The first DOS emulator for Apple devices, iDOS 3, is now back on the App Store after Apple eased the restrictions allowing emulators to be published in its marketplace. Since Apple had a change of heart for emulators, we have seen a surge in new emulators being released on the App Store.
iDOS 3 is a popular DOS emulator for Apple devices. Previously, the iDOS 3 app was available on the App Store, but Apple eventually removed it. In April, Apple updated its App Store guidelines, opening doors for retro game emulators for the first time.
However, the company continued to block PC emulators from the App Store. After hearing complaints and possibly wanting to avoid further investigations by the EU, Apple revised its App Store guidelines again, this time allowing PC emulators as well. UTM became the first PC emulator approved for the App Store after receiving Apple"s approval.
Notably, before its approval, UTM"s submission was initially rejected by Apple because as per Apple"s guidelines, the emulator violated rule 4.7, which covers "mini apps, mini-games, streaming games, chatbots, plug-ins and game emulators."
According to The Verge, even though the iDOS 3 emulator is finally available on the App Store, developer Chaoji Li is still concerned that Apple may find another reason to ban the emulator from the marketplace. He says,
It has been a long wait for common sense to prevail within Apple. As much as I want to celebrate, I still can’t help being a little bit cautious about the future. Are we good from now on?
The iDOS 3 emulator offers a PC-compatible on-screen keyboard, Bluetooth support for devices running iOS 14 or above, offers virtual gamepad, and more. If you wish to try out the classic DOS games on your iPhone or iPad, you can download the iDOS 3 emulator from the App Store for just $0.99. It requires an Apple device running iOS 12 or later.