Apple Confirms Cloud Gaming Services Like xCloud and Stadia Violate App Store Guidelines

Tech giants such as Microsoft and Google have been trialing a new way to play games with their Project xCloud and Stadia cloud services. However, they’ve oddly remained absent on iPhones and iPads and at long last, Apple has broken the silence on why iOS users have been left out.

In a statement to Business Insider, Apple has confirmed that it doesn’t allow cloud gaming platforms like Google Stadia and Microsoft Project xCloud since they violate iOS app store guidelines.

The reason is simple and has been technically mentioned in the app store’s policies for years. It’s because Apple can’t review each game these apps offer and can’t individually rank them on the app store.

“Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search,” Apple added in the statement.

A Google spokesperson told Digital Trends the company has no further comment on this at the moment.

Microsoft, in a statement to Digital Trends, said currently it does not know any alternatives to offer Project xCloud on iPhones and iPads but it’s committed to “finding a path to bring cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the iOS platform.” The software giant also accused Apple of “consistently treats gaming apps differently” and “applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content.”

“Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass,” the spokesperson added. “All games available in the Xbox Game Pass catalog are rated for content by independent industry ratings bodies such as the ESRB and regional equivalents. We believe that the customer should be at the heart of the gaming experience and gamers tell us they want to play, connect and share anywhere, no matter where they are.”

Cloud gaming services including Google Stadia, Microsoft Project xCloud, and Nvidia GeForce Now essentially offer a catalog of games you can stream — similar to how Netflix works. You can pick a game inside these apps and begin playing them over the cloud without having to sit through the installation process.

The only app Apple is able to scrutinize is the host itself which in this case is Stadia or Project xCloud but the company argues it needs to review every interactive experience (game) users play to “protect customers and provide a fair and level playing field to developers.”

What’s more, as The Verge points out, Apple explicitly mentions in its iOS policies, under section 4.2.7, that “thin clients for cloud-based apps are not appropriate for the App Store” — which is exactly what Google Stadia and Microsoft Project xCloud apps are.

As of now, the future of cloud gaming apps on iOS hangs in the balance. More importantly, it remains to be seen how big of a dent the absence of revenue from iOS users will have on the future of cloud gaming itself. Yesterday, Microsoft also discontinued iOS testing for its xCloud app. Google Stadia, on the other hand, continues to live on iOS but only for managing your library if you’d like stream games to a Chromecast device.

August 07, 2020