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[The Verge] Apple opens the App Store to retro game emulators [UP: Delta available now on the App Store!]

--R

--R

Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,972
Apple is loosening its App Store restrictions and opening the marketplace up to retro game emulators. In an update on Friday, Apple announced that game emulators can come to the App Store globally and offer downloadable games. Apple says those games must comply with "all applicable laws," though — an indication it will ban apps that provide pirated titles.

The move should allow the retro console emulators already on Android — at least those that are left — to bring their apps to the iPhone. Game emulators have long been banned from iOS, leaving iPhone owners in search of workarounds via jailbreaking or other workarounds. They're also one of the key reasons, so far, that iPhone owners in the European Union might check out third-party app stores now that they're allowed in the region. Apple's change today could head that off.
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Alongside the new rules on emulators, Apple also updated its rules around super apps, such as WeChat. It now says that mini-games and mini-apps within these apps must use HTML5, clarifying that they can't be native apps and games.

The change seems to come in response to the antitrust lawsuit filed by the United States, which accuses Apple of attempting to stomp out both cloud game streaming apps and super apps. Apple recently started letting cloud streaming services, like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now, onto the App Store.
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Outside the US, Apple seems to be responding to pressure from the European Commission. In another rule update today, the company said it will now allow music streaming apps in the European Union to include in-app links that point users toward outside purchases and mention pricing information. It will also allow developers to "invite users to provide their email address for the express purpose of sending them a link to the developer's website to purchase digital music content or services."
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www.theverge.com

Apple opens the App Store to retro game emulators

The change goes into effect globally.
www.theverge.com www.theverge.com
 
Xando

Xando

Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,609
Nintendo lawyers rn:
smile.gif
 
beat

beat

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,662
I thought one of the reasons they blocked emulators was because the user could then download programs (games) that necessarily couldn't be vetted by Apple.
 
Listai

Listai

50¢ - "This guy are sick"
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Oct 27, 2017
5,703
Oh neat - hoping I can play games hosted on the network.
 
LazyLain

LazyLain

Member
Jan 17, 2019
6,544
To be clear y'all, I wasn't serious about the "only in the EU" bit... just expressing the general sentiment that there's gotta be a catch.
 
criteriondog

criteriondog

I like the chili style
Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,286
saw the news earlier, this is wonderful

Sideloading them before with altstore was a pain
 
WardFail

WardFail

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Jul 30, 2022
536
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beat said:
I thought one of the reasons they blocked emulators was because the user could then download programs (games) that necessarily couldn't be vetted by Apple.
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It's too early to tell but I'm guessing this is Apple's nod to publishers like Nintendo, Sega, Square Enix, etc to be like hey you can create an emulator for your old 8-bit, 16-bit games and provide in-app purchases to play them on your emulator.

If they allow current emulators like GBA4iOS to provide a way to externally link a rom source then it should open the flood gates for free and freeium emulators from independent developers
 
LordRuyn

LordRuyn

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,912
I feel this is a move to stem the bleeding on all the apps that would otherwise appear on other competing stores. Now they have been forced to allow alternative marketplaces, they want to disincentivize the practice of pulling apps or putting previously banned apps on them.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
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Oct 25, 2017
38,845
Ibis Island
Reading through, this sounds more like a company can now basically use an "emulator" without having to do a full port that offers their catalog of games.

Not something similar to Android. Just due to the wordage about the content it can provide.

Doesn't seem to detail a way how someone would put their own backups on it
 
Wallace Wells

Wallace Wells

Member
May 24, 2019
4,903
Jawmuncher said:
Reading through, this sounds more like a company can now basically use an "emulator" without having to do a full port that offers their catalog of games.

Not something similar to Android. Just due to the wordage about the content it can provide.

Doesn't seem to detail a way how someone would put their own backups on it
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Maybe load it via the files app?
 
BassForever

BassForever

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
30,041
CT
Jawmuncher said:
Reading through, this sounds more like a company can now basically use an "emulator" without having to do a full port that offers their catalog of games.

Not something similar to Android. Just due to the wordage about the content it can provide.

Doesn't seem to detail a way how someone would put their own backups on it
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I'm sure they'll eventually approve retroarch and there will be a way to provide your own back ups via a computer or other file management app.
 
Pancracio17

Pancracio17

▲ Legend ▲
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Oct 29, 2017
19,017
Apple saw that phones were getting strong enough to emulate the Switch and took the opportunity
/s
 
WardFail

WardFail

Banned
Jul 30, 2022
536
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BassForever said:
I'm sure they'll eventually approve retroarch and there will be a way to provide your own back ups via a computer or other file management app.
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That's only if Apple doesn't reject it because of that specific reason. If Apple decided that these downloads have to follow the in-app purchase paradigm then that means these must be provided to apple ahead of time and you won't be able to just supply a random Google Drive or other cloud storage as your ROM folder.
 
Vertpin

Vertpin

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Oct 27, 2017
5,920
LordRuyn said:
I feel this is a move to stem the bleeding on all the apps that would otherwise appear on other competing stores. Now they have been forced to allow alternative marketplaces, they want to disincentivize the practice of pulling apps or putting previously banned apps on them.
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You may be onto something.
 
RivalGT

RivalGT

Member
Dec 13, 2017
6,448
Great news actually, emulators not being on iOS seemed extremely strange, especially in 2024.

Hopefully this means iOS will be getting support from emulators.
 
Vertpin

Vertpin

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Oct 27, 2017
5,920
I wonder how the creator of AltStore and Delta (formerly known as GBA4iOS, it now has numerous other emulators inside of it) thinks of this.
 
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