Delta simulator is now available on the App Store, Apple has relaxed its closed ecosystem

How to play old Nintendo games is a problem that has long troubled Xiao Lei.

#In the current "industrial assembly line"-like game industry, Xiao Lei will look for some classic old games to review from time to time. Now, with the strong attack of PS5 and Xbox, old games can also be compatible and run on the new platform. Not only that, even on a PC, these old games can be run smoothly using the compatibility mode of Windows 7.

#But when it comes to old games in the Nintendo series, things become challenging. Some games from the "ancient era" are available on the Switch platform in the form of NSO membership rights; some games from the "really ancient" era have been released on special Nintendo Game&Watch; if you want to play handheld games in the middle, then we can only use Third-party emulator.

But when it comes to simulators, Xiao Lei, an iPhone user, once again shed tears of envy: Due to "well-known" reasons, Apple has not allowed simulator software for a long time. After logging into the App Store, the self-signed iPA needs to be "renewed" once a week, which is very troublesome.

However, some time ago, Apple suddenly relaxed the restrictions on third-party simulators on the App Store, which also allowed various simulator projects based on GBA4iOS to spring up on the App Store. What we are going to talk about today is Delta, a completely free simulator developed based on the GBA4iOS project.

Picture source: Lei Technology

In fact, this is not Delta The first time it landed on the iOS platform, it became well-known to players in the form of sideloading signatures when Apple "opened the door"; Delta is not the first emulator based on the GBA4iOS project to be on the AppStore, but iGBA was launched first. It violated the corresponding GBA4iOS license and was removed from the shelves by Apple within a short period of time.

So what’s so special about this Delta simulator on iOS?

Continues the excellent experience of iOS

Since it does not contain any game ROM, Delta is not available in the App Store. If it is not classified into the "Game" category, it can be put on the national App Store without applying for any version number. Currently Delta only works with iPhones, but iPads and Macs using Apple Silicon can also run in phone mode.

Delta adopts the design of "game library". We can slide left and right to switch the game inventory corresponding to different platforms - Delta supports Nintendo, SFC, N64, GBC, GBA, NDS game files for these six platforms. However, in order to avoid copyright risks, Delta does not have the necessary bios7, bios9, and firmware files for the NDS simulator built into the software, and users need to import them themselves.

Image source: Lei Technology

When it comes to importing files, Delta With built-in iCloud file import, and with the iCloud cloud synchronization function, we can directly use Delta to access the boot files downloaded in macOS, and can even directly create a game directory in iCloud. Managing games is even more convenient than the Android emulator solution.

#Import the boot file and game ROM, click on the game to start running. Limited by the resolution and texture quality of the game at that time, the final image quality of the game will naturally not be much better. In order to ensure the readability of game text, Delta can interpolate some game text to ensure the display effect of sharp text.

Picture source: Lei Technology

But in order to ensure the overall efficiency , this interpolation algorithm can only improve "horizontal and vertical" high-contrast continuous pixels. Take Konami's startup logo as an example. The thin black frame around the logo has extremely sharp edges. In the game "Ballistic: Ecks VS Sever", the game's English fonts can have a good display effect.

Picture source: Lei Technology

But for "Advance Rally" For example, the effect of interpolation can be said to be disastrous: even bitmap English fonts become extremely blurry on Delta.

Picture source: Lei Technology

But for "AirForce Delta II "Delta's acceleration function is very useful for the lengthy dialogue that cannot be skipped."

Players who have not been exposed to games of that era may not understand that in the "ancient era", the game did not have an internal clock tool, and all time-related parameters were based on the CPU computing cycle as the standard unit. In order to ensure the running effect of the simulator, most simulators will "slow down" the game. However, if we encounter a large section of dialogue that cannot be skipped, we can also use Delta's built-in acceleration tool to achieve a "fast playback" effect.

In addition to acceleration, Delta also provides fast saving and reading like mainstream simulators function that can generate save points in real time during the game. But unlike most Android emulators, Delta has also added the AirPlay standard screencasting function, which can only cast the game (NDS mode is upper screen) in full screen to other screens, and retain the controller interface on the phone. .

Image source: Lei Technology

The simulator is open to the App Store Experimental field?

As the European Union pushes for greater market openness, specifically its recently passed legislation requiring operating systems and app stores to be open to third parties, Apple recently allowed the Delta emulator The act of entering the App Store seems to be a response to this policy pressure.

First of all, Apple’s decision to allow emulator apps to enter the App Store shows its policy flexibility and adaptability. Although Apple is only loosening restrictions on game emulators at this stage, it may expand to more types of applications in the future, especially those that were previously unable to enter the App Store due to policy restrictions.

Traditionally, Apple is known for its insularity and strict app review. After opening up restrictions that may mean forced opening up by laws in regions such as the European Union, Apple began to doubt the local appeal of the App Store and tried to attract developers and users more broadly to make up for the competitiveness of the App Store.

Picture source: Lei Technology

Secondly, the entry of the simulator It may also have an impact on the game distribution mechanism of the App Store: the emergence of emulators means that developers can bypass the restrictions of the App Store and publish and sell their own games on third-party websites, thereby bypassing Apple's share of the App Store. regulations.

In addition, emulators allow users to experience multiple games within one application, which may affect the downloads and sales of a single game application. For example, users may be more inclined to download an app that emulates multiple classic game consoles than to purchase multiple single game apps.

In addition, Apple’s opening move may also be seen as a strategic response to competitors such as the Google Play Store. As user and developer dissatisfaction with App Store policies increases, Apple needs to adopt a more open strategy to maintain its market competitiveness, and this openness refers to not only allowing emulators to be listed on the App Store but also allowing more types of Apps come to market with friendlier revenue sharing terms or a more transparent review process. Each of these "open" policies will threaten the foundation on which the App Store relies for its survival.

Picture source: Apple

Although judging from the current situation , Apple allows game emulators such as Delta to enter the App Store, which is more of a manifestation of Apple's response to external policy pressure and its attempt to enhance market competitiveness. But from a long-term perspective, this change will have a profound impact on both game developers and users.

Opening App Store restrictions not only provides developers with a larger stage for innovation, but may also change the ecology of game distribution, and is more likely to drive change in the entire application industry. a force. And when Apple's "cash cows" begin to open up, will the day be far away when the third-party App Store will be opened and the "Apple tax" will be completely ended?

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