Dolphin VR

Dolphin VR
Information
Developer	Carl Kenner, Cegli, Penkamaster, Feilin, and Dolphin Emulator Project
Publisher	Carl Kenner
Platform	Oculus Rift (Platform)
Device	DK1, DK2, Oculus Rift CV1, HTC Vive (historical SDK-specific builds)
Operating System	Windows
Type	Tech Demo
Genre	Fighting, Strategy, RPG, Horror, Casual, Sports, Shooter, Simulation, Puzzle, Exploration, Action/Adventure, Educational, Racing
Input Device	Keyboard, Mouse, Gamepad, Hydra, Other
Game Mode	Single Player, Multi-Player, Co-Op
Version	5.0-250 (July 13, 2016)
Release Date	August 15, 2014
App Store	Oculus Share
Website	https://dolphinvr.wordpress.com/

Dolphin VR is a VR application and a fork of the Dolphin GameCube and Wii emulator that adds virtual reality presentation to console games, including Wii Virtual Console software. The original project's documented headset support includes the Oculus Rift CV1, DK2 and HTC Vive, with optional Razer Hydra input. Its rendering changes allow supported 3D scenes to be viewed with head tracking, stereoscopic depth, an expanded field of view and adjustable world scale. Compatibility varies by game.

Reviewed 18 October 2026. Historical original-fork rendering, controls, SDK/headset releases and limitations. Retained first-release date, contributor spelling and imported genre/mode metadata are outside this review. About review dates.

Features

Dolphin VR distinguishes between a game's 3D world, its heads-up display (HUD), and material presented on a virtual 2D screen. The project describes 3D HUD placement and independent aiming, while 2D games can be displayed on a virtual screen rather than surrounding the viewer as a fully three-dimensional environment.

The original VR-Hydra branch's configuration includes separate controls for game units per metre and a global scale multiplier. Per-game controls include HUD distance and thickness, camera position and pitch, and the virtual 2D screen's distance, height and angle. These settings adapt a console game's existing presentation to a headset; they are not evidence that every game has a correctly detected HUD or suitable default scale.

Camera stabilization can counter the game's camera rotation. The May 2015 release notes describe roll, pitch and yaw correction, but warn that it only works in some games and can incorrectly rotate menus or scenes. Limited keyhole aiming was available for first-person games with working yaw correction. Skybox detection attempted to render a game's distant background at infinity. The developer documented false detections and backgrounds that it failed to identify, alongside options to hide or lock the skybox and to restrict the field of view during movement.

Controls and per-game configuration

The June 2016 release instructions describe keyboard and Xbox controller profiles, emulated Wii Remote configuration, and either a Direct3D 11 or OpenGL graphics backend. Controller visualization was then limited to the Vive using Direct3D 11. The earlier SDK 1.3 update also documented using a Hydra as a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, with hardcoded button mappings in that build.

A console game may omit objects outside its original camera view. Dolphin VR's instructions therefore distinguish "Disable Culling" Action Replay codes, which make games draw otherwise omitted objects, from "Hide Objects" codes used to suppress problematic rendered objects. Both were selected through each game's properties. These are game-specific adjustments rather than a universal conversion that makes every title work in VR.

Versions and historical headset support

The project's download page distinguishes builds by Oculus SDK version. Its listings give the following release dates and headset combinations:

Release	Listed date	SDK	Listed headsets
5.0-250	July 13, 2016	1.3.0	CV1, Vive, DK2
5.0-12	June 26, 2016	0.8.0	DK1, DK2, Vive
5.0-11	June 25, 2016	1.3.0	Vive, CV1, DK2
4.0-9519	April 24, 2016	1.3.0	CV1, DK2, Vive
4.0-7252	May 5, 2015	0.4.4	DK2, DK1

The 5.0-250 notes describe fixes for real Wii Remotes and Nunchuks, Rift audio output, controller rendering and Nintendo 64 Virtual Console graphics. They also include a Metroid Prime dual-stick Xbox profile and changes to default game settings. Some listed games remained unplayable or had substantial problems, so inclusion in the release notes does not indicate full compatibility.

Compatibility and limitations

The original project warns that Dolphin VR is buggy. Its May 2015 notes document rendering faults, audio problems and limitations in "Opcode Replay Buffer" and "Synchronous Timewarp" modes, which were intended to improve the presentation of games running below the headset's refresh rate. In the 2016 launch discussion, the developer distinguished smooth head movement from animation judder: updating the view does not by itself make a game's original animation run at a higher frame rate.

The fork's README explicitly states that its Oculus Rift features are not officially supported by the main Dolphin team. The headset and SDK combinations above describe historical releases. They should not be read as verified compatibility with current operating systems, headset software or runtimes.