Apple Removes Ban On Retro Game Emulators, But There's A Catch

While it's been fairly easy to emulate retro games on Android devices for years, game emulators have long been banned from iOS and were one of the reasons users actively sought third-party marketplaces.

For the first time, Apple has lifted these restrictions, making the App Store open to retro game emulators. Among the recent updates on the app submission policies, Apple has announced that developers are now allowed to create and distribute emulators for retro console games. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games.

These changes were most likely influenced by a recent antitrust lawsuit filed by the United States against Apple and The European Commission's investigation of Apple's anti-steering rules.

Naturally, game emulation and emulators are legal to download and use, however, sharing copyrighted ROMs online is illegal. In the updated policies, Apple highlights that developers are responsible for all software submitted, "including ensuring that such software complies with these Guidelines and all applicable laws".

In other words, it means Apple will ban apps that let users download pirated games, which makes it unclear whether anyone can release a game emulator or only the companies owning the rights to the games distributed.

Check out the full list of updated Apple Store guidelines here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.