Apple Now Allows Retro Game Emulators On The App Store Worldwide

Unlike the recent changes to iOS and the App Store, which are limited to the EU, Apple will let users download game emulators globally.

iPhone Home Screen with the App Store in focus

Key Takeaways

After years of being prohibited, Apple will now let retro game emulators on the App Store
Notably, game emulation apps must follow “all applicable laws,” ruling out pirated or bootleg content.
Apps that offer mini-apps or mini-games must do so using HTML5, rather than using code embedded in the main app’s binary.

In a surprise move, Apple announced changes to its App Review Guidelines that will allow retro game emulators to be distributed through the App Store. Historically, Apple did not permit game emulators on the App Store, but the company has reversed this stance on the type of app. Starting today, retro game emulators are able to pass Apple’s app review process and offer downloadable games on the latest iPhones and other Apple devices. Though Apple may have made the decision due to pressure from the European Union and its Digital Markets Act (DMA), the company has decided to make game emulation apps available to users worldwide.

It will take some time for app developers to build retro game emulators for iOS, get the apps approved by Apple, and finally list the apps on the App Store. However, there are plenty of great emulators for Androidand it’s now possible for these apps to offer a comparable iOS version. The change in how Apple views retro game emulation on iOS came with new guidance for how so-called “super apps,” like WeChat, offer mini-apps. Apple dictates that these smaller apps must be based on HTML5, and not be embedded in the main app’s binary. This applies to “mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, plug-ins, and game emulators,” per the revised guidelines.

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Unsurprisingly, there are a handful of rules that game emulators must follow in order to appear on the App Store, as first reported by The Verge. The biggest one is that these apps must comply with “all applicable laws,” so this will rule out game emulators offering pirated or bootleg gaming titles on iOS. Again, this isn’t particularly surprising, but it does limit what types of retro games will be available on Apple devices.

Apple also outlines the following rules that mini apps, game emulators, and other similar apps must follow:

Software offered in apps under this rule must: follow all privacy guidelines, including but not limited to the rules set forth in Guideline 5.1 concerning collection, use, and sharing of data, and sensitive data (such as health and personal data from kids); include a method for filtering objectionable material, a mechanism to report content and timely responses to concerns, and the ability to block abusive users; and use in-app purchase in order to offer digital goods or services to end users.
Your app may not extend or expose native platform APIs to the software without prior permission from Apple.
Your app may not share data or privacy permissions to any individual software offered in your app without explicit user consent in each instance.
You must provide an index of software and metadata available in your app. It must include universal links that lead to all of the software offered in your app.
Your app must share the age rating of the highest age-rated content available in your app.

It’s not clear exactly why Apple is making this change now, after a longstanding policy barred game emulators from the App Store. It could have something to do with the DMA, which will force Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS. By making game emulators available on the App Store directly, there might be one less reason for users to turn away from Apple’s controlled app marketplace. Either way, users around the world benefit. If this move is related to the DMA, it’s one of the first instances of Apple bringing DMA-related changes to users outside the EU.

The decision also comes shortly after a few high-profile emulators, such as Yuzu, have shut down following legal troubles.