Why you no longer need AltStore
On 5 April 2024, Apple changed its rules (App Review Guideline 4.7) to allow retro game-console emulators on the App Store, worldwide. Before that, the only way to get an emulator on iPhone was through AltStore (sideloading) or workarounds. Now, native emulators exist right on the App Store: you download, open, and play. No third-party store to install, no fiddling.
Step by step
- Download a native emulator from the App Store (for example Retro Pal, for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS).
- Get your game file onto your iPhone, via Safari, AirDrop or iCloud Drive (a
.gba,.gb,.gbc,.nds, or a.zipcontaining one). - Import it into the emulator: tap the + button and pick the file in the Files app (or use Share then the emulator from Files).
- Play. The game appears in your library, ready to launch.
AltStore or App Store: what’s the difference?
| AltStore PAL | App Store | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Third-party store to install first (EU, iOS 17.4+) | Native, already on your iPhone |
| Steps | Install the marketplace, then the emulator | Download directly |
| Example | Delta (in the EU) | Retro Pal and other native emulators |
| For whom | You specifically want Delta | You just want to play, no extra step |
AltStore PAL is an alternative marketplace available in the European Union since iOS 17.4. It’s how Delta is distributed in the EU, because Delta is not on the EU App Store. That’s the right route if you specifically want Delta. A native App Store emulator skips that step: it’s the most direct option if you just want to play.
Which games can you play?
Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, depending on the emulator. The app contains no games: you bring your own files, which you legally own.
What about your saves?
Your in-game saves stay local on your iPhone, and can sync through your own iCloud if you want. You can also import an existing save (.sav, .srm) from another emulator to pick up your game where you left off.