Phil Schiller (Apple) explains why xCloud is not on the App Store
Phil Schiller participates in the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games. The manager of the App Store replied to questions, in particular about Apple’s refusal to put xCloud, Microsoft’s cloud gaming service.
No xCloud on the App Store
During his intervention, Phil Schiller explained that Apple wants each xCloud game to be submitted individually so that each title has its listing on the App Store. So Apple will be able to approve it and display information like age requirements, parental controls, and privacy information. This is already the case with any other application. “As a store, we want to provide this information to our users”said Phil Schiller.
The “problem” here is that xCloud streams games directly from Microsoft’s servers. It’s similar to Netflix in idea: movies, series and documents are stored on Netflix’s servers and streamed through a single application.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers asked Phil Schiller why Apple treated xCloud differently than Netflix on the App Store, knowing that the operation is similar. The Apple executive explained that movies and series are not interactive content, whereas games are. Netflix is the only distributor here. In the case of xCloud, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and other studios could technically obtain user data. At least that’s what Phil Schiller argues.
It is certain that players on iOS are disappointed. But Microsoft will bypass the App Store by offering xCloud on Safari via a web app. A beta version is already available. The testers report that the performance is more than adequate. But they note that the experience is not as good as what a native app straight out of the App Store might offer. This is due to limitations in Safari.
