The likelihood of Microsoft xCloud or Google Stadia streaming apps on iOS is still quite small, even after Apple has recently relaxed corresponding policies.
“Games offered in a streaming game service subscription must be downloaded directly from the App Store, must be designed to avoid duplicate payment by a subscriber, and should not disadvantage non-subscriber customers,” a amendment to Apple’s Terms of Service reads.
While the change means that xCloud and Stadia could operate on the iOS platform, the need to download the titles defeats the purpose of streaming. It would also mean, theoretically, that Apple would expect a 30% cut of the cost of each title.
“This remains a bad experience for customers. Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud,” Microsoft said in reply to the policy change. “We’re committed to putting gamers at the center of everything we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission.”
xCloud heads to Google’s Android platform from next week… but not here in Australia.
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