Microsoft bans game emulators from the Windows Store

By Sherif Saed

Microsoft is clamping down on game emulators on its Windows Store.

Microsoft has updated its Windows Store policies to prevent the publishing of game system emulators, which have up to this point existed in a legal grey area.

The change to the store policies was picked up by NeoGAF, and it’s already affected emulator NESBox. This particular emulator was removed from the Xbox Store last year, and is now entirely unavailable on any of the Microsoft-operated store.

It’s unclear why Microsoft chose to do this now, though the upcoming release of the Creators Update could have something to do with the timing. The Creators Update aims to further unify the Windows and Xbox Stores, simplifying the process of publishing apps.

Of course, you can still download Win32 emulators from the web, or rely on in-browser emulators, such as what NESBox offers. This change merely affects UWP apps available on the official store.