Unlike, say, Android, Apple is pretty strict in how it polices its online store, outlawing any app that lets people play emulated (read: usually illegal copies of old games) titles on their iOS device. But it can do little to stop this one.
Riley Testut has built a program called GBA4iOS, a Game Boy emulator for Apple’s portable devices that lets you install it outside of the App Store without the user having to “jailbreak” their iPhone or iPad.
It does this by using GitHub, a software development platform, and MacBuildServer, a service that turns code into working apps. This combo lets users install an app outside of Apple’s App Store, tricking your device into thinking the app is being used for testing.
Once it’s on there, if you had a ROM of an old Game Boy game lying around, you’d be able to make like an Android owner and play old Nintendo games on your phone.
Apparently this loophole has been quietly known for a while, and it’s only this week, with the popularity of GBA4iOS, that its cover has been blown. It will be interesting to see how Apple reacts, if there’s a way for it to react at all.
Play Nintendo Games on iOS — Courtesy of Programming Loophole [Tech News Daily, via Game Politics]
Comments
10 responses to “Insane Loophole Lets People Play ROMs On An iPhone”
Buuuuut it’s still illegal to have commercial ROMs…. 🙁
“MacBuildServer is dead. For now you can only install GBA4iOS if you are a developer. Follow @rileytestut to know when GBA4iOS is back up!”
“by using GitHub, a software development platform”
oh jesus christ…
Just did this and It works. Got a working ROM downloaded. Can’t believe this is still going!
I’ve played emulated SNES, N64, PSX and Wii games for years on Android.
I wonder if this why developer.apple.com has been down for over 48 hours. If so, my boss would probably like a word with these guys.
or you could just buy an android device and download one of many Emulators apps and download the roms for them straight to the phone using the phones net browser, you know, because unlike the iphone, android devices are not limited and most normal features arnt locked out.
Windows phones also have some really good emulator apps
Can vouch, Purple Cherry for gameboy color and VBA8 for gameboy advance.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to buy something other than an Apple iShit?