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Apple eases App Store restrictions to allow game-streaming apps

By Tomas Franzese January 25, 2024

App Store on-screen illustration — Apple

Apple is easing up on its App Store guidelines so that it’s now possible to “provide access to mini apps and games” within other apps.

While that may sound a bit confusing, it essentially means that a company like Microsoft can now release an iOS Xbox Game Pass app that supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and lets players stream multiple games right from that app. To use Xbox Cloud Gaming on an Apple device right now, you’d need to use the web browser version of the technology, which isn’t as convenient or stable as streaming from Xbox consoles or official PC and Android apps.

Before today, Apple had resisted allowing iOS apps to do this, much to the chagrin of companies like Epic Games and Microsoft. Apple says this change will also benefit in-app chatbots or plug-ins outside of gaming, which iOS previously didn’t allow, and that it made this change based on feedback from app developers.

Companies will now also be able to use Apple’s In-App Purchase system within these newly allowed in-app minigames, apps, and features, with Apple providing the example of a subscription to an individual chatbot within a broader app. All apps will still need to follow the App Store Review Guidelines, and they will get an age rating that matches the highest age-rated content available within the app.

These new rules apply to the app store starting today, so keep an eye on game-streaming services, as they may be getting native iOS apps in the future following this rule shift.

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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