Apple Permits Game Streaming Apps With Strict App Store Conditions
Apple updates its App Store guidelines to allow game streaming services like xCloud and Stadia on iOS devices, provided each game exists as a separate app. The tech giant strictly prohibits an "App Store within an App Store" model.
Apple introduces revised App Store guidelines that officially permit game streaming services like Microsoft xCloud and Google Stadia on the iPhone and iPad. This policy reversal arrives while the company continues its ongoing legal dispute with Epic Games over in-app payment systems. The updated rules bring clarity to various app categories, but the changes regarding streaming games stand out as the most significant.
Despite opening the door to streaming platforms, Apple firmly prohibits an "App Store within an App Store" setup. Instead, developers create a catalog app to handle user logins and subscriptions, but every individual streamed game requires its own dedicated App Store listing. This ensures each title appears in search results, maintains its own user ratings, and remains compatible with parental control features like Screen Time.
The catalog apps must strictly adhere to Apple's standard requirements, including the integration of In-App Purchase for subscriptions and the "Sign in with Apple" feature. Furthermore, these main apps link only to the individual game entries that actually exist within the App Store, rather than directing users to external web versions. If developers refuse to meet these specific conditions, Apple notes they still have the option to reach users through standard web browsers on the open internet.