The emulator the game asks for by name |
| iPhone or iPad | mGBA in RetroArch, or Manic | Both are on the warning screen’s list |
| iPhone, if you already use Delta | Delta | Press Start past the warning. Bugs won’t be fixed |
| Android | Pizza Boy, or mGBA in RetroArch | Pizza Boy was tested with SoulGold’s save changes |
| Android, other | Lemuroid | On the warning screen’s list |
The 1.1 save changes were tested on mGBA, Pizza Boy and real hardware. If you want zero surprises, play on one of those three.
I started my run on a phone emulator that wasn’t on the list and switched to mGBA after the warning screen nagged me for a week. I should have started there.
The inaccurate emulator screen
When SoulGold thinks your emulator is inaccurate, you see this at boot:
Inaccurate emulator detected! Please use mGBA or one of these:
Below that is a short list of approved options, then “Press START to continue.”
It means your emulator failed the game’s accuracy check. Pressing Start lets you play anyway. The game won’t stop you, but the game’s creator won’t take bug reports from that setup.
The list is mGBA in RetroArch on iOS, mGBA in Manic on iOS, mGBA in RetroArch on Android, Lemuroid and Pizza Boy. Delta, My Boy and VBA-M fail the check and always show the warning. If the warning shows for you, switch before you sink 20 hours into the save.
Can you play Pokémon SoulGold on Delta?
Yes. Delta shows the warning, and pressing Start skips it. By pressing Start you accept that you’re on an emulator the game doesn’t trust.
Delta is fine for a casual run. If something breaks, though, it won’t get fixed from a Delta report, because Delta isn’t on the trusted list. If you play on iPhone and want bugs fixed, run mGBA through RetroArch or use Manic instead.
MyBoy, 3DS and other setups
My Boy fails the check and always shows the warning. Switch to Pizza Boy or mGBA in RetroArch.
I haven’t seen a 3DS setup confirmed for SoulGold, so I can’t tell you it works there. The same goes for any emulator not named above. If the warning shows, take it seriously.
SoulGold not working, crashing or bugs
Run through these before you assume the game is broken.
- Check your version. Load your save and look at the continue screen. The latest says 1.2.1. Older versions have crashes that are already fixed, like the emulator closing when you hovered over “Close Bag” after a boss battle.
- Check your emulator. If you pressed Start past the warning screen, try the same spot in mGBA.
- Turn off cheats. Cheats aren’t supported in SoulGold and they can corrupt your save. If your game broke after a code, that’s why. The cheats page covers the in-game toggles that do the same jobs safely.
- Report it. If you’re on the latest version and a trusted emulator, report the bug in the hack’s Discord or as an issue on its GitHub. The bug-report page on the official docs has the details.
The Docs button in the Start menu shows a QR code that takes your phone straight to that site.
Save files and updating to a new version
Saves are forward-compatible. Every newer version loads a save from an older one. Going back to an older version isn’t supported, so don’t roll back.
- Copy your save file somewhere safe before you update.
- Load the old save in the new version.
- Check the continue screen says the new version number.
- Keep the backup until you’ve played a while.
Some updates fix old saves for you. Saves that missed the side Safari Zone areas got them unlocked, and saves stuck inside the Goldenrod Underground shutters were freed. If your save is from before 1.1, talk to the Radio Tower 1F receptionist to swap your old Radio for the VS Seeker. Once you save on 1.1 or later, with its 19 PC boxes, that save can’t go back to a 16-box version.
There’s no v2 yet. As of 25 October 2026 the latest is 1.2.1. The 1.2.1 changes page lists what it fixed.
Set up mGBA, load your save, and check the continue screen says 1.2.1 before you play another hour.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play Pokémon SoulGold on Delta?
Yes. Delta shows the inaccurate emulator screen, and pressing Start skips it. By doing that you accept that you're on an emulator the game doesn't trust, so bug reports from Delta won't be taken.
What does "Inaccurate emulator detected" mean in SoulGold?
SoulGold runs an accuracy check on boot. If your emulator fails it, the game asks you to use mGBA or one of a short list of mGBA-based and Android emulators. Press Start to play anyway.
Will my save work on the new version of SoulGold?
Yes. Saves always carry forward to newer versions. You can't take a save back to an older version, so back it up before you update.
How do I check which version of SoulGold I have?
Look at the continue screen when you load your save. The latest version, from 21 October 2026, says 1.2.1 there.
Spotted something that changed in a newer patch? Send a correction. Guides are checked against the version shown at the top of the page and the official SoulGold documentation.
