Steam Link for iOS ditches in-app game purchasing in bid for Apple approval

What just happened? Valve has removed the ability to purchase games through its Steam Link app for iOS to comply with Apple's App Store approval guidelines. The app is currently in beta, and the company has not said when it will re-submit it after being rejected the first time for "business conflicts."

Valve has made some changes to its iOS version of the Steam Link app in the hope that Cupertino will approve it. Steam Link is an app that allows users to stream any game in their library to their mobile devices or smart TV.

When Valve initially submitted it to Apple, it was approved, but the next day the company rejected it due to "business conflicts" with App Store guidelines that the original review team had missed. Back in May, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller claimed that the app violated several rules, but reassured customers that it was working with Valve to correct the problems.

MacRumors now reports that the Steam Link iOS beta that just went up on TestFlight is missing the option to purchase games. "Instead, the app now informs users that games are available to purchase on a PC, or Mac."

So it would appear that the business conflicts were related to Apple's policies regarding in-app purchasing. Usually, the App Store takes a 30-percent cut of anything sold within an app except those that require subscriptions. Valve has now removed this feature and presumably will be resubmitting it for approval.

The original Steam Link was a hardware setup for your TV. The controller reportedly still works with the app.

The Android beta has been available on Google Play since the middle of May and reportedly works quite well.

If you are interested in running it, you need to have a 5Ghz router with your PC connected directly to it through an ethernet port. The app sets up an ad-hoc connection between your phone and PC, so both devices must be on the same network. Steam Link uses the power of your rig to stream games to your phone.

The removal of in-app purchasing is by no means a guarantee that Apple will approve Steam Link. As I see it, Valve's app still poses a threat to App Store sales. Why buy the iOS version of say, XCOM: Enemy Within when you can buy it from Steam and play it on both platforms?