Apple has reversed its previous decision and approved UTM SE, the first ever PC emulator for iPhone and iPad, making it available on the App Store. The application enables users to emulate older versions of Windows, macOS, and other operating systems directly on their Apple devices.
In April, Apple revised its App Store Guidelines to permit game emulators, a change implemented globally, including in the European Union. This revision led to the introduction of several game emulators on the App Store, such as the highly popular Nintendo emulator, Delta.
Despite these changes, UTM SE faced rejection from Apple in June. The app was denied access not only to the global App Store but also to third-party app marketplaces in the EU. Apple’s reason at the time was that the guidelines allowed only “retro game” emulators, not PC emulators, even though many users employ PC emulators like UTM to play retro games. This decision resulted in widespread backlash and potential action from the European Commission.
In a recent social media post, the developers of UTM SE announced that Apple had reversed its earlier decision. UTM SE is now available for download from the App Store and will soon be accessible via AltStore PAL in the EU. Apple has not provided a specific explanation for this reversal.
It’s important to note that due to restrictions on iOS, apps cannot use a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler. As a result, the performance and functionality of emulators running through UTM SE on iPhone and iPad will not match those on other platforms.