Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once showcased a PS1 emulator for Mac: Watch

Apple’s stance on console game emulators has evolved over time. Four years ago in 2020, the iPhone maker prohibited such apps on its App Store. The division was revised earlier this year when Apple opened its App Store for retro game emulators, coinciding with antitrust probes in the European Union. But this wasn’t Apple’s position on game emulators. Co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs once unveiled a PlayStation emulator for the Mac at one of the company's events.

An emulator allows a computer system (the host) to imitate the functions of another (the guest). With the help of an emulator, a host system can run software and programs, like a game which are designed for the guest system.

A video of Steve Jobs is also available on YouTube on “NeoGamer - The Video Game Archive” channel.

Take a look at the video here:

When Steve Jobs unveiled a PS1 emulator for Mac

Back in 1999 at the Macworld Expo, Apple was set to unveil upgrades to the iMac G3 and introduce the new Power Mac G3. Throughout the event, Steve Jobs emphasized the Mac's gaming capabilities. On stage, Jobs and Phil Schiller presented Connectix's Virtual Game Station (VGS) – the first PlayStation emulator with the ability to run games at full speed on any platform. The Mac was slated to receive VGS before any other system.

VGS was then priced at $49 and was officially compatible only with original PlayStation game CDs. To showcase this achievement, Schiller gave a live demonstration during the keynote, playing an emulated version of Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

As mentioned above, Apple updated its App Store rules in April 2024 to allow emulators for retro console games across the globe. The Cupertino-based tech giant then said that it will also offer its users an option to download titles from these emulators.