- Despite being very popular, there is no way to download and play “Fortnite” on Apple iPhone and iPad.
- That’s due to a long-running dispute between “Fortnite” maker Epic Games and Apple.
- This week, Microsoft revealed a workaround that puts “Fortnite” back on the iPhone.
In August 2020, the relationship between the creator of “Fortnite”
epic games
and Apple collapsed very publicly.
After an update allowed “Fortnite” players to bypass Apple’s payment systems and pay Epic directly, Apple has pulled one of the world’s most popular games from the App Store. Epic responded by filing a lawsuit, which turned into a protracted legal battle.
Nearly two years later, “Fortnite” still isn’t available on the App Store, but Microsoft just introduced a new way for gamers to get the game back on their iPhones and iPads.
Is that how it works:
Open the web browser app of your choice on your iPhone or iPad.
Go to Xbox.com/play and sign in to your Xbox account. If you don’t have one yet, you can sign up for free.
After signing in, you will be redirected to a page full of games on the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. One of the options is “Fortnite”, which can be played for free.
The Xbox Cloud Gaming service, as seen in a web browser on a desktop computer.
Microsoft
When you load the game, you can use your existing login information to recover your account. And that is!
Instead of downloading the game, “Fortnite” runs through Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure: it runs on a remotely located computer and streams the game to your device, fast enough that the potential latency introduced in the process is, ideally, imperceptible.
By adding “Fortnite” to its cloud gaming service for free, allowing it to run on iPhones and iPads once again, Microsoft is giving Apple its own shot.
In addition to the argument between Epic Games and Apple over App Store policies, Microsoft and Apple had a public dispute over Xbox Game Pass on iPhone in 2020. That dispute resulted in Apple implementing a new policy for video game streaming services. which would require each game on a service to be individually approved before being allowed on the App Store.
“The App Store was created to be a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps, and a great business opportunity for all developers,” an Apple spokesperson told Insider at the time. “Before they enter our store, all apps are reviewed against the same set of guidelines that aim to protect customers and provide a fair and level playing field for developers.”
Announcing the addition of “Fortnite” to your Xbox Cloud
Transmission
service, Microsoft released an ad specifically highlighting the game’s return to the iPhone, a not-so-subtle jab at Apple from a major competitor.
Apple representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
You can see the ad right here:
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