Apple has removed Stadium browser applications that let users run Google Stadia on apple devices. Apple has also shared some background on what was the reason behind this. The company is citing a section in the Guidelines available in the app store of apple, which states that the Stadium app is using public APIs in a way that the company does not intend to. While big tech firms such as Apple and Google are still trying to differentiate game streaming problems on iOS devices.
The firm is going back and forth with Google and Microsoft to find out the solution to bring game streaming to iPhones and iPads. Google’s game streaming service which is Stadia, works on Android devices in some specific regions but does not carry iOS support, which is in development. A browser by the name Stadium was downloadable from App Store and it permitted users to run the application by setting a custom user agent that can trick the application.
Image from Stadia
Apple was quick to spot this and it sent a notice to its developer to remove Stadium from the App Store as it extended WebKit in a way that the company does not permit. Now, the company has been sharing more details on the same with apple’s news and product reviewing website, 9to5Mac. There is also some news regarding the reason why it was removed. It said that the app is using public APIs in a way that the company has not intended. The application is extending WebKit to give websites access to Bluetooth which goes against the review guidelines from App Store as per section 2.5.1.
The guidelines also state that the Applications should use APIs and frameworks for its envisioned purposes and specify that integration in its application description. Furthermore, the developer of Stadium also tweeted that the application was extending WebKit by using the local Game Controller framework and therefore Bluetooth controllers which Apple did not approve it.
