– Facebook Inc <FB.O> on Monday launched a free-to-play cloud gaming feature on its social media platform, allowing users to stream and play games like “Asphalt 9: Legends” and “WWE SuperCard” without downloading them.
“We’re not spinning off a separate cloud gaming service,” the company said in a blog https://about.fb.com/news/2020/10/cloud-gaming-meet-facebook-gaming post, adding that all cloud-streamed games can be played on the platform’s gaming tab or News Feed.
Facebook’s gaming feature is smaller in scale than premium cloud-based game streaming services like Google’s <GOOGL.O> Stadia, Nvidia’s <NVDA.O> GeForce NOW or Amazon.com’s <AMZN.O> Luna, which are competing for users in a high-growth market.
The feature will be available to Android and web users for now, Facebook said, while it was working on alternative options to launch the feature on Apple’s <AAPL.O> iOS.
“Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource,” the company said, adding it is unsure if launching on Apple’s app store is a “viable” path.