The RetroArch video game emulation frontend was released on the iOS App Store yesterday, alongside popular PSP emulator PPSSPP (itself a core available in RetroArch).
While the popular and more elegant Delta emulator emulates six Nintendo consoles for iOS at the moment, RetroArch’s somewhat unwieldy UI brings support for a wild 78 (!) emulators covering a wide range of console and computer systems. But it also brings one other notable feature: It’s the first emulator to be released for Apple’s tvOS App Store, as spotted by MacStories’ Sigmund Judge.
And that’s all because of a historic change in policy from Apple. In March, the company released an iOS update that included concessions to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which forced the tech giant to open its platform to alternative app marketplaces in Europe. Of course, one reason a user might travel outside of Apple’s walled garden would be to acquire a video game emulator, and Apple changed a long-standing policy to allow video game emulators a month later, in an effort to head off that eventuality.
Before RetroArch’s release, it was technically possible to use game emulators on Apple TV via AirPlay, effectively casting Delta to the Apple TV. But native support means no casting latency, and the ability to use an actual gamepad instead of your phone’s slippery glass screen. With RetroArch, you’ll be able to play games from classic Sega systems like the Master System, Genesis and Saturn, as well as more obscure consoles like the Watara Supervision.
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As access to video game emulators becomes simpler, and the hardware more capable of providing a high quality experience — like playing Sega Genesis games on an Apple TV for example — the emulation community, and the platforms that they are being distributed on, are creating a moment similar to that of the iPod in the early aughts. The technology existed to play MP3 files, but it wasn’t until the iPod’s release that it became truly mainstream. And once playing MP3s was easy, the question of where you got all those MP3s from in the first place changed music distribution forever, first with the iTunes Store and later streaming services like Spotify.
You can find RetroArch, Delta, and PPSSPP on the App Store today. And if you’re so inclined, let us know in the comments if you’re interested in using your Apple TV for retro games. (Might I recommend The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls?)
The post Your Apple TV may have become one of the best retro gaming devices out there overnight appeared first on Polygon.
