Apple loosens its App Store restrictions and opens up the market to retro game emulators. In an update on Friday, Apple announced that game emulators can come to the App Store globally and offer downloadable games. Apple says those games must comply with “all applicable laws,” a sign that it will ban apps that offer pirated titles.
The move should allow retro console emulators already on Android – at least those that are left – to port their apps to the iPhone. Game emulators have long been banned in iOS, leaving iPhone owners looking for workarounds through jailbreaking or other workarounds. They’re also one of the key reasons, until now, that iPhone owners in the European Union could check out third-party app stores now that they’re allowed in the region. Apple’s change today could prevent that.
Along with the new rules on emulators, Apple has also updated its rules on super apps, such as WeChat. It now says that mini-games and mini-apps within those apps must use HTML5, clarifying that they cannot be native apps and games.
Outside the US, Apple appears to be responding to pressure from the European Commission. In another policy update today, the company said it will now allow music streaming apps in the European Union to include in-app links that direct users to external purchases and mention pricing information. It will also allow developers to “invite users to provide their email address for the express purpose of sending a link to the developer’s website to purchase digital music content or services.”
After the commission called Apple’s anti-stealth rules “unlawful,” Spotify tried to update its app with links to its website for buying subscriptions, but it went weeks without Apple’s approval. However, Spotify is still not happy with Apple’s latest change, as Apple still plans to charge a commission on purchases via external links despite EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager saying Apple must allow music streaming apps to communicate “freely” with users .
“Complying with the law is not optional, but Apple continues to defy that decision,” said Spotify spokeswoman Jeanne Moran. The Verge. “From April 6, the Commission can initiate procedures for non-compliance and impose daily fines. It is time for decisive action to give consumers the right choice once and for all.”