Google has officially launched its game streaming service Google Stadia on iOS devices but, like many of its competitors, had to bypass the App Store to do so.
Players hoping to use an iOS device to play data center-hosted games through Stadia can do so using an iPhone or iPad’s Safari browser, so long as the device is updated to version 14.3 or higher. From there, loading up Stadia’s website will direct them to a web app that’ll then stream games directly to their phones.
Many game streaming services have had to look to web apps in order to launch on iOS like this. Apple itself doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of cloud-based game services setting up shop on its tightly controlled App Store, at least judging by the complicated set of rules it rolled out for streaming apps earlier in the year.
Despite this, Apple has yet to crack down on or really weigh in on the subject of apps launching on iOS through alternative means like this, making it a valuable gateway for services like Stadia, Microsoft’s Project xCloud, or Amazon Luna that want to tap into iOS’s massive user base.