Netflix Inc. has reportedly planned to make its games available for iOS users via the App Store. This move comes following the streaming giant’s announcement of releasing its mobile game platform for Android users. While Netflix is working on the iOS version, the strict App Store policies will prevent the streaming platform from introducing games through its app.
Apple disallows third-party applications from acting as game hubs. This has become a point of conflict with cloud gaming services like Nvidia GeForce Now, Google Stadia, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The only viable solution for these services is to offer games via a web app similar to Facebook.
As per credible reports, Netflix will get around Apple’s regulations by introducing its games through the App Store. This means that these games will not be playable from its stock app and users will only be able to launch the games from there.
Currently, the Android version serves in this manner, where the games are packaged in a separate tab on the app but are individually downloadable from the Google Play Store.
This setup, while viable on the surface, is not ideal for an all-in-one gaming platform. Users should have the ability to download and play games from the service itself, which is why reports suggest that the streaming platform will migrate its games to the cloud.
This would work well for Android, but Apple’s policies make it difficult for cloud games to flourish and force services to settle on paltry web apps. There is still some uncertainty regarding the situation of the iOS service, if and when the streaming platform decides to adopt cloud gaming.
According to experts, Apple will need to modify its regulations or grant an exemption to Netflix, which leaves the success of the platform’s gaming service in Apple’s hands.
Source credits:
https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/7/22768521/netflix-reportedly-make-games-available-app-store