As new EU rules against anti-competitive practices on mobile loom, Apple announced today new rules that will soon allow third-party developers to port on the App Store of cloud gaming appswhich basically paves the way for a Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, which, in addition to a vast catalog of games, allows you to play most of them in streaming on smartphones and other compatible devices. The changes will arrive with iOS 17.4 in March.
The Cupertino company had decided to prevent the proliferation of similar services on its devices in 2020, effectively cutting off xCloud and the defunct Google Stadia from the App Store from a very important slice of the mobile market, explaining that this maneuver was necessary as it did not could perform security checks on every single game included in the catalogs of these services. It was still possible to use these platforms on iOS via web browser, but clearly the user experience is not as optimal as that offered by a dedicated app.
Changes coming to the App Store
“Today, Apple introduced new options for how apps globally can deliver in-app experiences to users, including streaming of games and mini-programs. Developers can now present a single app with the ability to stream all the games offered in their catalog,” reads the post published on the developer site.
“Apps will also be able to offer greater discovery opportunities for streaming games, mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots and plugins found within their apps. Additionally, mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots and plug-ins will be able to incorporate Apple's in-app purchasing system to offer their users paid digital content or services for the first time, such as a subscription for a single chatbot.”
Leaving aside the gaming sector, the biggest news for Apple devices however is represented by the possibility of install third-party stores, which therefore opens the doors to many applications previously unavailable precisely due to the restrictions imposed by the App Store. Citing Microsoft again, we know that the company is working on an Xbox mobile store that should launch sometime in 2024.
It doesn't end there, because developers will be able to choose whether to use Apple's payment services and in-app purchases or whether integrate a third-party payment systemwithout paying an additional fee to Apple.
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