And just like that, Apple has killed the the Steam Link app. Earlier this month, Valve, the owner of the wildly popular gaming digital marketplace Steam, announced that it would soon release a Steam Link app that would allow players to stream games from gaming PCs directly to their iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs (as well as Android devices).
The Android app made it into the wild last week, but for the last few days gamers have been patiently waiting for the app to make it through Apple’s approval process. Yesterday, Valve sent an e-mail to Macworld confirming this wouild not be happening as Apple had rejected it.
Valve’s statement details the chain of events:
“On Monday, 7 May, Apple approved the Steam Link app for release. On Wednesday, 9 May, Valve released news of the app. The following morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realised by the original review team. Valve appealed, explaining the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store. Ultimately, that appeal was denied leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked from release.”
That’s a massive shame, as it would have allowed us as Apple users to play graphically intensive games such as The Witcher III on phones rather than on a console or desktop PC.
It’s one of the few real downsides of Apple’s rigorous approval process for the App Store, and the fact that Apple feels comfortable in shutting down a company as large as Valve – which amassed $4.3 billion in revenue last year – shows how seriously Apple takes its standards.
“The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we’re clearly disappointed,” Valve said in its statement. “But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future.”
IDG News Service
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