Apple has announced that it has relaxed its policy regarding the placement of retro game emulators in the Apple App Store worldwide. This opens the door to the Apple ecosystem of emulator apps already available on Android. Apple also announced that it will ban programs that distribute pirated games.

Apple has had a strict ban on game emulators in its app store for years. This has forced iPhone owners to use alternative methods to access desired content, including jailbreaking and other ways to bypass restrictions. This innovation is especially important for users in the European Union (EU), where the use of alternative application marketplaces has recently been allowed. However, new relaxations in App Store policy eliminate the need for such workarounds.

Apart from emulators, Apple has also changed the rules of super apps like WeChat. Innovations state that mini-games and mini-applications on these platforms must use HTML5. This clearly shows that these cannot be native programs.

This was apparently Apple’s response to an antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice, which accused Apple of trying to crowd out cloud-based game streaming apps and super apps. Apple recently started offering cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now on the App Store.

Internationally, Apple appears to be responding to pressure from the European Commission. In another update to the rules, the company said it would allow music streaming services in the EU to include links to alternative payment methods and mention pricing information in their apps. This also includes the ability for developers to ask users to provide their email address to post a link to their site to purchase digital music content or services.

However, despite these changes, Spotify continues to express its displeasure, stating that Apple plans to charge fees for purchases made through external links. This contradicts claims by EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager that Apple should allow music streaming services to interact freely with users. Spotify emphasizes that complying with the law is not selective and calls for strong action to provide consumers with real choice.