Apple soundly rejected Facebook’s iOS app that would have enabled cloud gaming using native code. As with Microsoft with xCloud, the social media giant has followed suit. The dispute between Apple and Facebook is centred around Apple’s requirement that individual titles must have their own product pages on the App Store.
Apple’s requirement is counter-intuitive to the nature of cloud gaming which by its nature should not require native code to be installed (beyond the client app). Facebook has found a solution via a web app that can be accessed using a browser such as Safari.
In a statement given to The Verge, the head of gaming at Facebook VP Vivek Sharma said:
“We’ve come to the same conclusion as others: web apps are the only option for streaming cloud games on iOS at the moment,” Facebook’s vice president of gaming, Vivek Sharma, told The Verge in a statement. “As many have pointed out, Apple’s policy to ‘allow’ cloud games on the App Store doesn’t allow for much at all. Apple’s requirement for each cloud game to have its own page, go through review, and appear in search listings defeats the purpose of cloud gaming. These roadblocks mean players are prevented from discovering new games, playing cross-device, and accessing high-quality games instantly in native iOS apps — even for those who aren’t using the latest and most expensive devices.”
Facebook’s gaming platform is very much in the early stages. That being said the social media firm claims it has over 1.5 million active users per month. It’s expected to grow over time as more popular titles from larger games publishers get added over time.
You can check out FaceBook’s gaming offering via this link. What are your thoughts on the service and the catalogue offered so far? Leave a comment down below!