The advent of emulators on iOS is causing retromania. Some compare it to the “Napster moment” before the “iTunes moment.”

Riley Testut, the creator of Delta, defends the creation of an emulator-based digital business in which companies charge per ROM.

Just over a month ago, Apple announced that it was going to allow emulators on the App Store, opening the door to retro gaming on the iPhone and iPad. During these weeks we saw the emergence of iGBA with drama and then Delta. And now there are multi-console PSP or RetroArch.

Context. Apple spent sixteen years depriving emulators of space in the App Store. Suddenly he allowed it. Coincidentally, when I was going through an antitrust investigation in the United States and when the first alternative stores appeared in the European Union. The power of competition.

Consequence. Emulators have been around for a long time on Android, Windows or macOS, but the sudden rise in popularity due to their arrival on iOS and iPadOS has created a certain retromania among players who until now could not access these games on their devices. .

Delta creator Riley Testut spoke about this. Kotaku that we are experiencing a “Napster emulation moment” where many people are accessing game ROMs without going through their original manufacturers.

New business. Testut suggests that the next one should be an “iTunes moment”: the same manufacturers will distribute ROMs at a low price, just as iTunes did with 99-cent songs.

This is something that some manufacturers do in their own way: include access to these games in their online subscriptions, but only from their devices. The move to being able to play them from your mobile phone or tablet is still very special.

Key factor. Nostalgia, even for those who haven’t played these games, sparks interest in retro games. There are more reasons, such as greater simplicity, lack of microtransactions, the desire to relive past experiences, or interest in cult games from those who could not play them at the time.

Decisive moment. If Apple’s move leads to the industry moving toward direct monetization of ROMs in mobile apps, we could see a new source of business for Sony, Nintendo, SEGA and company.

Meanwhile, we also see releases of emulators week after week, but game rights holders do not see any direct benefit from this. It is possible that something will eventually change.

Featured Image | Hataka, Mockuuups Studio

In Hatak | How the emulator works inside or how you can play a Game Boy game on your mobile