Apple recently changed App Store guidelines to allow retro-gaming emulators to be downloaded on iOS, and that’s led to a flood of such apps on the storefront. Now, the popular PSP emulator PPSSPP is sizzling the sales charts, as is the multi-system RetroArch.
RetroArch is one of the biggest names in the world of emulation, as it’s essentially a front-end for dozens of emulator “cores” that support a wide variety of consoles, from the Atari on down. However, it’s PPSSPP that’s really garnered a lot of attention on the App Store, as it currently sits at #3 on the most-downloaded free app charts. RetroArch is sitting comfortably at #16.
Several emulators (such as Delta) have been available on iOS through unofficial means for years, using workarounds and “sideloaded” apps through alternatives like the AltStore. However, it’s worth noting that Apple’s guidelines still prevent developers from providing (pirated) copies of the games that these emulators are designed to play, and the long-term future of emulators on the App Store has yet to be determined.
Apple changed its rules in response to the EU’s recent Digital Markets Act, which expressly prohibits the “walled garden” approach that the tech giant has applied to the App Store for decades. Though these rules were motivated by this EU-only law, the regulations apply to developers worldwide.
