A piece of Apple’s early gaming history has been rescued from obscurity. A community-led project has preserved all 54 iPod clickwheel games, once thought to be lost forever. The effort began in 2024, more than a decade after Apple removed the titles from its iTunes store
The project, spearheaded by GitHub user Olsro, brought together donors from around the world. Many fans offered their personal collections, which helped build a master library of games. This collection now works across supported iPod models, including the iPod 5G and iPod Nano 3G and newer
Overcoming DRM and Technical Hurdles
Apple’s FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) had long blocked previous attempts at archiving. Earlier efforts required shipping physical iPods to curators, making the process slow and impractical. Olsro found a breakthrough by creating a virtual machine system, which allowed donors to transfer games without sending in their devices. He also coached participants through the multi-step process of authorizing accounts and files.
The final missing game, Real Soccer 2009, proved especially difficult. Multiple attempts failed due to corrupted drives and technical glitches. After months of work, the game was finally secured on September 7, 2025, completing the archive.
Access for Today’s Users
With the full collection now available, users can sync the games offline through GitHub and the Internet Archive. The library only works with Windows-formatted iPods, but fans can once again enjoy classics that defined a unique era of Apple’s ecosystem.
A Win for Digital Preservation
For iPod enthusiasts, the project revives a nostalgic chapter in Apple’s history. For digital archivists, it serves as proof that community-driven efforts are often the only way to preserve fragile, DRM-protected media. Without this initiative, much of the iPod clickwheel legacy might have disappeared with failing hardware.
