It always seems to be a matter of time when it comes to Apple changing its stance on entries into the App Store these days, and to be honest, I’m not that surprised. Opening up the App Store for emulators of other consoles was new territory for everyone, most of all the developers who had to jump through the many legal hoops Apple had set out for them.
I recently covered the issues surrounding emulating different operating software on Apple devices and the fact that it seemed to be a flat no-go for Apple to have anything Windows-based on their phones. Still, with the arrival of the PC emulator UTM SE making it through the barricades and allowing us to play old Mac, Linux, and Windows games on our phones, that all seems to have been ironed out.
The fact that Apple now allows PC emulators on the App Store means we should be seeing a whole influx of new apps heading our way very soon. According to the official amendment to the App Store policies taken from Mactrast, ‘Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console and PC emulator apps can offer to download games. You are responsible for all such software offered in your app, including ensuring that such software complies with these Guidelines and all applicable laws. Software that does not comply with one or more guidelines will lead to the rejection of your app.‘
As always, I’ll keep you updated as and when more information drops with regards to new emulators hitting the store. Now, however, I think I’ll start compiling my list of the games I’m going to start playing first!
