The fact of the matter is Apple's rules precluded any chance of a mainstream alternative marketplace people might care about, like Steam, from ever existing.
If iOS were as open as macOS to app stores like Steam, enabling things like cross-buy and save sync of all your favorite games between Windows, Mac, Steam Deck and iOS, you bet your ass millions of people would want to use it
@stroughtonsmith This may even generate revenue for Apple, as it makes their devices more compelling for gaming, driving more sales. iPads are actually more powerful than Steam Decks.
The App Store would still be there for most users, I presume.
It’s a win-win-win situation.
But we can’t have nice things because a select few prioritize services revenue over product excellence.
@stroughtonsmith @gruber ‘s take is the old “nobody swim that channel to go across, we don’t need a bridge” fallacy.
@stroughtonsmith I wonder if any region will push far enough to enable the Play Store with an automatic Android app emulator.
Jan 16, 2026, 10:50 PM@stroughtonsmith But then they might also want to use devices from other vendors. Can't let them do that.
@stroughtonsmith Apple is only behind Tencent in terms of gaming revenue, especially from in-app purchases. They are on a par with Microsoft and Sony, and far ahead of Steam. I'm not 100% sure that they want to voluntarily share their gaming revenue with Valve.