Apple Approves First PC Emulator for iOS After Initial Rejection

Apple Endorses the First Official PC Emulator for iOS – After Previously Rejecting It

UTM SE is now available

In recent months, we’ve seen a few retro console emulators make their way to iOS after Apple relaxed its app category rules back in April. Now, we witness the first approval of a Windows PC emulator – a decision from Apple that comes as a surprise since the company had previously rejected it.

As reported by Techloot, the UTM SE app is now available on iPhones, as well as iPads and Apple Vision Pro headsets. This app allows users to run various versions of Windows from Windows XP onwards, in addition to selected Linux and macOS versions.

Seeing UTM SE appear is surprising, considering that back in June, Apple had rejected it from the App Store. At that time, the rejection was due to PCs not fitting the “retro game console” description necessary for approval.

Currently, it’s unclear what has changed – whether it’s a shift in Apple’s policies or something different about the app itself. Social media posts from the UTM SE team suggest that Apple may have reconsidered, and alongside that, the emulator experience has been upgraded as well.

Gray areas

As is standard for emulators like this, UTM SE doesn’t come with any operating systems included – you just get the emulator itself. It’s up to you to navigate the web and find the software you want UTM SE to run (and decide whether you’ll pay for it).

This approach is typical for emulators because neither they nor Apple can be legally responsible for what users do with them. Running emulators on your phone is perfectly legal, while pirating old software and games often isn’t – at least technically.

This legal gray area has kept emulators out of the iOS App Store until recently. However, with Apple facing increasing pressure from regulators, the company has taken steps to reduce its gatekeeping in terms of user choice.

These same regulatory pressures have led to third-party app stores being allowed for the iPhone in the EU now, and UTM SE is also available through the AltStore. The app is free to install and doesn’t include any in-app purchases.

Conclusion

The emergence of UTM SE marks a significant shift in Apple’s approach to emulators on iOS. Whether driven by regulatory pressures or a change in policy, this move opens up new possibilities for iPhone and iPad users. With the ability to run multiple operating systems, UTM SE offers a versatile tool for tech enthusiasts. This development highlights Apple’s evolving stance on user choice and software flexibility.