How Fortnite could return to iPhones via NVIDIA cloud gaming service

Fortnite might have found an alternate path to make their return to handheld Apple devices.

According to the latest reports from BBC, Fortnite could be making a return to the iOS platform, with some help from Nvidia's cloud gaming service, Geforce Now.

Having been removed from the App Store after the rift between Apple and Epic Games over the 30% commission being charged by Apple on in-game purchases, Nvidia could finally pave the way for iOS players to return to Fortnite.

Geforce Now is currently available for Mac, Windows, Android, and Chromebooks, while the official announcement of the iOS format is expected to happen during the winter. With this being said, there is always a chance that Nvidia might elect to leave Fortnite out of the list of games available for Apple devices.

Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store and has informed Epic that on Friday, August 28 Apple will terminate all our developer accounts and cut Epic off from iOS and Mac development tools. We are asking the court to stop this retaliation. Details here: https://t.co/3br1EHmyd8

— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) August 17, 2020

With this in mind, let's take an in-depth look at Geforce Now and how it could help Fortnite players on the iOS platform.

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Fortnite's possible return to iOS

Not only does Nvidia's Geforce Now service provide players with a free access basic tier offer, but it also allows them to play games which they own on different platforms, like Steam, or the Epic Games Store. However, Nvidia does maintain that the basic tier free access will restrict players to one hour sessions at a time.

According to previous statistics, Fortnite had more than a 116 million users on the iOS platform, clocking in over 2.86 billions hours of game time.

Some quick stats from the Epic v Apple case- Fortnite had 116m users on iOS- iOS players spent over 2.86bn hours in game- Average DAU on iOS was 2.5m of 25m average DAU across all platforms- 73m users played Fortnite ONLY on iOS- More in app purchases on iOS than Android pic.twitter.com/TIOmEOw0xC

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 10, 2020

The addition of Fortnite to Geforce Now for the iOS platform would essentially mean that Apple would not get any cut from the virtual items which are bought by players in-game. The lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games was on the grounds of the latter wanting a "free ride", against Apple's policy of claiming 30% as commission from all in-app purchases.

The case is scheduled to go into trial in the month of May, with no certainty over how long it will take to get resolved. With this being said, it still remains to be seen if Fortnite does make it to the iOS platform via Geforce Now, as fans wait eagerly for Nvidia's official statement.