Provenance
Joseph Mattiello
Provenance is a multi-emulator frontend for macOS, iOS, and tvOS, supporting a wide range of retro gaming consoles. It allows you to play classic games from Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and other systems on your Apple devices.
User Sentiments
Top Likes
- Supports a wide variety of consoles
- Good UI
- Controller support
- Available on App Store
Top Dislikes
- Buggy
- Laggy performance for some systems (e.g., 3DS)
- Stability issues
Popular Comments
Anonymou_s18 - App Store User
2025-02-07
Why put something like this out with so many bugs. The last update just made it worse in my opinion. This isn't the Provenance app I remember using years ago...The bios with ps1 games won't work...Remove this app from the store please.
Good UI and variety - App Store User
2025-02-08
Good UI and variety; Buggy.
Le Mad Customer - App Store User
2025-01-29
Lag. For 3ds Some games load but are very laggy and some don't work at all. I really hope you can have this working because other then that this has everything I need.
KyleTheGoat22 - App Store User
2025-02-13
Please fix 3ds. Emulation all I get is a black screen.
TangoToffee - App Store User
2025-02-07
3DS Games work, and no JIT! I'm using an iPhone 13 and the 3DS games work great! You'll have to play around with the core settings a bit...No need for JIT or sideloading IPAs!
Ngoc aLex - App Store User
2025-01-09
Ok. Ok.
Detailed Review
Provenance is a free and open-source multi-emulator application for macOS, iOS, and tvOS, designed for playing retro video games. It supports a wide array of classic consoles, including Atari, Nintendo, Sega, SNK, and Sony systems. Available on the App Store for Mac, Provenance offers a convenient way to emulate retro games without sideloading, though it's also available for sideloading for other platforms. While it boasts a user-friendly interface and broad console compatibility, user reviews suggest that the macOS version can be somewhat buggy and may experience performance issues, particularly with more demanding systems like the 3DS.
Standout Features
- Multi-Console Support: Emulates a vast library of retro systems, including Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, PlayStation 1, and more.
- Controller Support: Compatible with MFi game controllers for a more authentic gaming experience.
- Save States and Load States: Allows saving and loading game progress at any point.
- ROM Management: Supports importing and exporting ROMs and managing game saves and cover art.
- Native macOS App: Available directly from the Mac App Store for easy installation on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or later).
Conclusion
Provenance is a promising emulator for retro gaming enthusiasts on macOS, especially given its availability on the App Store. It offers a wide range of supported systems and controller compatibility, making it a versatile option for playing classic games. However, user feedback indicates that the app can be buggy and may not offer optimal performance across all emulated systems. Users seeking a stable and highly optimized experience might consider alternatives like OpenEmu, which is specifically designed for macOS, or RetroArch, a more complex but highly configurable multi-emulator. Despite its imperfections, Provenance is a valuable free option, particularly for users who appreciate its extensive system support and App Store availability.
