Apple’s greenlit to Stadia and Xbox comes with a big catch

Apple has been criticized time and time again for its various policies. Called by many as draconian policies, apple’s app store policies have always taken a closed source license to the max.

Recently app and epic games have even entered into a squabble which led Epic games to file a lawsuit on apple. Apple had blocked the streaming services like Google stadia and Xbox Game Streaming services, from even entering its app store.

But now Apple has finally updated its policies to allow game streaming services to made available on the App store. only if they accept to go through all the hassles led forth by Apple.

App Store has released guidelines specifically addressing streaming games. Apple will technically allow services like Xbox game streaming and google stadia on the app store. The games themselves would have to be listed as an individual app on the app store.

what’s the catch?

Apple said, “Each streaming game must be submitted to the App Store as an individual app so that it has an App Store product page, appears in charts and search, has user ratings and review, can be managed with Screen-Time and other parental control apps, appears on the user’s device, etc.”

This means that the gaming services can’t just release their app and provide access to over 100+ games. They have to make those games have their own individual listing on the App store.

Google’s stadia and Microsoft’s Xbox game streaming service, are both cloud-based apps. The games that are played through this service, are not going to run locally on an iPhone.

According to CNBC, all games listed on the App Store need to have “some basic functionality when they’re downloaded,” so the streaming services can’t just provide the listing link to the streaming games.

Users also have to be able to purchase all the games using Apple’s payment system.

This means that every in-app game purchase will have to be included using Apple’s payment system and the company will take 30% cut of the share.

To make things worse, Apple doesn’t allow third-party web engines. And, Safari doesn’t support many modern APIs that would be required to create a web-based version of Stadia or Xbox Game Streaming.

Though apple has given a green lit to the game streaming services, the idea still doesn’t seem doable any time soon.

sources

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