# S98Player for iPhone

> Plays S98 and PMD chiptune files with FM synthesis and CarPlay support. (iPhone/iPad app by Hiroaki KIMURA.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s98player-for-iphone/id388838337 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Hiroaki KIMURA](https://appshunter.io/developer/388838340)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 12 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.6 · 4 MB
- Languages: English, Japanese
- Released: 2010-08-31
- Data updated: 2026-09-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s98player-for-iphone/id388838337/reviews.md

## What is S98Player for iPhone?

S98Player plays the FM synth music of the PC-9801 and X68000
on your iPhone and iPad.

Alongside sound logs (S98), the PMD, FMP and MDX drivers are built into the app,
so you can drop the original song files straight in and play them.

Formats
- S98 (Version 1 / 3) — .s98
- PMD — .m / .m2 / .mz / .mp / .ms / .pmd
- FMP — .opi / .ovi / .ozi / .mfm / .mf2 / .m86 / .m26
- MDX — .mdx (put .pdx in the same folder for songs that use ADPCM)

Voiced for the machine
The same FM chip sounded different on each computer: the external DAC and the
analogue stage after it were not the same. PC-98, PC-88, X68000 and X1turboZ each
have their own DAC, output stage, cutoff and per-chip mix. The machine is chosen
from the S98 system tag, and can also be set in Settings.plist.

Channel monitor
Watch every channel on a piano-style keyboard while the music plays, with level
meters, stereo panning, rhythm pads and a spectrum analyser. Tap a row to mute it,
long-press to solo, and study each part on its own.

Waveform seek bar
The seek bar is a waveform. It draws the intro and one turn of the loop, and shows
which time around you are on by how dark it is. Drag it to jump anywhere.

More
- Rotate your iPhone for a two-pane view: keyboard and spectrum analyser
- Song info shows everything the file contains, unmodified
- Album and song details can be edited in the app, album art included
- You are told when a PCM file is missing
- CarPlay support
- Shuffle, and looping over an album

Rhythm samples
To hear the OPNA rhythm section you need ym2608_adpcm_rom.bin, or the rhythm
files (2608_BD.WAV / 2608_HH.WAV / 2608_RIM.WAV / 2608_SD.WAV / 2608_TOM.WAV /
2608_TOP.WAV). Put them in the S98Player folder under "On My iPhone" in the Files
app. Song files go there too, in a folder per album.

Third-party software
- PMDWin Ver. 0.52 Copyright & Programmed by C60
- ymfm Copyright (C) Aaron Giles
- 98Fmplayer (fmdriver) Copyright (c) 2016 Takamichi Horikawa
- portable_mdx (MXDRV) Copyright (C) 2018 Yosshin
  (MXDRV: milk. / K.MAEKAWA / Missy.M / Yatsube / GORRY / m_puusan)

## Key features

- Plays S98 and PMD file formats
- High-quality FM synthesis
- Adjustable sound source volumes
- Loop and shuffle playback
- CarPlay support
- File transfer via Files app

## Recent user reviews (10 of 12)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s98player-for-iphone/id388838337/reviews.md

### 5/5 — ありがたやー

*2025-07-10, version 2.0*

東方旧作の音樂をわざわざpcで聞くのは少しめんどくさかったからとてもいいです、バックグラウンドで再生できるのも有り難いです。

### 5/5 — イコライザーとは

*2023-05-02, version 1.2.5*

M2形式を携帯で聴くことができるので重宝しております

ところでイコライザー機能とは?
色々選択したり再読み込みしてみましたが全く変化ありません
まぁ、それ目当てでも無いので別に使えなくとも良いのですが……

### 1/5 — 起動しなかった

*2021-10-27, version 1.2.5*

iPhone SE2では起動出来なかった。
残念

### 3/5 — iOS14.2になって

*2020-11-25, version 1.2.3*

起動しなくなった。
iOS14.1までは動いてたのに。

### 5/5 — すごく良い！

*2019-03-23, version 1.2.3*

リズム音源の音量調節がアプリ内でできたらもっと良いと思います！

### 5/5 — 最高です！

*2016-05-14, version 1.2.2*

前までPMDからs98ファイルに変換しても再生されなく、iPhoneでFM音源は無理か…と諦めてましたがアップデートのお陰で聴けるようになりました！
最高です。

### 5/5 — すごく良い！

*2016-03-04, version 1.2.2*

すごく良い！けれど何故かリズムパートの音がまだ何故か出ないのでそこをどうにかしてほしいです...

あとはランダム再生やMSDPみたいなGUIを入れるとか、パートマスクやループ出来る回数を無限に出来るようになれば最高だと思います！
注文多くてすみません...

### 5/5 — pmd 対応ありがとうございます！

*2015-10-05, version 1.2.2*

これで東方旧作のBGMも持ち出せる！

p.s.今回のアップデートでリズムパートの音もちゃんとなりました！ありがとうございます

### 4/5 — 凄く良くなりました！

*2015-09-03, version 1.2*

前のバージョンのときにノイズが残って、聴けない曲が結構あったのが、全然なくなって快適に聴くことができるようになりました。
S98データを持ち歩いて聴けるのは相当ありがたいです。

### 5/5 — 素晴らしい！

*2012-04-04, version 1.0.1*

懐かしい音に思わず聴き入ってしまいました。

## Frequently asked questions about S98Player for iPhone

### What file formats does S98Player support?

S98Player supports S98 (versions 1 and 3) and PMD file formats, commonly used for chiptune music from classic computer systems.

