Apple rejects Steam Link app from App Store, cites breach of guidelines

Gamers looking forward to playing their library of Steam games on an iPhone or iPad via the hotly anticipated Steam Link app will have to wait a bit longer, as Apple rejected the title from distribution through the App Store earlier in May.

According to a statement Steam developer Valve provided to AppleInsider, Apple approved Steam Link on May 7, but revoked that approval three days later citing "business conflicts with app guidelines" that went unrecognized by its original review team.

While details of the rejection have yet to be made public, Apple apparently takes issue with the app's core functionality. Valve in an appeal explained Steam Link operates as a LAN-based remote desktop, noting there are many titles currently on the App Store that boast similar functionality.

Apple denied the appeal, leaving Valve's app blocked from wide availability.

"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 said.

Announced earlier this month, Steam Link allows users to stream Steam games from a PC or Mac to iOS-based devices, including iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, over a wired or wireless internet connection.

To accomplish the task, the app ferries video from a computer to an iOS client device via a wired ethernet connection or 5GHz Wi-Fi network, while commands from the Steam Controller, MFI controllers and other hardware are relayed back to the host PC or Mac.

AppleInsider was able to take a closer look at a beta version of the app last week and discovered the system works largely as advertised. We ran into a few hiccups, mostly related to controller issues, but found the app ran smoothly, delivering an acceptable PC-to-mobile experience for a variety of games including "Rocket League," "Portal 2" and "Team Fortress 2."

55 Comments

calisurfboy 51 comments · 12 Years

About 6 years ago

Apple hates gamers. They have for decades. You should be use to disappointment by now.

emoeller 588 comments · 17 Years

I suspect that Apple rejected this because games could/would bypass the Apple App store. I hope I am incorrect on this assumption as Apple IMHO would be treading on thin ice legally with such a restriction.

elijahg 2823 comments · 18 Years

emoeller said:

I suspect that Apple rejected this because games could/would bypass the Apple App store. I hope I am incorrect on this assumption as Apple IMHO would be treading on thin ice legally with such a restriction.

I think this is pretty much it. Technically this is just fast VNC, but it's quite obvious Apple's worried the "real" Steam games will outcompete the mobile ones, especially on AppleTV. This is most definitely anticompetitive practise though, and at some point someone's going to sue Apple over it. Especially when developers spend thousands on an app or game, only for it to get rejected. It'd be like cars only accepting Ford brand fuel or a Panasonic TV only displaying Panasonic-approved TV shows. It's not fair, and does not reflect well on Apple at all.

Since this was approved at first and then rejected, someone higher up at Apple must have got involved. Presumably Cook's beancounting decided that since this didn't add up directly to increased profit, it was axed. Unfortunately this kind of thing reduces the enjoyment of using Apple's platforms, and makes me reconsider a new AppleTV vs something more open.

rogifan_new 4297 comments · 9 Years

I think this one will cause a shitstorm. I wonder how high up it was rejected? Schiller? Cue? Cook?

EsquireCats 1268 comments · 8 Years

emoeller said:

I suspect that Apple rejected this because games could/would bypass the Apple App store. I hope I am incorrect on this assumption as Apple IMHO would be treading on thin ice legally with such a restriction.

Apple specifically allows this practice, but there are conditions for how it is implemented. (Which are pretty well established by now.)

It's likely more to do with ferrying your data around in an inappropriate way.