How Apple Changed the App Store Guidelines
You can see how Apple changed its stance on the App Store Review Guidelines. Under point 4.9, “Streaming Games,” Apple added the following:
Apple then goes on to state that every streamed game must be individually submitted so that it can rank in the charts.
Also, game streaming catalogs such as Project xCloud cannot launch games independently; they must instead link to the individual games on the App Store.
Microsoft’s Response to Apple’s New Guidelines
Microsoft voiced its disapproval of these new rules, issuing a statement saying:
Microsoft doesn’t understand why Apple takes this stance for video games, while other streaming media libraries such as Netflix don’t need to upload movies and shows individually.
Microsoft has not revealed whether or not the company will publish Project xCloud on the App Store under these new guidelines. If Microsoft did, it would require a significant rework on how xCloud works and result in a sub-par experience compared to the Android version.
Getting Project xCloud Onto Mobile Devices
Microsoft has expressed its discontent with the new Apple guidelines, but the company hasn’t yet revealed if it’s forging ahead with Project xCloud or not.
Will Microsoft bend to get xCloud on the App Store, or will Apple lift the restrictions for game streaming apps? Only time will tell.
While Microsoft has struggled to get its games on iOS, the same isn’t true for Android. In fact, Xbox Game Pass holders are already playing games on their Android phones.
