TouchHLE

{{Short description|Emulator for iOS applications}} {{Lowercase title}}{{Infobox software | title = touchHLE | logo = TouchHLE icon.png | screenshot = Screenshot of touchHLE quick options page.png | caption = Screenshot of touchHLE options page | author = hikari_no_yume | developer = hikari_no_yume and 25 others | latest release version = 0.2.3<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/touchHLE/touchHLE/releases/tag/v0.2.3 |title=Release v0.2.3: The Happy New Year release! · touchHLE/touchHLE |website=GitHub |date=2026-01-02 |access-date=2026-01-05}}</ref> | repo = https://github.com/touchHLE/touchHLE | operating system = Android, macOS, Microsoft Windows | license = Mozilla Public License 2.0 | website = https://touchhle.org/ | programming language = Rust }} '''touchHLE''' is a free and open-source emulator for iOS applications, originally developed by an anonymous programmer going by the pseudonym hikari_no_yume.<ref>{{cite web |title=touchHLE|url=https://touchhle.org/ |access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hikari.noyu.me/|title=光の夢〜hikari's dream〜dream of light|access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref> It is written in Rust to work specifically with games developed for older iOS versions,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ioshacker.com/news/touchhle-emulator-lets-you-play-old-iphone-games-mac-and-pc|title=TouchHLE Emulator Lets You Play Old iPhone Games On Mac And PC - iOS Hacker |date=11 March 2023 |access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://hackaday.com/2023/07/24/doom-on-iphone-os-on-android/ |title=DOOM On IPhone OS, On Android - Hackaday |date=25 July 2023 |access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref> and as of version 0.2.3 it supports hundreds of games.

touchHLE was first released in February 2023 where it was able to run ''Super Monkey Ball'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/hikari-no-yume/touchHLE/releases/tag/v0.1.0|title=Release v0.1.0: First release! · hikari-no-yume/touchHLE|website=GitHub |access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/191454/supermonkeyball.html |title=Review: Super Monkey Ball for iPhone - Macworld|access-date=30 October 2023|language=en}}</ref> a launch title for the App Store in 2008 which was at the time considered "long lost" due to it being incompatible with newer iOS versions.<ref name="Wallace">{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Anthony |date=February 3, 2023 |title=Enthusiast Creates Advanced iOS Emulator To Revive Obsolete Super Monkey Ball Game |url=https://retrododo.com/enthusiast-creates-advanced-ios-emulator/ |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=Retro Dodo |language=en |quote=TouchHLE not only allows Hikari to play the long lost Super Monkey Ball game, but it opens up the possibility for any obsolete game from the 32-bit era of iOS.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-forgotten-super-monkey-ball-game-that-launched-the-iphone-app-store-has-been-preserved-with-a-new-emulator/|title=The forgotten Super Monkey Ball game that launched the iPhone app store has been preserved with a new emulator - GamesRadar+|date=10 February 2023 |access-date=30 October 2023 |language=en |quote=touchHLE is starting to save the games lost in the iPhone's app-pocalypse}}</ref> Support for other games, such as the Lite version of ''Super Monkey Ball'', ''Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D'' and ''Touch & Go'' was added in later builds,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://appdb.touchhle.org/apps/57|title=Doom II RPG - Apps - touchHLE app compatibility database|website=www.touchhle.org |access-date=2023-11-01|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=TouchHLE: High-level emulator for iPhone OS apps |url=https://github.com/hikari-no-yume/touchHLE/blob/trunk/APP_SUPPORT.md |website=GitHub}}</ref> and the emulator was ported to Android after a pull request was issued to add support for it, allowing Android devices to run legacy iOS games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Espósito |first1=Filipe |date=24 April 2023 |title=Developer ports iOS emulator to Android, but you shouldn't get excited about it |url=https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/24/ios-emulator-to-android/ |work=9to5Mac}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=6 February 2023 |title=High-level iOS emulator touchHLE runs on Windows and Mac, aims to preserve old iOS gaming apps |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/97504-high-level-ios-emulator-touchhle-aims-preserve-old.html}}</ref><ref name="Williams">{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Elliot |date=July 25, 2023 |title=DOOM On IPhone OS, On Android |url=https://hackaday.com/2023/07/24/doom-on-iphone-os-on-android/ |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=Hackaday |language=en-US}}</ref>

The emulator makes use of high-level emulation where touchHLE itself takes the place of iOS and provides its own implementations of operating system frameworks, thus avoiding any dependency on copyrighted Apple firmware and libraries; the only code executed by the emulated CPU is the app binary and open-source libraries from Apple.<ref name="touchhle1">{{Cite web |date=February 6, 2023 |title=touchHLE is a new emulator for iPhone OS apps |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/02/touchhle-is-a-new-emulator-for-iphone-os-apps/ |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=GamingOnLinux |language=en}}</ref> hikari_no_yume also stated that they do not plan on supporting newer versions of iOS both on a technical and philosophical standpoint, citing the complexity of implementing 64-bit iOS apps and system libraries<ref name="touchhle1"/> and changing trends in the mobile app ecosystem where the emergence of free-to-play games brought about concerns regarding the perceived decline in quality of mobile games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=touchHLE FAQ (frequently asked questions) |url=https://touchhle.org/faq.html |access-date=2025-12-21 |website=touchhle.org}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

Category:Emulation software Category:IOS Category:Free software programmed in Rust Category:Software using the Mozilla Public License