Apple says no to PC emulators on iOS

Apple may lastly enable retro online game emulators on the App Retailer, however this month, the corporate rejected submissions of iDOS 3, a brand new model of the favored DOS emulator, and UTM SE, an app that permits you to emulate working programs like Home windows on iOS. In each cases, Apple mentioned the brand new releases violate guideline 4.7 of the App Review Guidelines, which is the one that permits for retro recreation emulators.

Chaoji Li, the developer of iDOS 3, shared a few of Apple’s reasoning for the rejection with The Verge. “The app supplies emulator performance however shouldn’t be emulating a retro recreation console particularly,” in accordance with Apple’s discover. “Solely emulators of retro recreation consoles are acceptable per guideline 4.7.”

“Once I requested what modifications I ought to make to be compliant, that they had no concept, nor once I requested what a retro recreation console is,” Li said in a blog post. “IT’s nonetheless the identical previous unreasonable reply alongside the road of ‘we all know IT once we see IT.’”

UTM posted about its rejection on X. “The App Retailer Overview Board decided that ‘PC shouldn’t be a console’ no matter the truth that there are retro Home windows / DOS video games for the PC that UTM SE may be helpful in operating,” according to the post.

UTM additionally famous that Apple is barring UTM SE from being notarized for third-party app shops as a result of the app apparently violated guideline 2.5.2. That rule states that apps must be self-contained and might’t execute code “which introduces or modifications options or performance of the app, together with different apps.”

Apple usually hasn’t allowed just-in-time (JIT) compilation. Nonetheless, and considerably confusingly, UTM mentioned that UTM SE doesn’t embrace just-in-time compilation. Moreover, Apple clarified that guideline 4.7, which permits apps to supply “sure software program that isn’t embedded within the binary,” is “an exception that solely applies to App Retailer apps” however isn’t one which UTM SE qualifies for, UTM said in a follow-up post.

Apple didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Sadly, as we’ve seen in different App Retailer spats, the builders are on the mercy of Apple’s fickle decision-making. “In brief, as the only real rule maker and enforcer in [the] iOS ecosystem, they don’t should be constant in any respect,” Li mentioned in an e mail. And UTM mentioned IT isn’t going to push additional for UTM SE to be on the App Retailer as a result of IT thinks the app “is a subpar expertise and isn’t value combating for.”

Apple possible opened the door to retro recreation emulators in April in response to antitrust scrutiny, whereas IT launched help for third-party app shops within the EU in March so IT can adjust to the Digital Markets Act.