In light of the recent changes that Apple is making to appease the European Union, a recent press release from the company has shared that game streaming services are now allowed on the App Store.
That means that, services such as Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming can be made into apps, available via the App Store. That's instead of the current method, which requires you using Safari and setting the "website" for the service as a shortcut on your home page.
The press release, which was shared on the Apple newsroom yesterday, states that "Apple is introducing new options for how apps globally can deliver in-app experiences to users, including streaming games and mini-programs". This change allows developers to submit a single app for streaming.
This is a lot different compared to Apple's solution a few years ago, back in 2020. The change in guidelines towards game streaming services a few years ago suggested that these apps were welcome on the App Store, with the caveat that developers had to submit every game available on their services and have them individually reviewed.
However, some of that original solution still live within the DNA of this recent policy change, with Apple confirming that "Each experience made available in an app on the App Store will be required to adhere to all App Store Review Guidelines and its host app will need to maintain an age rating of the highest age-rated content included in the app".
While many of the App Store policy changes that are coming to the EU version of the storefront are, unfortunately, locked to the EU. However, the policy that allows for game streaming apps is actually a global change, which is great for Apple fans outside of the European Union.
So, if you've been waiting for the chance to pull out the best phone controller, or the best iPad controller and play some triple-A or indie games via cloud streaming, you won't have to wait too long.
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