Apple Blocks Valve App That Lets You Play Steam Games On Your Phone

Earlier this month, Valve announced an official Steam Link app that lets users play Steam games on their phones. Last week, the app came out on Android, with an iOS version nowhere to be found. Now Valve has explained why.

According to a release from Valve sent to Kotaku, Apple had approved the Steam Link app earlier this month. Then the tech colossus and avowed headphone jack hater un-approved it.

“On Weds, May 9th, Valve released news of the app. The following morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team,” said Valve.

Valve appealed the decision, claiming that Steam Link is a LAN-based remote desktop app—something you can find plenty of on the App Store. However, that wasn’t enough for Apple, who turned down the appeal. Now it’s stuck in limbo. Valve added, however, that “we hope Apple will reconsider in the future.”

For now, Valve has had its creation rejected by a major platform and isn’t entirely sure why. Come to think of it, the situation seems kinda familiar, but I can’t recall why.

You’re reading Steamed, Kotaku’s page dedicated to all things in and around Valve’s wildly popular PC gaming service.