The Apple TV hasn’t quite become the living room gaming hub Apple pitched when it launched the App Store on tvOS a few years back.
While a number of the best iPhone and iPad games have successfully migrated to the Apple TV set-top box, there’s not much in the way of momentum and excitement surrounding the platform.
That’s why Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on the Apple TV version of Minecraft. The app was been removed from the tvOS App Store back on September 24 and apparently people are only just noticing.
Microsoft says it is “reallocating resources to the platforms that platers use the most,” which in itself is an indictment of the state of Apple TV gaming. An in-game message from Microsoft says the game remains playable to existing owners, but there’ll be no new updates to the retro-styled block building phenomenon.
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The 10 year old mentioned it on Sunday. Didn’t see the splash screen then but here it is… pic.twitter.com/XYQ2TirzM7
— mac-interactive ?????? (@macinteractive) October 9, 2018
Microsoft freely admits this “isn’t in line with the experience on other platforms” and it is issuing full refunds for all purchases (including in-game) made within the last 90 days.
Of course, the game will still be available on iPhone and iPad, meaning users will still be able to use AirPlay Mirroring to enjoy the latest updates on Apple TV.
Whether Apple TV will ever reach its potential as a gaming platform remains to be seen. The company initially forced developers to support the Siri Remote, which led to limited adoption, but the firm has since relented.
Will you miss Minecraft on the Apple TV? Where does tvOS gaming go from here? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
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.
