Last year Apple hit the headlines after it banned cloud-based gaming services. The App Store guidelines leave little scope for cloud-based gaming services. That said, Microsoft Xbox Cloud gaming, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna are now available on iOS. The cloud-based gaming services allow users to access games via Safari browser instead of App Store as a workaround. Internal documents have now revealed that Apple was planning a cloud-based gaming service of its own.

Previously Apple asked companies to list all of their games separately on App Store. Due to the App Store restrictions, cloud gaming services decided it was best to take the browser route. The quality of games on the browser does not match the app.

According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple considered launching a cloud game streaming service similar to their competitors. The company’s internal discussion regarding streaming services is as follows,

Apple’s gaming service is somewhat unique, relying on games that run on its devices natively rather than from the cloud. Microsoft Corp., Nvidia Corp., Google, and others have launched gaming services that run from the cloud. That allows support for a wider range of games and creates a “Netflix for games”-like experience. Oddly, Apple doesn’t allow those rivals to join Apple Arcade on the App Store. The company says that’s not because they’re competitors but simply because it doesn’t allow all-you-can-eat cloud gaming services on its devices. Despite that, the company in the past has internally discussed the prospects of launching such a service, I’m told. I just hope that if Apple does, it then greenlights its rivals’ participation too.

Is Apple Still Working on a Cloud-Based Gaming Service?

Apple is staring at the prospects of eating its words. They will have to allow other cloud game streaming services on the App Store if they introduce their own. This could be the very reason stopping Apple from launching its game streaming service.

Apple’s game subscription service, Apple Arcade, is not based on the cloud. In other words, the games are installed directly on the devices. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Nvidia, and others let you access the game from any device, provided internet connectivity is not an issue. Lastly, the report hints that this conversation took place in the past, and it looks like the plan now stands canceled.