Google has commemorated a year of the Google Stadia cloud gaming service by announcing the platform will be coming to iPhone and iPad as a web app.
The company says public testing will begin “several weeks from now” with support coming to Apple’s Safari mobile web browser, meaning a full version is likely to arrive in early 2021.
Google hasn’t said how the roll out will be handled and who will have access to it first, but it’s likely those existing subscribers will be first to sample it on iOS too.
“This will be the first phase of our iOS progressive Web application,” Google writes. “As we test performance and add more features, your feedback will help us improve the Stadia experience for everyone. You can expect this feature to begin rolling out several weeks from now.”
Related: Amazon Luna vs Google Stadia
The launch on the web, instead of the App Store, is designed to get around Apple’s restrictions on cloud gaming services. As with Microsoft’s xCloud, if Google wished to launch a dedicated Stadia app for the App Store, it would also need to submit each game for review and offer it for individual download.
Microsoft has already confirmed it will go down this route too, while Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service is already running on a progressive web app. In more good news for iOS gamers, Nvidia has also confirmed that its GeForce Now streaming service is coming to the Safari browser in beta.
As for Stadia, Google is looking to give the service another push by giving away a Stadia Premier Edition kit with the purchase of the forthcoming Cyberpunk 2077 game. The bundle includes a Stadia controller, Chromecast Ultra dongle for casting to the TV, and a one month Stadia Pro subscription. Stadia Pro opens up access to 4K games and a selection of free titles.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
