App Review Guidelines change to allow iOS PC emulators

Apple has updated its App Review Guidelines to allow PC emulators to offer downloads of games, a move that could improve the state of emulation in the App Store.

It's been three months since Apple revised its App Review Guidelines to enable emulators into the App Store. While there have been a lot of emulators introduced to the store, another set of rule changes could allow even more to work on the iPhone and iPad.

Advised through Apple's Developer site, the August 1 update affects elements within the 4.7 section of the App Review Guidelines, which deals with streaming games and game emulators, among others.

The new language specifies that "retro game console and PC emulator apps can offer to download games." Previously, this was not allowed for PC emulator apps, but the addition now extends the option to that emulator category.

There are other changes, specifically that points 4.7, 4.7.2 and 4.7.3, are now required to be followed for an app to go through Notarization. This means emulators must also follow these rules if they are to be notarized for inclusion in a third-party app storefront in the European Union.

For developers of PC emulators, this change should be welcome news.

Apple allowed UTM SE into the App Store in July after a lot of wrangling. With the rule changes, there should be a lot more submitted and included in the digital storefront in the future.