We regret to inform you that using a PC emulator on iOS is not possible at this time. PC emulators are out of the question, even if Apple has begun to permit emulators; it only wants "retro game console" emulators.

Two emulator developers—iDOS 3, a refresh on the well-known DOS emulator, and UTM SE, which aimed to enable Windows emulation on iOS devices—have made this information public. However, Apple has shot down both of those.

Apple sent an official rejection letter to the iDOS 3 creator, stating that "the app provides emulator functionality but is not emulating a retro game console specifically." As a result, iDOS 3 violates Apple's guideline 4.7.

Ironically, when the developer contacted Apple to inquire about the necessary modifications to make iDOS 3 compatible, the Apple representatives were clueless. The query "What is a retro game console?" was likewise left unanswered. It appears like Apple is sticking to its tried-and-true "we'll know it when we see it" approach.

For UTM SE, the developer said that UTM SE might be beneficial for running classic Windows and DOS games on the PC, but it received a similar rejection stating that the App Store Review Board decided that "PC is not a console".

Apple took the matter a step further in this instance by refusing to certify UTM SE for listing in EU third-party app stores because the app allegedly breaches guideline 2.5.2, which stipulates that apps must be self-contained and cannot run any code "which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps".

Though there could be some accessibility for "retro game consoles," you shouldn't anticipate any PC emulators to be available on iOS. It's all pretty complex, as dealing with Apple's renowned Review Board has always been.