iOS App Store Alternative With Built-In Nintendo Emulator Released

Apple, which launched its iPhone Xs models , is expected to unveil new handsets which may be branded as iPhone 11 — Apple is reportedly preparing iPhone 12 to be an AR-ready device based on the latest patent. AFP / NOAH BERGER

An iOS app developer has just released an App Store alternative that features a NES emulator.

Apple’s App Store is where iOS device users get their apps and games. Some who want to bypass Apple’s security restrictions in order to get their desired third-party apps end up jailbreaking their devices, effectively leaving their devices unprotected. An app developer went beyond and created a new App Store alternative that doesn’t need jailbreaking iOS device.

Riley Testut, an iOS app developer who specializes in video game emulation, has recently released the AltStore, an alternative to the App Store, The Verge reported. Just like the App Store, AltStore also distributes apps and software, and has the potential to shake things up for iOS.

AltStore, which is still in early preview form, supports a Nintendo emulator that Testut personally developed. The emulator, called Delta, will allow people to play classic Nintendo games like “Super Mario” on an iPhone or iPad. Best of all, it doesn’t require an iOS device to be jailbroken to be installed.

The Verge noted that AltStore will require interested parties to do more than just tap and swipe on the App Store to install it. Interested persons will need to download and install the companion AltServer application on a macOS or Windows computer, plug the iOS device where AltStore will be installed, then manually install the App Store alternative.

The installation process will require users to input their Apple ID with an app-specific password, which can be generated from Apple’s online Apple ID portal. Once installed, AltStore will use iTunes Wi-Fi Sync to refresh itself weekly and to make sure it stays installed on the system.

For now, Delta Lite, a preview version of Delta, is what’s available at the moment. Delta Lite supports classic NES games such as “Super Mario” and the like. The full version of Delta, which is capable of emulating SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64 games, will be released in a few days’ time on Sept. 28, 2019.

Those who are interested to play classic titles on the iPhone will be glad to know that they can play these games using external controllers thanks to iOS 13’s support for the DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers.