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This guide will help you go from a fresh Dolphin installation to playing your first game in just a few steps.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:
  • Dolphin installed on your system (see Installation)
  • A legally obtained GameCube or Wii game dump in a supported format
  • A system that meets the minimum requirements
Dolphin does not condone piracy. You must legally own the games you play. Dumping your own games from original discs is the legal way to obtain game files.

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Supported game formats

Dolphin supports the following disc image formats:
  • ISO - Standard disc image format
  • GCM - GameCube disc image
  • GCZ - Dolphin-compressed GameCube image
  • WIA - Wii image archive format
  • RVZ - Recommended format with excellent compression (zstd)
  • WBFS - Wii Backup File System format
  • CISO - Compact ISO format
RVZ is the recommended format for storage efficiency. Use DolphinTool to convert between formats.

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Running your first game

1

Launch Dolphin

Open the Dolphin application on your system. You’ll be greeted with the main window showing an empty game list.
2

Add game directory

Configure Dolphin to scan for your games:
  1. Click Config in the toolbar
  2. Go to the Paths tab
  3. Click Add and select the folder containing your game files
  4. Click OK
Dolphin will automatically scan the directory and display all compatible games in the game list.
3

Configure graphics settings (recommended)

For the best experience, configure your graphics settings:
  1. Click Graphics in the toolbar
  2. In the General tab:
    • Select Backend: Choose Vulkan for best performance, or OpenGL for compatibility
    • Set Aspect Ratio: Auto or Force 16:9 for widescreen
    • Enable VSync to prevent screen tearing
  3. In the Enhancements tab:
    • Set Internal Resolution: 2x or 3x Native for HD graphics (higher values require more GPU power)
    • Enable Anisotropic Filtering: 16x for sharper textures
    • Enable Anti-Aliasing: 4x MSAA for smoother edges (if your GPU can handle it)
Start with conservative settings and increase them if your system handles the game well. You can always adjust settings later.
4

Configure controllers

Set up your input device:
  1. Click Controllers in the toolbar
  2. For GameCube games:
    • Select Port 1 dropdown
    • Choose Standard Controller
    • Click Configure and map your buttons
  3. For Wii games:
    • Select Wii Remote 1 dropdown
    • Choose Emulated Wii Remote
    • Click Configure and map your buttons
If you have a real GameCube controller adapter, select “GameCube Adapter for Wii U” instead of Standard Controller for native support.
5

Start the game

You’re ready to play!
  • Double-click the game in the game list, or
  • Right-click the game and select Play, or
  • Select the game and click Play in the toolbar
The game will launch in a new window.

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Command line usage

Dolphin can also be launched from the command line with various options: 
Dolphin.exe [options]... [FILE]...

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Common command line options

# Launch a specific game
Dolphin.exe -e "C:\Games\SuperSmashBros.iso"

# Launch with a specific video backend
Dolphin.exe -e game.iso -v Vulkan

# Run without GUI (batch mode)
Dolphin.exe -b -e game.iso

# Load a save state on launch
Dolphin.exe -e game.iso -s savestate.sav

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Available options

OptionDescription
-e <file>, --exec=<file>Load and run the specified game file
-v BACKEND, --video_backend=BACKENDSpecify video backend (Vulkan, OGL, D3D, D3D12)
-a MODE, --audio_emulation=MODEChoose audio emulation (HLE or LLE)
-b, --batchRun without user interface (requires -e or —nand-title)
-s <file>, --save_state=<file>Load initial save state
-m MOVIE, --movie=MOVIEPlay a movie file
-d, --debuggerShow debugger pane and additional View menu options
-u USER, --user=USERSpecify custom user folder path
-C <config>, --config=<config>Set configuration option (format: System.Section.Key=Value)
--versionShow version number and exit
-h, --helpShow help message and exit
Available video backends: Vulkan, OGL (OpenGL), D3D (Direct3D 11), D3D12 (Direct3D 12), Software Renderer, Null

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Using DolphinTool

DolphinTool is a command-line utility for managing game files without launching the full emulator.

