Apple reverses decision, approves first PC emulator for iOS devices

Apple has reversed its stance and approved UTM SE, the first PC emulator for iPhone and iPad, now available on the App Store. The app allows users to emulate older versions of Windows, macOS, and more on their devices.

In April, Apple revised its App Store Guidelines to allow game emulators globally, leading to the release of several game emulators, including the popular Nintendo emulator Delta. However, in June, Apple rejected UTM SE, citing that only "retro game" emulators were permitted, not PC emulators.

This decision sparked backlash and potential intervention from the European Commission. Over the weekend, the developers of UTM SE announced on social media that Apple had reversed its decision, allowing the app to be downloaded from the App Store and soon from AltStore PAL in the EU.

UTM SE enables users to run classic software and games, supporting VGA mode for graphics, terminal mode for text-only operating systems, and emulating x86, PPC, and RISC-V architectures. While it can create custom configurations or run pre-built machines, its performance on iOS is limited by the lack of a JIT compiler, reducing its functionality compared to other platforms.