Apple recently [changed](https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/5/24122341/apple-app-store-game-emulators-super-apps) their App Store [guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/), allowing emulation of "retro game consoles":

Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games.

Will this be limited to games provided by the developer/vendor of the emulator (-> resolves NO), or will users be able to "sideload" their own ROMs (-> resolves YES), like they are in the many equivalent emulators being offered in the Google Play Store for Android?

The sideloading functionality must be "officially present", i.e. it can't be hidden away in a debug menu accessible only after using a cheat code sequence. (This section is to disqualify "sneaky emulators" that have [made it into the app store](https://www.eteknix.com/snes-emulator-sneaks-onto-ios-app-store/) a few times already in the past).

In ambiguous cases, I'll resolve based on my subjective impression of Apple tolerating the sideloading functionality. For example, being able to add "additional app sources" in a visible app menu and being able to open ROMs from the iOS Files app would both count as YES, while having to press the copyright notice in the app's settings 20 times to get a prompt would resolve to NO (especially if it leads to Apple ultimately removing the emulator from their store).