Apple iPhone users can now experience the thrill of playing their favorite retro console games. The company’s recent update to App Store guidelines will finally allow emulator apps globally, with an exciting option for downloading titles.

Apple iPhones To Soon Allow Mario, Contra & Other Retro Games

The Cupertino giant has responded to the mounting pressure from the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the antitrust lawsuit initiated by the United States against the company, bringing a policy change that will surely bring relief and satisfaction to Apple users.

Apple’s App Store updated guidelines now allow developers to create and distribute retro console game emulators for iOS and download games from retro console game emulator apps. The change was shared with the developers by email.

“Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games,” the company said in its updated developer guidelines.

However, the tech giant warned that developers must comply with copyright regulations and all applicable laws, meaning the company will ban pirated titles. Also, Apple has updated its guidelines concerning “super apps” such as WeChat, which requires mini-games and mini-apps within these apps to use HTML5, which will prevent them from being native apps and games.

For years, Apple has maintained strict guidelines that ban game emulator apps on iPhones and iPads due to copyright infringement and piracy concerns. This has left iPhone / iPad users in the EU to look for alternative workarounds, such as jailbreaking or using unofficial app stores, to access classic titles on their devices.

An emulator is a hardware or software that allows one computer system (called the host) to behave like another computer system (called the guest). Emulation refers to the ability of a computer program in an electronic device to emulate (or imitate) another program or device.

While the Android platform has always supported emulators, Apple is now opening up its iPhone ecosystem to run retro games with the inclusion of emulators. This also paves the way for Android emulator developers to port their apps to iPhones and iPads. Besides this, it coul allow iPhone owners to play classic video games from the likes of Nintendo, Mitashi, and more.

Although it is interesting to see Apple make game emulators available directly on the App Store, it remains to be seen what kind of apps the Cupertino giant will allow.