Dear Supporters,
Thank you for your support of our petition urging Apple to allow GameCube emulation on iOS through the Dolphin Emulator.
Recent Developments:
A while ago, Apple made a significant change to their App Store guidelines, now allowing retro game emulators to be published. Following this, Delta, a multi-system emulator, was released on the App Store. Naturally, many have asked if this opens the door for Dolphin Emulator to join the App Store.
The Current Situation:
Despite this positive change, the Dolphin Emulator team has announced that they cannot submit DolphiniOS, their iOS version of the emulator, to the App Store. The primary reason for this is Apple's ongoing restriction on a critical technology called Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation.
Understanding JIT:
JIT is essential for emulating GameCube and Wii games on iOS devices with acceptable performance. Without JIT, Dolphin would have to use an interpreter, which is vastly slower. The difference is huge: while JIT allows the emulator to translate and execute game code efficiently, the interpreter method results in gameplay that is essentially unplayable, even on the latest iPhone models.
Apple's Stance on JIT:
Apple currently restricts JIT usage on iOS due to potential security concerns, only allowing it in specific cases like web browsers in Europe. The Dolphin team did request an exception for JIT usage, but Apple denied this request.
Why This Matters:
Without JIT support, the Dolphin Emulator cannot deliver a satisfactory gaming experience on iOS. This limitation effectively bars one of the best tools for preserving and enjoying GameCube classics from reaching iOS users.
Conclusion:
We need to keep pushing Apple to reconsider their stance on JIT for applications like Dolphin Emulator. By demonstrating strong customer demand, we can advocate for a change that would enable better support for retrogaming on iOS. Please continue to support and share this petition. Together, we can work towards a solution that allows us to enjoy our legally owned games on the devices we choose.
Thank you for your dedication to this cause.
Sincerely,
M. B.