| Cult of Mac

Apple can wait on major App Store change until Supreme Court ruling

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
The fate of the App Store anti-steering policy is up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

Apple is hoping to take its lawsuit with Epic Games all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and on Monday received permission to hold off on making a significant change to the App Store ordered by lower courts until there’s a final decision by the high court.

This means the Mac-maker won’t have to change its App Store policy that prevents developers from sending customers to their websites to pay for apps or services… yet.

Game on! Fortnite is apparently returning to iPhone.

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Epic Games v. Apple gets serious next spring.
Epic Games CEO is optimistic that Fortnite will once again be available for iPhone by the end of the year.
Graphic: Cult of Mac

The CEO of Epic Games teased Fortnite fans that the game will once again be playable on iPhone in 2023.

That would be quite a turnaround, as Apple blocked Epic from the App Store back in 2020 during a lengthy court battle. But new EU regulations likely will allow the game developer to do an end run around the block.

Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here’s how to play!

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Fortnite returns to iPhone with clever workaround – here's how to play!
If you've been missing Fortnite, you can play it now on iPhone or iPad.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Fortnite got kicked out of the App Store as part of a legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, but you can play it on your iPhone today for free. Microsoft added it to Xbox Cloud Gaming so the combat game is playable on iOS and iPadOS devices.

Setting up your iPhone or iPad to play Fortnite from the cloud rather than the App Store is different from what you’re used to. Not hard, just different. I’ll walk you through it.

Unreal Engine 5 launches to make games more awesome

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Unreal Engine 5 launches to make games more awesome
This is what games can look like with Unreal Engine 5.
Image: Epic Games

Epic Games gave developers access to Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its tool for creating 3D games. It offers “a collection of groundbreaking features for rendering real-time worlds in incredible high-fidelity detail.”

The new version of this software-development environment released Tuesday replaces Unreal Engine 4, which has been around since 2014. It’s used in many Mac, iPhone and/or iPad games, including Injustice 2 and Darkness Rises.

Roblox sides with Apple in App Store battle against Epic Games

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Roblox
Roblox has a good relationship with Apple it wouldn't want to ruin.
Image: Roblox

It would appear that large sections of the developer community are firmly behind Epic Games in its battle for a fairer, more open App Store. But not Roblox, which believes Apple’s strict controls enhance safety and security.

The online game platform, which calls itself a metaverse company and boasts almost 55 million daily active users, said in a legal filing this week that the App Store review process adds “greater legitimacy in the eyes of users.”

US states and Microsoft back Epic Games in fight against the App Store

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Epic Games vs. the App Store
It's getting harder for Apple to defend its rules.
Image: Epic Games

The Department of Justice, 35 U.S. states, and Microsoft have all backed Fortnite developer Epic Games in its fight against the App Store.

Briefs filed by Epic’s supporters with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit say last year’s ruling — which said the App Store was not a monopoly — is wrong. They also claim Apple is stifling competition.

Fortnite returns to iPhone and iPad, thanks to Nvidia

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Fortnite iOS 14
Who needs the App Store?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Fortnite is returning to iPhone and iPad — but you won’t find it in the App Store. Starting next week, the hit battle royale game will be available to stream through Nvidia’s GeForce now, complete with brand-new touch controls.

Players will initially have to sign up to join the closed beta, which requires an active GeForce Now membership, designed to help Nvidia test server capacity and performance. But Fortnite eventually will roll out to all GeForce Now subscribers.

The move is somewhat of a kick in the teeth for Apple, which has been determined to block Fortnite on its own platforms since it booted Epic Games, the game’s creator, from the App Store for breaking the rules.

PlayStation Now was on its way to iPhone before Sony changed its mind

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PlayStation Now
Sony changed its mind.
Photo: Sony

PlayStation Now, the streaming service that gives players access to more than 500 PlayStation 3 and 4 games, was on its way to iPhone and iPad back in 2017, according to documents that have surfaced as part of the Epic vs. Apple trial.

Apple had inside knowledge of Sony’s plans back in 2017, before PlayStation Now made its official debut. But for reasons currently unknown, the Japanese company never followed through on support for mobile devices.

Court delays App Store changes as Apple appeals contentious ruling

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Read Epic Games' reasonable idea for opening up the App Store
The App Store won‘t see any changes to payment methods. For now.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Developers will have to put plans to steer App Store users to their own direct payments systems on the back burner. A court on Wednesday granted Apple’s request to put the change on hold while the iPhone-maker appeals the Epic Games v. Apple court ruling.

Any modifications to the App Store resulting from the lawsuit are now in limbo… quite possibly for years.

Rocket League blasts onto iPhone and iPad, but not as you know it

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Rocket League Sideswipe for iPhone and iPad
The free-to-play game is available to download now.
Photo: Psyonix

Rocket League has finally made its way to iPhone and iPad — but it’s not quite the same game that has proven popular on consoles and PC. Sideswipe is a brand-new take on the formula that’s built specifically for mobile play.

The free-to-play game features 1v1 or 2v2 matches in which players battle it out to get the ball into the opponent’s net. Both “soccar” and “Hoops” game modes are available, and the Rocket Pass and Seasons are coming soon.