Since 2008, and the beginning of the App Store, Apple has done everything it can to prevent developers from distributing emulators on iPhone and iPad. But since it was put under pressure by the European Union’s DMA legislation, the firm has had to make concessions, including opening up to cloud gaming applications and emulators.
This time, it’s the turn of the famous iDOS 3 to be available on the App Store.
iDOS Finally Gets Apple’s Approval
iDOS is a well-known DOS emulator for Apple devices. Developer Chaoji Li had previously released it on the App Store, allowing for the installation of Windows 3.1, for example, but Apple eventually removed the app. In April, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to officially allow retro game emulators, which led to the release of software like Delta, RetroArch, and Gamma. However, PC emulators were still banned from the App Store, which many developers considered “inconsistent” and “illegal,” particularly due to the DMA. Apple quickly revised its guidelines again, this time allowing PC emulators. UTM SE, a popular PC emulator for iOS, was the first of its kind to be approved by Apple.
With the relaxed rules, apps on the App Store can offer some software that isn’t bundled in the binary, including HTML5 mini-apps and mini-games, streaming games, chatbots, and plugins. The same goes for downloading games.
How does iDos work?
DOS is an app that turns your iPhone or iPad into a fully functional DOS gaming PC, allowing you to relive classic DOS games with enhanced modern controls. Better yet, the app isn’t limited to gaming; it also supports non-gaming applications like word processing and casual programming, providing a nostalgic yet productive experience with simpler software from the era BACK (Disk Operating System), the ancestor of Windows.
iDOS comes with a virtual keyboard designed with customizable layouts to suit different devices and orientations. For gamers, iDOS 3 offers a virtual gamepad with customizable hotkeys commonly used in DOS games, and the DPAD can be toggled between 8-axis and joystick mode for versatile control. The app also supports Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and gamepads on iOS 14+, which is a nice touch.
In addition to keyboard and gamepad controls, iDOS features a trackpad-like screen area for moving the mouse pointer, with options for left and right clicks, as well as on-screen mouse buttons for convenience.
To play a game, you will obviously need to have the original floppy disk at home to be legal, then get the binary (including the .EXE file) from the Internet. From there, you can then open the application folder from iDOS, then type the command “D:” to place yourself on the floppy disk drive, before typing the full name of the EXE file. It’s a bit complex, but it completely simulates the behavior of the time. Here is a video of an American colleague who has already launched his favorite game (The Adventures of Willy Beamish):
In short, an ideal app to find applications that are not found these days on an iPhone or iPad! And for those who have doubts, know that iDOS is open-source on Github.