### Does S98Player have CarPlay support?

Yes, S98Player features CarPlay support, allowing users to enjoy chiptunes on the go through their car's infotainment system.

### How do I transfer files to S98Player?

You can easily transfer files to S98Player using the Files app. Store them in the "S98Player" folder within "On My iPhone."

### Does S98Player require additional rhythm files?

Yes, S98Player requires specific rhythm files (e.g., 2608_BD.WAV) or ym2608_adpcm_rom.bin to function correctly. Without these, playback will not operate properly.

### What is the user rating for S98Player?

S98Player has a high user rating of 5.0 stars based on 2 ratings, indicating strong user satisfaction.

### Is S98Player available on Android?

S98Player is currently designed for iOS devices, specifically iPhone and iPad, and is not available on the Android platform.

### How often is S98Player updated?

The latest version of S98Player is 2.0, and it was last updated on June 2, 2025, suggesting active development and maintenance.

### Does S98Player have ads?

No, S98Player is ad-free, providing an uninterrupted listening experience for its users.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.0 — 2026-08-31

Now plays MDX (X68000) and FMP (PC-98).

New formats
- MDX (.mdx) — put .pdx in the same folder for songs that use ADPCM
- FMP (.opi / .ovi / .ozi / .m86 / .m26) — likewise for .pvi / .pzi
- MFM / MF2 — driven by a sequencer written for this app

Voiced for the machine
PC-98, PC-88, X68000 and X1turboZ each have their own DAC, output stage and mix.
The machine is chosen from the S98 system tag, and can be set in Settings.plist.

Display
- The seek bar is now a waveform, with the intro and loop shown in colour
- Rotate your iPhone for a two-pane view: keyboard and spectrum analyser
- The spectrum analyser is now segmented, with peak hold
- Song info shows everything the file contains, unmodified
- You are told when a PCM bank is missing

Editing
Album and song details can now be edited in the app, and album art picked from
your photos or files.

Fixes
- Playback now resumes after an alarm or call without opening the app.
- Playback no longer stops when you switch output devices.
- Lock screen play and pause now do what they say.
- Fixed details from the previous song carrying over to the next one.
- Reduced power use during playback.

### 2.3 — 2026-08-21

New: Channel Monitor
- Watch every channel on a piano-style keyboard while the music plays
- Level meters, stereo panning, rhythm pads, and a spectrum analyzer
- Tap a row to mute it, long-press to solo — study each part in isolation
- Supports PMD and S98 (OPNA / OPN / OPM / PSG)

New: Seeking
- Drag the progress bar to jump anywhere in the song

Rotate your iPhone to see the channel monitor full screen.
The mini player now shows the output spectrum in its background.

Fixes:
- More reliable recovery from audio interruptions such as phone calls.
- Fixed a click at the start of OPM / OPN playback.
- Fixed song info not loading from S98 files with capitalized tag keys.
- Reduced the delay before controls take effect on the audio.

### 2.2 — 2026-08-11

Two new options under Sound Emulation.

• External DAC simulation
  On real hardware, FM sound leaves the chip and passes through a floating-point
  DAC before you hear it. This reproduces that conversion exactly as the
  datasheets specify — YM3016 for OPNA, YM3012 for OPM, YM3014B for OPN.

• Output stage
  Reproduces the board's analog circuitry after the DAC, in three levels.
  Adds the high-frequency roll-off and the distortion the volume control
  circuit introduces.

Both are off by default. Turn them on in Settings.

OPN (YM2203) tracks are now played on an actual YM2203 instead of being
substituted with an OPNA.

Fixes
• Playback could remain in Control Center after stopping.
• Playback state could fall out of sync after an interruption such as a call.

### 2.1 — 2026-08-01

■ Sound quality
FM synthesis and output now run at 55466 Hz, the OPNA's native rate. Previously the audio was decimated to 44100 Hz without a filter, which left a grainy edge on the high end. Sample rate conversion is now left to the OS. This applies to both PMD and S98 playback.
Release builds are compiled with stronger optimization, lowering the CPU cost of playback.

■ iOS 26
The mini player is now shown as a tab bar accessory.
Playback position is shown by the mini player's own background filling from the left.

■ Playback
Repeat now has three states: off, repeat album, and repeat one song.
Fixed a problem where a track could be skipped at the end of the previous one.
Fixed a race when starting playback.
Fixed a problem where the playback state in Control Center and on the Lock Screen could disagree with the app.
Control Center is now cleared when playback stops.

■ Files and metadata
PMD files with no embedded title now fall back to the file name.
Empty entries in Settings.plist are now treated as "not specified".
Added more locations to search for PCM banks.

■ Interface
Fixed the album list collapsing into a narrow sidebar on iPad.
Fixed the view navigating back the first time a song was selected.
Fixed an empty mini player appearing before any song was chosen.
Added license information to the settings screen.

### 2.0 — 2025-06-02

In this version, we've improved the accuracy of FM sound reproduction. Additionally, we've redesigned the user interface to include album art display, individual volume adjustments for each sound source, and shuffle playback, enhancing customization and usability. CarPlay support has also been introduced, along with improvements to the app's stability.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-10.*