Apple has made a groundbreaking announcement that will greatly impact gaming on iPhone and iPad. Developers can now submit apps to the App Store specifically for streaming games. This means services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now will soon have dedicated apps for iOS and iPadOS users to enjoy.
Until now, game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming have only been accessible through web browsers on iOS and iPadOS. While this allowed for gameplay, it wasn’t as smooth or convenient as a dedicated app. For instance, Palworld was only playable on iPhone or iPad through a web browser.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to the App Store.
New opportunities for developers
“Apple is introducing new options for how apps globally can deliver in-app experiences to users. Including streaming games and mini-programs. “Developers can now ship a single app with the ability to stream all the games offered in their catalog.”Apple explained in a developer post.
In addition to game streaming, apps will now offer improved discovery features for various elements such as streaming games, mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots, and add-ons that are available within the applications. This means users will have better access to and visibility of these features directly within the apps they use.
The impact on game discovery
The latter part of the statement is intriguing as it suggests that the decision was also influenced by a desire to improve game discovery on iPhones and iPads. A dedicated app for Microsoft games, for instance, could offer a streamlined way to explore titles accessible via Xbox Game Pass, which users could then play directly within an Xbox Cloud Gaming app.
While the policy alteration follows an antitrust investigation by the European Commission, Apple’s adjustments to the App Store will apply globally.
