[CNMO Tech News] Apple has recently relaxed its App Store policies, allowing iPhone and iPad users to utilize game emulators. Within just a week, the first emulator has successfully made its way onto the App Store.
Earlier this month, Apple revised its App Store review guidelines, abolishing the previous prohibition on iOS and iPadOS devices running host and classic game emulators. The new rule explicitly permits applications to run "software that is independent of the binary file," including "retro game console emulators."
Recently, AppleInsider discovered that emulator apps have successfully passed review and are now available on the App Store. Among them, Emu64 XL is a Commodore 64 emulator designed specifically for iPad, compatible with iOS/iPadOS 11 and above, M1 chip Macs, and Apple Vision Pro. This emulator is based on VICE, supporting .t64 and .d64 disk file formats, and also provides various programs and source code written in CBM64 Basic.
Another popular emulator, iGBA, developed by Mattia La Spina, can emulate Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Color games. It promises precise emulation of Gameboy Color games, offering rich customization options, and supports iPhones and iPads running iOS 12 or iPadOS 12, M1 Macs, and Apple Vision Pro.
Both emulators are available for free download and do not include in-app purchases. According to Apple's new rules, emulator apps must adhere to a series of guidelines, such as implementing mechanisms to filter out inappropriate content, complying with all privacy guidelines, and not sharing data or privacy permissions with other software.
Although emulation itself is legal, legal gameplay typically requires users to own legitimate ROM files of the games they intend to play. AppleInsider advises interested players to familiarize themselves with relevant laws and regulations in their region to ensure compliant use.
