Following App Store rejection, Valve cuts game purchasing from iOS Steam Link app

Valve looks to have slightly altered the testing build of its Steam Link iOS app, removing the option to purchase games remotely from the app entirely. 

TouchArcade noticed the change in the TestFlight build of the Steam Link iOS app, pointing out that game store pages now display the text “available for purchase from your PC” instead of a buy now option.

This is likely a move to bring the Steam Link iOS app in line with Apple’s recently updated App Store policies. Those rules were responsible for the Steam Link app’s rejection from the App Store last month, despite it being approved for a short period of time. 

Those updated guidelines outlaw apps that “provide a store-like interface, or include the ability to browse, select, or purchase software not already owned or licensed by the users.” And, since the Steam Link app essentially lets users mirror a window of Steam running on a remote PC, the app was indeed in violation of this rule.

The new version of the app discovered by TouchArcade would seemingly solve this specific issue by removing remote purchasing, allowing Valve to then resubmit the app for approval and paving the way for Steam Link’s arrival on iOS.