With the arrival of more third-party support on iOS, video game emulators have rushed to the App Store to fill the gap. The first group was mainly intended for old Commodore 64 and GameBoy titles. However, this could soon change as we may see an emulator that can run Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn games. The app in question is called Provenance EMU. In an email to the news site I moreproject leader Joseph Mattiello said his team is in the process of launching their software on the App Store.
OriginIf you’re not familiar with it, you can play titles from a variety of consoles, including well-known ones like the Super Nintendo and more obscure machines. It is unknown when the emulator will make its debut. Mattiello states that they also need to make some quality of life improvements first and he wants to ‘investigate’ the new rules. The report doesn’t explain what he’s talking about, but Mattiello may be talking about the recent changes Apple made to the App Review Guidelines. In early April, rules were added stating that “developers are responsible for all software in their apps.” Additionally, emulators must “comply with all applicable laws.”
Warning
Please note that the use of emulators may violate the terms and conditions of the game developer and publisher, as well as applicable intellectual property laws. These may vary so please check. Emulators should only be used with your own purchased game copy. Ny Breaking does not tolerate or encourage illegal downloading of games or actions that infringe copyright.
This could put third-party developers under scrutiny by game publishers. Nintendo, for example, isn’t afraid to sue its lawyers after developers claim they’re breaking the law. Look what happened to Yuzu.
Game emulation currently exists in a legal gray area. Despite this, they were allowed to exist, but one wrong move could bring down the hammer. Mattiello therefore wants to ensure that his team does not step on landmines at launch. If all goes well, we could be ushering in a new era of mobile gaming; one in which the titles are not just sidescrollers with sprites, but games with elaborate 3D models and environments.
What to play
We do not recommend downloading random game ROMs from the Internet. Not only can they violate intellectual property laws, but they can also contain malware. These digital libraries are not the safest.
So if and when Provenance releases on the App Store, what can people play? At this point, it looks like users will have to try out homebrew games. They are independently created titles that copy certain graphic styles for emulators.
iMore recommends PSX placea website where hobbyists come together to share their self-built PlayStation games. Jeuk.io is another great resource. If you’ve ever wanted to play a fan adaptation of Twin Peaks, Itch.io has one available. For GameBoy-style titles: Homebrew Hub has numerous fan-made projects. Personally, we would like to see publishers like Sony and Nintendo release their games on iOS. This way people can enjoy classics without circumventing the law.
For those looking to upgrade, check out Ny Breaking’s guide to the best iPhone for 2024.