A new browser app which you can get directly from the App Store provides a relatively simple way to play Google Stadia on iPhones and iPads. Apple’s rules mean that game streaming services like Stadia are not officially available.

A completely unofficial method that streams via a browser
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
A new browser app which you can download directly from the App Store provides a relatively simple way to play Google Stadia on iPhones and iPads, Engadget reports. Apples rules currently mean that game streaming services like Stadia, xCloud, and GeForce Now are not yet officially available on iOS or iPadOS.
The app, Stadium, isnt the first workaround thats managed to get Stadia running on Apples mobile devices, but it makes the whole process a lot simpler. Its developer, u/zmknox, outlines how the process works in a Reddit post here. Its as easy as downloading the app, entering a few details, and logging into your Google account. Other Reddit users have previously reported being able to use existing browsers to achieve the same thing, but Stadium streamlines the whole process.
We were able to download Stadium and to play a couple of games, but our results were a little mixed. Stadias interface didnt scale properly to our iPhones display (perhaps understandable given its not officially supported), and the DualShock 4 controller we used disconnected in the middle of a game, with seemingly no way to reconnect. However, from the Reddit comments, it seems like the iPads screen aspect ratio offers a much better experience, with multiple users reporting that the workaround works perfectly for them.
The release of Stadium comes as Amazon has opted to use a very similar approach for its own Luna game streaming service on iOS and iPadOS. Rather than offering a traditional app for Apples devices, Amazon is instead using a progressive web app (PWA), essentially a website that can be launched in its own container that makes it feel like a regular app. Stadiums developer, u/zmknox, said that it was Lunas announcement which prompted them to look into the browser approach.
Red Dead Redemption 2 on an iPhone via Stadia.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
What remains to be seen is whether Apple allows Stadium to remain on the App Store once it realizes what the app is designed to do. However, Apples App Store policies specifically mention the open Internet and web browser apps as a means of reaching users outside of the App Store when it comes to streaming games, which suggests the approach should be allowed. Stadiums App Store listing makes no mention of its Stadia support.
Although Apple recently updated its App Store rules for game streaming services, it still doesnt allow services like Google Stadia and xCloud in their current form. Apples rules require that each streaming game be submitted to, and downloaded from, the App Store as individual apps. At the moment, game streaming services work by giving you a single app to download, within which you can play all the services games. This approach continues to not be allowed on Apples devices, and Microsoft isnt impressed.