Apple seems to working on its own cloud gaming service, despite not allowing xCloud and Stadia

Cloud gaming is the centre of a massive controversy involving Apple with the iOS-gatekeeper refusing to let Microsoft’s xCloud and Google Stadia into the ecosystem. Primarily, Apple is not okay with cloud gaming services adding new games to Apple’s platform with the scrutiny and review of the company. Yet, at the same time, Apple is reportedly working on its own cloud gaming service.

A new patent published by Apple, as spotted by the folks at Patently Apple, reveals Apple is working on its own cloud gaming service. Titled “Enabled Interactive Service for Cloud Rendering Gaming in 5G Systems”, the patent outlines a blueprint about how 5G networks can be leveraged to provide on-demand gaming.

Apple already offers a subscription-based gaming service called Apple Arcade, and with all that is happening in the anti-competition front for Apple, now is surely not the best time to announce plans of a cloud gaming service, at the same time as Apple battles its key rivals from offering the same to its users.

At the same time, a patent filing isn’t a strong indicator that the service will indeed launch, as many patents are filed but never see a tangible outcome. The one in question simply shows how a service like that would work on 5G networks.