Apple allows the second iOS Computer emulator to be added to the App Store.

App icon for UTM SE
The first PC gaming emulate has arrived on iOS. Classic games can now be played via UTM SE on iPhones, iPads, and Apple Vision Pro, while avoiding the JIT Ban. Apple’s rule change in April led to a rush of emulators on the App Store, but PC-based emulators were largely left out. ScummVM and other game engine-specific emulators were available on the App Store, but there weren’t any general PC gaming options. UTM SE is a “retro-PC emulator” by Turing Software that runs old software and games. Apple’s App Review team gave the app the green light on Sunday and the app was finally available in the App Store. It doesn’t have Windows built in, but it allows users to run prebuilt machines to emulate different PC and operating systems combinations. Windows XP is supported, as well as Mac OS 9.2.1 and FreeDos. Debian 11 and ArchLinux are also included. It supports VGA mode as well as a text-only version of operating systems and software. It emulates x86 and PPC architectures. UTM SE, weighing 1.7 gigabytes, is available for free from the App Store. It requires iOS 14, iPadOS 14 or visionOS 1 or later. Apple had rejected the app in June, according to The Verge. The developer didn’t plan to continue developing the app because it provided a “subpar” experience. Apple’s policies make it impossible for apps to offer a Just In Time compilation (JIT). This is the process of compiling code while a program runs, not before. Apple considers JIT a security concern, even though Safari uses JIT. This rule means that emulators which require JIT (such as DolphiniOS, to emulate the newer Nintendo consoles) cannot use it to convert PowerPC code for iOS to run on ARM chips. UTM SE also encountered the JIT issue, but was able to work around it with the help of another developer. The project cited by X said that an implementation of the QEMU TCTI emulate was “pivotal”, in creating a JIT free build. The creation of a JIT free PC emulator could prove to be a boon for the emulator market as a whole. One developer’s ability to work within Apple rules could inspire others to do the same.