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Convert game formats

Convert between different disc image formats: 
dolphin-tool convert -i game.iso -o game.rvz -f rvz -c zstd -l 5
Common options:
  • -i FILE - Input file path
  • -o FILE - Output file path
  • -f FORMAT - Container format (iso, gcz, wia, rvz)
  • -c COMPRESSION - Compression method (none, zstd, bzip, lzma, lzma2)
  • -l LEVEL - Compression level (suggested: 5 for zstd)
  • -b BLOCK_SIZE - Block size (suggested: 131072 for RVZ)
  • -s - Scrub junk data during conversion
For optimal storage, use: dolphin-tool convert -i game.iso -o game.rvz -f rvz -c zstd -l 5 -b 131072

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Verify game integrity

Verify disc images and compute checksums: 
# Verify disc image
dolphin-tool verify -i game.iso

# Compute MD5 hash
dolphin-tool verify -i game.iso -a md5

# Compute SHA1 hash  
dolphin-tool verify -i game.iso -a sha1
Available algorithms: crc32, md5, sha1, rchash

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Extract game files

Extract files from disc images: 
# Extract entire disc
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./extracted/

# List all files
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -l

# Extract specific partition
dolphin-tool extract -i game.wbfs -o ./data/ -p 0

# Extract only game data partition
dolphin-tool extract -i game.iso -o ./game_data/ -g

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Get disc header information

View disc image metadata: 
# Show all header info
dolphin-tool header -i game.rvz

# Show block size
dolphin-tool header -i game.rvz -b

# Show compression method
dolphin-tool header -i game.rvz -c

# Show compression level
dolphin-tool header -i game.rvz -l

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Performance tips

Start with conservative settings

Begin with 2x internal resolution and no anti-aliasing. Increase settings gradually based on performance.

Use Vulkan backend

Vulkan generally offers the best performance on modern systems. Try it first before other backends.

Enable dual-core mode

In Config > General, enable “Enable Dual Core” for better performance on multi-core CPUs.

Use HLE audio

HLE audio emulation is faster than LLE and works well for most games. Switch to LLE only if you encounter audio issues.

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Troubleshooting common issues

  • Lower the internal resolution to 1x Native
  • Disable anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering
  • Enable “Skip EFB Access from CPU” in Graphics > Hacks
  • Make sure “Enable Dual Core” is enabled in Config > General
  • Try different video backends (Vulkan, Direct3D 12, or OpenGL)
  • Try a different video backend
  • Disable “Skip EFB Access from CPU” in Graphics > Hacks
  • Enable “Store EFB Copies to Texture Only” in Graphics > Hacks
  • Check the Dolphin Wiki for game-specific settings
  • Check that your controller is properly connected
  • Reconfigure controllers in Controllers menu
  • Try selecting a different controller profile
  • For Wii games, make sure you’ve configured Wii Remotes, not GameCube controllers
  • Increase audio latency in Config > Audio
  • Switch from LLE to HLE audio emulation
  • Enable “Enable Dual Core” if disabled
  • Close background applications to free up CPU resources
  • Verify the game file isn’t corrupted: dolphin-tool verify -i game.iso
  • Check that the file format is supported
  • Look for error messages in View > Show Log
  • Check the compatibility list to see if the game is supported

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Next steps

Now that you have Dolphin running, explore more features:
  • Save states - Press Shift+F1 through Shift+F8 to save states, F1-F8 to load
  • Screenshots - Press F9 to capture screenshots
  • Graphics mods - Install custom textures and shaders from the Dolphin forums
  • Netplay - Play multiplayer games online with friends via Tools > Start NetPlay
  • Achievements - Enable RetroAchievements in Config > Achievements
For game-specific settings and compatibility information, visit the Dolphin Wiki.