Facebook Gaming has launched a stand-alone app on iOS, the company announced today.
The app basically takes all of the normal Facebook functionality out of the equation and focuses all of its content on those who are livestreaming games. It’s available for download now.
When downloading the app, users are asked to log in with their Facebook account. Then, they’re taken to a screen like the one above, which shows suggested games, followed games, and followed streamers.
If you’ve used Twitch or Mixer on iOS, you know what to expect—it’s a game streaming service, just through the lens of Facebook.
This is obviously a huge development and addition for Facebook Gaming creators. Many, many viewers watch gaming content on their phones, so this will undoubtedly be a boon for those creators.
Facebook’s original plan to include actual games on the app, however, was rejected by Apple, so that functionality was removed.
“Citing App Store guideline 4.7, Apple rejected the app claiming the primary purpose of the Facebook Gaming app is to play games,” Facebook said. “It’s not. ~95% of app activity on Android is from watching livestreams. We shared this stat with Apple, but no luck.”
