Nvidia plans to bring its cloud gaming service GeForce Now to Apple's mobile web browser Safari. This would enable Epic Games to bring Fortnite back to the iPhone. Could this really become a reality?
As a Fortnite fan, you might have noticed what happened between Apple and Epic Games a few months ago...
Apple had removed the game in August after Epic released a software update for the app that allowed players to bypass Apple's in-app payment system - a move that was contractually prohibited. Apple then removed Fortnite from its App Store, but Epic was already prepared with a lawsuit and a full advertising campaign. In probably one of the biggest dramas of the gaming industry in 2020. Curious then read more about it here:
- Apple vs Epic Games: Legal Battle Explained
- Apple Calls Epic Games’ Fortnite Lawsuit an "Advertising Campaign"
- Apple and Epic Games: Fortnite – The Battle Continues!
The court case between the tech giants will not be resolved any time soon - it is not even expected to start before May 2021 - but that may not be so important. According to the BBC, the streaming service GeForce Now comes from Nvidia to iOS. And this could mean that Fortnite will soon be playable on the iPhone again.
How Will it Work With GeForce Now?
Anyone who follows Apple's difficult relationship with game streaming services will know that this will not be as easy as tapping the Fortnite icon on the iPhone's home screen. Apple has updated its terms and conditions and insisted that each streaming platform requires a shell app for each installed game, which makes the whole system a bit more complex.
For Nivida's GeForce Now, the solution seems to be to run the game through the Safari browser. This sounds like a mischievous way out, but it is tolerated by Apple. The company already informed The Verge in August that "the developers have the choice that all iPhone and iPad users can access the App Store via Safari and other browsers".
But will this provide a good in-game experience? This question is more difficult to answer: On the one hand, GeForce Now's servers are much more powerful than even the powerful iPhone 12, and on the other hand, the type of streaming means additional latency, which is even worse if you get stuck in Safari instead of a native, optimized app.
But there is one piece of good news!
The good news is that it won't cost players anything to find out how it works. Fortnite can be played for free on the PC, just like on other platforms. This means that it will also appear in the GeForce Now library at no additional cost. And although GeForce Now has a paid subscription of $5 per month with optional raytracing and faster access, anyone can play for a limited time without paying a cent. The free version of the service lasts a maximum of one hour. After that, you have to queue up again and wait until you get a seat on the streaming servers again, but that's enough to try it out for now.
Of course, we are still in a ridiculous situation, especially considering the proven popularity of Fortnite on iOS. Court records show that before the ban, the game had 116 million users on iOS - 73 million of whom played only on cell phones. This is a huge revenue stream for both Epic Games and Apple. We'll see if the two technology giants will come to an agreement in the future.
We at EarlyGame will definitely keep you up to date on all gaming news and esports and check out our Fortnite Section for more great articles.
Orignal article by EarlyGame's Alisa Eiber.
