Since Apple changed the App Store rules to allow emulator apps on its platforms, we’ve seen a couple of emulators come and go, and one emulator that is quite well made and is getting good reviews. (Nintendo emulator Delta.)
Now the developers of multi-platform emulator Provenance, which has been available as a sideloaded app on the iPhone, have confirmed that the emulator will soon be submitted to the App Store. The emulator allows retro gamers to play their ROMs for the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, DS, Atari, Sega, and even PlayStation platforms on their iPhone or iPad. Developers say Provenance will also add support for Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation 2 games in the future.
The Provenance game emulator is already available through AltStore and other app sideloading methods.
Provenance project leader Joseph Mattiello confirmed the upcoming App Store submission to iMore. The release could still be delayed or canceled outright, as Mattiello told iMore that the team will need to “investigate” all Apple’s guidelines before submitting the emulator to the App Store.
Until Apple’s recent changes, Apple has prohibited developers from offering emulators that could allow users to load their own ROMs into the emulator. While some emulators were allowed, they were limited to apps that included both the emulator and the games in the same package. Users could not load their own ROMs in these emulators, limiting their retro enjoyment to ROMs that the developers had licenses to offer.