Requirements
The devices, the iOS version, the tools, and the games that Empo supports.
Device
- An iPhone or an iPad with iOS 26 or newer.
- iPhone 11 is the oldest device Empo is tested on. Older devices that run iOS 26 may work, but large maps and battle scenes slow down first on them.
- Free space for each game. A game takes the size of its extracted folder, plus the size of the archive while the import runs. A Pokemon Essentials fangame is often 500 MB to 2 GB.
Sideloading tool
Empo is not on the App Store. You need one of:
A free Apple account limits a sideloaded app to seven days. The tool refreshes the app before the limit. A paid Apple Developer account extends the period to one year.
Games
| Engine | Runs |
|---|---|
| RPG Maker XP (RGSS1) | Yes |
| RPG Maker VX (RGSS2) | Yes |
| RPG Maker VX Ace (RGSS3) | Yes |
| Pokemon Essentials and other mkxp-z forks | Yes |
| PSDK | Yes |
| RPG Maker MV, MZ | No |
| RPG Maker 2000, 2003 | No |
A game must ship its own assets. Empo cannot install a Run-Time Package.
Movies play only in Ogg Theora. A game with an MP4 opening runs, but the opening stays blank.
Accepted inputs are a folder, a .zip, .7z, or .rar archive, a JoiPlay .jgp package, or
a self-extracting .exe. See Import a game.
Controllers and keyboards
Any controller that iOS supports works. That covers the MFi controllers, the PlayStation and Xbox controllers, and the Switch Pro controller. Hardware keyboards work through Bluetooth or through a keyboard case. iOS reserves the Home and Guide buttons, and those never reach a game.