Fans of Valve’s Steam service got a nice surprise on Thursday when it was announced that the Steam Link app, which allows games bought on Steam to be streamed from your computer to other devices, arrived on mobile. However, this appears to be good news for only one faction of mobile users. While Android users were able to load up the app and get started, Apple users were left out of the party.
While Valve was waiting for approval on the iOS version of the Steam Link, they soon learned that Apple’s review team had rejected the application. In a press statement, Valve says the app was originally approved on May 7, but that a few days later, Apple revoked their approval, citing “business conflicts with app guidelines.” While Valve notes that other applications that already exist on iOS are similar to theirs, Apple stood by their rejection. For now, there seems to be nothing else that Valve can do about the situation but hope that Apple changes their minds.
Valve press statement on the Steam Link app for iOS being rejected by Apple. pic.twitter.com/dIAW22izfz
— Steam Database (@SteamDB) May 24, 2018
Those on Android who have access to the mobile version of the app can use Steam Link to play their collection of Steam games from their phones, tablets and TV. Players can also connect Bluetooth devices to the application, allowing them to play using various controllers, mice and keyboards. In an FAQ on the Steam Link page, Valve also assures those that are worried about performance that:
There is an advanced settings menu option that allows you to tune streaming resolution and bitrate for the best experience on your setup. Over a 5 GHz network, our target is 1080p at 60 FPS with good quality for most scenes. If you have a powerful gaming rig, wired network, and a very good client device, it’s possible to stream at 4K 60 FPS.