AltStore, an alternative iOS app store, is expanding to Japan, Brazil, Australia, and the UK, and is integrating with the fediverse using ActivityPub to enable social interactions within the app, supported by a $6 million investment to enhance its global reach and features.
Riley Testut has launched the Delta game emulator on the App Store and introduced AltStore PAL as an Apple-approved alternative app marketplace in the EU. Delta is an all-in-one emulator for iOS, supporting various game systems and features such as controller support, save states, cheats, Delta Sync, custom controller skins, fast forward, and more. AltStore PAL will initially offer Delta for free and Clip for a small donation, with plans to open doors to third-party apps in the future.
The first retro emulator has made its way to Apple's App Store, but users should be cautious as it requires a weekly check-in with a PC to keep the apps playable. The app, AltStore, and its companion app, AltServer, automate this process for free developer accounts, which need to renew apps every seven days. However, a paid developer account can extend the app expiry to yearly. Some users find the process cumbersome and prefer the ease of sideloading on Android. Despite the excitement for retro emulation on iOS, some individuals question the worth of using Apple products for such purposes due to the associated costs and limitations.
The AltStore, an alternative app store, is set to launch an updated version in the EU, taking advantage of the Digital Markets Act to offer Patreon-backed apps and provide a new business model for developers to monetize their apps without relying on traditional in-app purchases. The store will initially offer Delta and Clip, with plans to allow other developers to distribute their apps through the storefront using the same Patreon integration. The EU version of AltStore aims to simplify the app sideloading process and provide a modern user interface, but final approval from Apple is still pending.