Apple just made another massive App Store change for emulators, here’s what it means

Folium emulator running on iPhone with gaming controller

(Image credit: Future)

On April 5, retro gaming emulators on iPhone and iPad were allowed to be downloaded from the App Store, per Apple's rule change. Soon after, apps like Delta were released, letting users run games from Nintendo’s console and handheld devices from long ago. Now, another rule change gives PC emulators more flexibility.

Apple has refreshed its App Store guidelines, giving PC emulators the green light to download games. This is great news for anyone who's into reliving the glory days of vintage software and classic games on the best iPhones and other Apple devices.

While console emulators have had the nod to let users download games for a while, PC emulators were stuck in a no-man’s land. Not anymore! The updated Guideline 4.7 now explicitly says PC emulator apps can offer game downloads too. This change follows Apple’s recent approval of UTM SE, a versatile emulator for old Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.

What exactly does this mean?

Retro PC emulator UTM SE initially got the cold shoulder from Apple back in June. The reason? Apple claimed a "PC is not a console" and sent the app’s developers back to the drawing board. After some tinkering and tweaking, UTM SE got the coveted green light. It's now the pioneer PC emulator on the App Store, paving the way for others.

The new rules under Guideline 4.7 cover a lot of ground. They allow mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, plug-ins, and game emulators. But they also clamp down on apps extending or exposing native platform APIs without Apple's say-so (4.7.2), and prevent apps from sharing data without user consent (4.7.3). Before this update, these rules were just for App Store apps, but now they’re in play when you download apps from other sources in the EU too.

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Connor is a technology writer and editor, with a byline on multiple platforms. He has been writing for over eight years now across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech.