Apple may not be ready to eat Android emulator lunch after all.

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summary

Apple’s new App Store guidelines may allow retro game emulators on iOS, but access to ROMs is still unclear.
Developers of emulators like PPSSPP and Mikage are concerned about in-app downloadable files on iOS.
Until we get clarity, Android will continue to be the go-to platform for mobile emulation.

Like it or not, it’s no secret that iOS and Android are closer than ever, and even more so if you live in the EU. Last week, it seemed like another unique advantage of Android was lost as Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow retro game emulators around the world. This is a big change, but like many things in iOS, it’s never as simple as it seems. And if one emulator developer is to be believed, some of that language may be specific enough to keep Android the only destination for retro gaming fans on mobile.

Henrik Rydgård, creator of the popular PSP emulator PPSSPP, released a statement over the weekend that directly addressed Apple’s announcement (via Mishal Rahman). So while these new App Store guidelines seem to guarantee that some of our favorite emulators are dependent on iOS, the languages used in the updates make things quite a bit more It’s not clear. As Rydgård points out, Apple’s terminology may allow for emulators, but not the ability to actually play a collection of ROMs. he writes:

Apple added a few lines to the iOS App Store review guidelines:

“Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer game downloads.”

This seems to mean that emulators of retro game consoles (PSP is almost 20 years old, so this should count as “retro”) will be allowed in the iOS App Store However, as discussed below, it also states that “the link must be provided to all users.” It’s unclear whether the emulator will allow users to select from their own files, rather than just downloading them inside the app.

Rydgård further states that PPSSPP clearly lacks rights to these games, meaning they can only be uploaded from a collection of UMDs that users themselves have dumped (although they have no idea where those games are located). Regardless). do not have Through in-app downloads. An emulator’s performance is determined by the software it can run. If emulation apps on iOS have virtually no access to ROMs, they won’t be served on the platform. Rydgård says that if that’s not the case, and Apple’s language is unnecessarily confusing, PPSSPP will eventually make it to the App Store.

These emulation guidelines may be purely for platform owners

He’s not the only emulator developer to echo these ideas.of Mikage’s Twitter account, a 3DS emulation in development for Android and PC with a focus on recreating the authentic experience as much as possible, shared their own concerns over the weekend, and similar concerns regarding downloadable files within the app. I emphasized. In their eyes, these rules existed to allow companies like Sega to bring officially licensed Genesis Collections to the App Store, and now allow companies like “licensed games to be dynamically distributed on demand.” It has a “download” function.

In a way, this is good news for Android users. This leaves Google’s platform as the primary destination for mobile ROMs outside of dedicated mobile devices like Steam Deck. However, if you were excited to see your iPhone-owning friends check out the games of their childhood this summer, prepare to be disappointed for everyone involved. Or tell them to buy an Android smartphone. either way.