The App Store's first retro game streaming app 'Antstream', which allows users to play over 1,300 retro games on iPhone, is scheduled to be released on June 27, 2024

Apple updated its App Store review guidelines in April 2024 to include language explicitly permitting retro game console emulator apps. Retro game streaming service Antstream has announced that it will release its first game streaming app on the App Store, Antstream Arcade , on June 27, 2024.

Apple | Antstream

Antstream Arcade launches on App Store with 1,300 retro games | Cult of Mac

The first iPhone game streaming service brings hundreds of licensed retro games - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/21/24183027/antstream-emulator-apple-iphone-retro-games-ipad-streaming

Retro game streaming service Antstream Arcade launches on Apple devices next week
https://mobilesyrup.com/2024/06/21/retro-game-streaming-service-antstream-arcade-apple-devices-launch/

For many years, Apple did not allow the distribution of game console emulator apps on the App Store, but in April 2024, it updated its App Store review guidelines to allow the distribution of retro game console emulator apps, provided that the software does not contain game files within the app.

Apple allows retro game console emulator apps to be released on the App Store - GIGAZINE

So far, emulator apps such as ' Delta ', ' RetroArch ' and ' PPSSPP ' have appeared, but to play games with these apps, users had to prepare their own ROM files, which are image data of game software. In addition, obtaining and playing or distributing ROM files of titles that you do not own is a copyright infringement and is illegal, and it is also illegal to remove the copy protection so that games can be played. Therefore, there were complicated legal issues with playing games using emulator apps distributed on the App Store.

On the other hand, Antstream Arcade allows you to play games via streaming. The games available include titles for Atari 2600, Game Boy, and PlayStation, including famous titles such as 'Asteroids,' 'Centipede,' and 'Sam & Max.' All games distributed on Antstream are legally licensed.

Game Library - YouTube


While there have been many game streaming services offered in the past, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW, most of them were only accessible via the iPhone or iPad browser, but Antstream Arcade is expected to be the first game streaming service to be distributed on the App Store.

In order to play games on Antstream Arcade, you will need to sign up for a paid subscription. The subscription price is $4.99 (about 790 yen) per month or $39.99 (about 6390 yen) per year, but for a limited time after launch on the App Store, it will be offered for $3.99 (about 630 yen) per month or $29.99 (about 4790 yen) per year.