We've already seen several retro console emulators appear on iOS after Apple relaxed its rules on the app category in April, and now we have the first approval of a Windows PC emulator, one that Apple had previously rejected.
As spotted by The Verge, the UTM SE app is now available on iPhones, iPads, and Apple Vision Pro headsets. It allows you to run a variety of different versions of Windows from Windows XP onwards, as well as select versions of Linux and macOS.
It's surprising that UTM SE is listed, as Apple rejected it from the App Store in June. The reason given at the time was that PCs didn't meet the “retro gaming console” description required for approval.
At the moment, it's not entirely clear what has changed, whether it's a change in Apple's policies or something different in the app itself. Based on social media posts from the UTM SE team, it seems that perhaps Apple has reconsideredAnd on top of that, the emulator experience has also been improved.
Gray areas
We are pleased to announce that UTM SE is available (for free) on iOS and visionOS App Store (and coming soon to AltStore PAL)! Kudos to the AltStore team for their help and to Apple for reconsidering their policy. https://t.co/HAV5JnT5GOJuly 13, 2024
As is usual with these types of emulators, UTM SE does not come with an operating system – you just get the emulator. It is up to you to go online and find the software you want UTM SE to boot (and decide whether you want to pay for it or not).
Emulators take this approach because neither they nor Apple can be held legally responsible for what you do with them. Running emulators on your phone is perfectly legal, while pirating old software and games usually isn't, at least technically.
This murky grey area in terms of legality has kept emulators out of the iOS App Store until recently. However, as Apple faces increasing pressure from regulators, it has taken steps to reduce the amount of control it exerts in terms of user choice.
The same regulatory pressures mean that third-party app stores for iPhone are now allowed in the EU, and indeed UTM SE is also available through AltStore. It is free to install and does not include any in-app purchases.
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