Request: Allow Game Mode to be enabled locally for non-game App Store categories

Question

Created 4w

Replies 3

Boosts 1

Participants 3

Hi Apple team,

Game Mode was introduced in iOS 18. To activate Game Mode, an app must include specific key-value pairs in its *.plist and be categorized as a "Game" on the App Store.

My app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voidlink/id6747717070) works primarily as a self-hosted game streaming (PC->iPhone/iPad) client. Game Mode provides clear benefits in terms of latency and frame rate stability, but it can currently only be activated when running via Xcode or TestFlight.

I am an individual iOS developer based in China, where an additional government license is required for apps to be listed under the "Game" category on the App Store. Obtaining such a license is very difficult for independent developers, so my app has been categorized under "Utilities" instead.(If move the app to game category, it will disappear from Chinese App Store immediately)

Expectation / Suggestion: Please consider making Game Mode available as a local, user-controllable option on iOS18/26+, such as through a system “App Pool” where users can choose which apps to enable Game Mode for, regardless of App Store category.

This would greatly benefit use cases like streaming clients, benchmarking tools, and remote play utilities, without requiring developers to reclassify their apps as “Games” on App Store.

Boost

Answer 1

mahalis OP

4w

This seems like a use case worth supporting; can you file a feedback request for it, or share the ID if you’ve already filed one?

0

Answer 2

trueZhuanjia OP

3w

@mahalis Hi here's my request ID FB20876704

1

Answer 3

grill2010 OP

1d

I’m facing the exact same issue. Even though I’m not located in China, the classification still matters because Apple requires a government license for anything categorized as a “game” in China, which is practically impossible for an independent developer to obtain.

Many users are asking for Game Mode support in my real-time streaming app, but enabling it would force me to change the category to “Games” on the App Store and that would immediately lock out thousands of users in China. So I’m stuck having to choose between delivering better performance for one group of users and keeping the app available for another, and that’s not a great position to be in as a developer.

0