Apple moves to block PC game streaming app Steam Link
Image: Valve Corporation via AFP Relaxnews
Using the Steam Link, a smartphone app from PC gaming giant Valve Corp., players would be able to stream games from their home computers to a nearby mobile device. But, per Valve, Apple has rejected Steam Link for breaking App Store guidelines.
Valve Corporation, owner and operator of PC gaming store and network Steam, will not be releasing its Steam Link app on iOS for the time being.
The smartphone software package was developed as a logical extension of an existing set-top box, also called Steam Link, that allowed users to stream video from their computers to a television or display in another room.
As for the app, it would perform the same function for computers and mobile devices and, having developed it and received approval from Apple on May 7, Valve Corp announced plans to release Android and iOS versions during the week of May 21.
While a Steam Link beta for Android went live through Google Play on May 17, the iOS version has been subject to an indefinite delay.
Following Valve’s May 9 product reveal, Apple “revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team,” Valve said in a statement provided to CNET.
“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.”
Among other remote desktop apps, Valve may have in mind Moonlight, first developed as part of a Case Western Reserve University student project in 2014, and now available for not only iOS and Android but also in experimental forms for Samsung Gear VR, the Google Chrome browser, Raspberry Pi and other embedded devices, and homebrew-enabled PlayStation Vitas.
“Ultimately, that appeal was denied leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked from release,” Valve continued.
“The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we’re clearly disappointed. But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future.”
Valve made the announcement on the same day that it launched a special event for its Mac, PC and Linux gaming community.
Running May 24 to 28, the Spring Cleaning Event encourages visitors to play some of the nine full-price titles available on a weekend free trial, as well as games from their own libraries either selected at random or according to a number of pre-defined criteria such as length of ownership, playtime, or community recommendation.
The event is being received not only as a Memorial Day Weekend activity but also a precursor to Steam’s annual Summer Sale, which in 2018 is anticipated to begin on June 21. JB
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