The Delta emulator triples Apple prices to encourage external clicks.
Users can save money by signing up directly on Patreon.
The Delta game emulator has implemented a link within its iOS application on the US App Store that allows users to sign up and access exclusive membership benefits on Patreon. Its developer, Riley Testut, encourages users to follow this external link, as he has raised the cost of the subscription tiers available through Apple’s in-app purchases, increasing prices to three times their normal value. Testut describes this strategy as a “do not buy sale.”
This update reflects both an acceptance and a critique of Apple’s new policy introduced in January, which allows developers to create links to external payment platforms in exchange for a 27 percent cut of sales, lower than the 30 percent that Apple typically retains. This change in App Store policy was a result of court rulings in the Epic vs. Apple case, where it was determined that Apple had acted anti-competitively by preventing developers from informing users about alternative payment methods.
By clicking the link within the settings of the Delta app, users are directed to the Patreon page to sign up directly. Testut notes that Delta is likely the first app to benefit from this new regulation. The monthly memberships of $3, $5, and $10 on Patreon, which offer additional perks such as support for iPad and SEGA Genesis and access to a private Discord, appear in the iOS app at prices of $10, $15, and $30, respectively.
“We don’t want people to use in-app purchase,” Testut stated. “We’ve been using Patreon for years, and it allows us to do things that Apple’s IAP system can’t, such as offering refunds and handling customer support, which is much more convenient for creators like us.”