Fortnite returns to iPhone and iPad next week via Nvidia Geforce Now

Almost a year and a half since its removal from the App Store, Fortnite is returning to iOS, albeit not in the same form.

Nvidia has announced that from next week, Fortnite will be available in a closed beta on its Geforce Now service, from which it will be streamed through the Safari web browser.

The beta will also be available to Android users through the Geforce Now app which is available on the Play Store.

The real star of the show, however, is the iOS version. While Fortnite was also removed from the Play Store, Android users could still download and install the game directly from Epic. The "walled-garden" nature of iOS means iPhone and iPad users don't have the same freedom.

Apple's defence for its deep control of iOS has always been in the name of security and privacy. While there may be merit to that argument, it is also the case a significant proportion of Apple's revenue comes from taking a cut of in-app purchases.

It was this cut and the inability to provide users with an alternative payment method that led to Epic circumventing Apple's payments platform and subsequently being kicked out.

Apple has also maintained that developers always had the choice to create web platforms that can be loaded through Safari without any restrictions. This led both Microsoft and Nvidia to launch their respective cloud game streaming services on the web for iOS users.

But until now, Epic had yet to officially launch a cloud version of Fortnite to get past Apple's restrictions.

Nvidia also announced it is planning to add more "cloud-to-mobile" in the future and is actively working with publishers to add touch support to more games.

For those of you who want to give the Fortnite cloud beta a spin, you can join the waitlist here.

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