A major milestone in preserving Apple’s gaming history has been achieved by a community-led project that successfully rescued all 54 iPod clickwheel games, which were once thought to be lost forever. The project, initiated in 2024, came years after Apple removed these titles from the iTunes store, and it has been a labor of love for fans who wanted to ensure these games were not forgotten.
The project was spearheaded by GitHub user Olsro, who rallied donors from around the world. Many of these contributors shared their personal game collections, helping to build a complete archive of the games. The collection now works seamlessly across supported iPod models, including the iPod 5G and iPod Nano 3G and newer.
Breaking Through Technical Barriers
One of the biggest challenges in archiving these games was Apple’s FairPlay digital rights management (DRM), which had previously prevented attempts to preserve the titles. Early efforts were slow and impractical, often requiring iPods to be shipped to curators. Olsro found a solution by developing a virtual machine system, allowing donors to transfer their games without having to send in physical devices. He also guided participants through a complex process to authorize their accounts and files, making the archiving process much more efficient.
The final game in the collection, Real Soccer 2009, was particularly tricky to secure. Despite numerous attempts that were thwarted by corrupted drives and technical glitches, the game was finally added to the archive on September 7, 2025, marking the completion of the entire collection.
Access to the Collection
Now that the collection is complete, users can access the games offline through GitHub and the Internet Archive. While the library is compatible only with Windows-formatted iPods, fans can once again enjoy these classic games that once defined a unique part of Apple’s ecosystem.
A Victory for Digital Preservation
For iPod fans, this project is a nostalgic trip back to a time when the iPod clickwheel was at the center of Apple’s portable entertainment. For digital preservationists, it highlights the importance of community-driven efforts in saving digital media, especially when DRM and aging hardware stand in the way. Thanks to this initiative, much of the iPod clickwheel legacy has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.