[tomduncalf]

Why is it not available in the EU? Is this just the Delta developer wanting to promote/push people to their App Store, or is there some other reason e.g. Apple don’t allow the app in the EU? I’m a bit confused why it would be on alternative store at all, if Apple now allow these apps… can someone ELI5?

(I’m in the UK so can download from the App Store, finally a benefit of you-know-what lol)

[yreg]

I think they cannot put it on both stores per Apple rules. And since the Delta developer is the same person as the Alt Store developer he chose to put it on his own store.

[tomduncalf]

I see! I guess I don’t understand why the developer would bother with their own store if the App Store now allows emulators, and the Delta app is free - but I guess this was only a recent change, maybe allowed by Apple purely as a way to try to stop people going to alt stores?

I guess maybe the developer feels it’s their duty to follow the alt store thing through to keep pressure on Apple? Or maybe they stand to make money (either now or in future with other apps) from their store?

[troupo]

> why the developer would bother with their own store if the App Store now allows emulators

The keyword is now allows emulators. They didn't allow it 3 weeks ago. Or a year ago. Or 10 years ago.

Only now, with alternative stores launching and offering this, Apple has finally allowed emulators.

Perhaps the developer doesn't want to be beholden to Apple's whims? Especially after investing a lot of effort into setting up an alternative store?

[nicolas_17]

Could you point at what part of the old rules was forbidding emulators?

[oarsinsync]

I can’t point you to rules, but I can point you to news articles talking about the rule change from ~10 days ago:

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/05/app-store-guidelines-em...

[kalleboo]

Until now, emulators have been rejected under this rule

> 2.5.2 Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps

I.e. "all the code this app ever runs has to be there when the app goes to app review"

This rule change on January 29 allowed for mini games and streaming games

> 4.7 Mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins: Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically mini apps and games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins.

And then specifically this addition on April 10

> 4.7 [...] Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games

is what allowed retro game emulators.

Source: https://www.appstorereviewguidelineshistory.com

[afiori]

Technically they were not forbidden, but it was impossible to play copyrighted ROMs.

The rules forbid running arbitrary/user-loaded code and copyright forbids bundling the ROMs people wanted to use.

The new rules have an exception for specifically emulators

[troupo]

Ask the author of this emulator whose app was rejected multiple times in the past six years

[saagarjha]

Which part of the App Store makes you think that the rules are ever applied as written?

[idle_zealot]

The developer also uses their app store, AltStore, to distribute a clipboard manager app, which isn't allowed in the app store.

[dagmx]

FWIW You can put it on both stores.