A year after its launch, Stadia, the streaming service that offers a large list of games in its catalog, has finally arrived on the iOS platform, on iPhones and iPads, using the beta web app to bypass the App Store restrictions.
As the App Store contains rules that prevent streaming services from being available in the app store, Stadia will have to circumvent the Apple ecosystem, through the Safari browser. The service is available both in its free form that only requires a google account, and in the Stadia Pro mode.
In August of this year, Apple said services like Google's Stadia and Microsoft's Xcloud could not be distributed as apps from the App Store, tightening its restrictions on streaming to iPhone and iPad. However, in September the company decided to take a step back and ease restrictions, confirming the permission for streaming services to use a catalog app to get to the store, but with the condition that they upload each game individually on the App Store.
Microsoft expressed displeasure, believing this would affect the players' experience, so it suggested a web app.
Google Stadia is the first streaming service to come to Apple's mobile devices. Recently, Microsoft also revealed its interest in following the same path with Xcloud, but this will only happen in 2021.
400 games are in development for Google Stadia, says directorStadia games
Stadia comes to iOS offering several games, including Cyberpunk 2077 that apparently doesn't have the same problems as last generation consoles on the streaming service. A bundle of controllers and a Chromecast Ultra was being offered to anyone who pre-purchased the futuristic title on the cloud gaming platform, but the promotion was canceled due to high demand.
Stadia has a wide range of titles, offering games from different publishers. The Division, Ghost Recon and Assassin's Creed are Ubisoft franchises that are present on the service, as well as the Tomb Raider trilogy, offered by Square Enix, is also available. Doom Eternal, Metro Exodus and Destiny 2 are just some of the other games that can be enjoyed by players as well. In 2019, more than 100 games were added to the catalog.
Recently, Jack Buser, Game Director at Google Stadia, claimed that 200 studios are working on developing 400 games for the streaming service.
