CMA probe into cloud gaming marks the start of increased antitrust scrutiny in gaming | Opinion
Stijn Huijts & Tom Smith
Monday 20th June 2022
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on June 10 that it is planning to carry out a market investigation into mobile browsers and cloud gaming.
This is big news because CMA market investigations can reshape whole industries. CMA interventions have for example led to London's three main airports, which were all owned by the same company, being split up so that the different London airports now compete with each other.
With respect to cloud gaming, the CMA found that Apple does not allow cloud gaming services like Nvidia's GeForce Now or Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to develop apps through which users can access each service's cloud gaming catalogue. Instead, Apple requires that each game is individually submitted to the App Store for Apple's approval. It also means each game has to be individually downloaded to the user's device, and users can't stream multiple games from one single app.
This is big news because CMA market investigations can reshape whole industries
Cloud gaming has lots of advantages. For game developers, it removes the need to develop different versions of their games across operating systems. Developers only need to code a game once and have it available on all platforms. It also allows them to design a seamless experience of their games across operating systems and to reach a larger base of users without porting to multiple operating systems.
For gamers, cloud gaming makes it possible to use a cloud gaming service at home, seamlessly keep playing on their mobile device on the move, and continue when returning home again.
Apple's restrictions make this impossible for iPhone users, unless they use a web-based app. Those apps however
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