Apple recently made changes to its App Store guidelines, allowing for the arrival of gaming emulator apps for the first time on the iPhone. One such app, iGBA, allows users to play Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color games on their devices. This marks a significant change for iPhone users, who previously did not have access to such apps. The emulator simulates Nintendo devices and allows users to play games if they have the ROM file for it, though legal issues may arise if users do not own a copy of the game.
In order to avoid legal issues, users are advised to own a copy of the game they want to play on the emulator, rather than downloading ROMs from the internet. Different countries have varying laws regarding the use of emulators, so it is important to check the legal implications before using one. Despite these potential legal hurdles, iGBA seems to work well in practice, with users being able to play classic games like Super Mario World on their iPhones and iPads. The arrival of iGBA could signal a wave of upcoming emulator apps in the App Store.
However, the situation surrounding iGBA becomes more complicated when it is revealed that the app may be an unauthorized clone of GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator created by developer Riley Testut over a decade ago. Testut has expressed frustration with Apple for allowing the unauthorized clone to be available on the App Store. He plans to launch his own app, Delta, in the near future. It is also worth noting that iGBA collects user data, including location data and identifiers, which may raise privacy concerns.
Developer Mattia La Spina, the creator of iGBA, has since reached out to Testut via email but has not explicitly confirmed using Testut’s code for the app. La Spina has expressed regret over the situation and the repercussions of the app’s release. It remains to be seen how Apple will address the issue of unauthorized clones in the App Store and whether stricter guidelines will be enforced in the future. In the meantime, users may want to wait for the official release of Delta, Testut’s upcoming emulator app, which is expected to adhere to proper licensing and privacy standards.
