iOS 8.1 reported to prevent game emulators from working

For once, this isn't actually about Apple actively blocking legally questionable apps from setting up shop in the iTunes App Store right from the start. This is about emulators for popular gaming consoles and handhelds no longer working because the upcoming iOS 8.1 update will finally plug up a vulnerability previously in place that allowed such apps to thrive. While good for security, it leaves users of such gaming apps out in the cold, with no way to get back in to enjoy older games again.

To be fair, emulators are a grey legal area anyway, with or without the security hole. Emulator software themselves are mostly legal and have legitimate uses, especially for homebrew programs or games. The games that are played on them, however, aren't always so. There are devices and software that can be used to rip games from cartridges or discs, but whichever way you look at it, it mostly involves circumventing copyright protection.

Strangely enough, the legality of emulators isn't exactly the issue here. Instead, it's more of a technical matter. Apparently, emulators like GBA4iOS, the Game Boy Advance emulator whose developers observed the upcoming change, took advantage of a workaround that allowed such apps to be installed simply by rolling back the date of the device. That the method persisted this long is indeed a wonder, as Apple has been quite active in plugging up holes that lead to infringement (perhaps more than stomping out bugs that lead to more serious exploits). You could say it was a long time coming.

There is one other way for gamers to continue using such emulators, but one that has a steeper price to pay. Once the update rolls around, jailbreaking will be the only recourse left, which will unfortunately turn off many features for the iPhone, such as official iOS updates. Not many will be willing to make that leap and might be forced to either stop playing those games or perhaps, less drastically, get a different device, like an Android, specifically for that purpose.

VIA: Engadget