Yesterday, the RetroArch video game emulation front end was released on the iOS App Store, along with the popular PSP emulator PPSSPP (itself a core available in RetroArch).
While the popular and more elegant Delta emulator currently emulates 6 Nintendo consoles for iOS, RetroArch's slightly clunky UI supports a wild 78 (!) covering a wide range of consoles and computer systems. Brings emulator support. But it also brings another notable feature. As discovered by MacStories' Sigmund Judge, this is the first emulator released for Apple's tvOS App Store.
It's all due to Apple's historic change in direction. The company released an iOS update in March that included concessions to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forces the tech giant to open its platform to Europe's alternative app market. . Of course, one of the reasons a user would travel outside of Apple's walled garden would be to get his hands on a video game emulator. And Apple changed its long-standing policy of allowing video game emulators a month later to avoid such an eventuality.
Before RetroArch was released, it was technically possible to use a game emulator on Apple TV via AirPlay to effectively cast Delta to Apple TV. However, native support means there's no casting lag and you can use an actual gamepad instead of your phone's slippery glass screen. RetroArch lets you play games from classic Sega systems like the Master System, Genesis, and Saturn, as well as games from lesser-known consoles like Watara Supervision.
As video game emulators become more accessible and the hardware is able to provide high-quality experiences (for example, playing Sega Genesis games on Apple TV), emulation communities and the distribution of emulators develop. The platform is a moment similar to the iPod moment of the early '80s. This technology existed for playing MP3 files, but it wasn't until the release of the iPod that it truly became mainstream. Once it became easy to play MP3s, the question of where you got those MP3s in the first place changed music distribution forever, first on the iTunes Store and then on streaming services like Spotify.
RetroArch, Delta, and PPSSPP can now be found on the App Store. If you're interested in using Apple TV for retro gaming, let us know in the comments. (Can I recommend it? The frog for whom the bell tolls?)
