Hello guys, and welcome to this beginner tutorial for the Dolphin Emulator!

Today, I’m going to show you how to install and configure the Dolphin Emulator step by step.

Let’s start by heading over to https://dolphin-emu.org/ — the link is in the description. Click the button that says:
“Download Dolphin 2506a for Windows, Mac, and Linux.”

Choose the top version listed — at the time of this recording, it’s 2506a — and click on the Windows x64 button.

Download and save the file to your computer. I’m using Brave browser in this video, but the process should be pretty similar in most browsers.

Once the download is complete, unpack the file and save it to the folder from which you want to launch it. After unpacking, open the folder and run the Dolphin application as an administrator.

Now you might be thinking, “Wait! My desktop looks completely different!”
Don’t worry — I’m using the Linux version, but all versions are very similar overall.
(Nobara Linux tutorial and review coming soon!)

Game Path Setup
First, click on Config, go to the Paths tab, and set the folder where your games (ROMs) are located.
Again, this process is almost identical on Linux and Windows.

How you obtain your game backups is completely up to you — I can’t help with that part.
All I can say is… Google knows a lot!

Make sure the ROM is fully unpacked in the folder you linked, or Dolphin won’t recognize it!

Graphics Settings
Next, click on the Graphics button and go to the Enhancements tab.
Here, you’ll find a ton of options to upscale the resolution, add filters, and more.
Feel free to experiment if you’re into visual tweaks!

Controller Setup
Alright! Let’s configure your controller.

Click the Controller icon, then click Configure next to Port 1.
Under Device, select the controller you’ve connected, then map the buttons and calibrate them in this menu.

Extra Tools
If you go to the Tools menu, you’ll find some fun features — like Netplay to play online with friends, and even achievements!
We’ll dive deeper into that in the next Dolphin tutorial.

Thanks so much for watching this tutorial!