Fortnite is back on Apple devices, with a twist

It's been a long time since any Apple user has played Fortnite on their device. The game was last available on the App Store in August 2020.

Since then, there has been an intense and long, drawn-out legal battle over the game and Apple's in-game purchasing practices. Ultimately, Apple won the lawsuit on all but one count, but the struggle is far from over.

Fortnite remains off the App Store with no clear timetable for a return. However, iOS users can play the game on their devices with a little bit of a workaround now.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is in beta testing but will provide an option for mobile Fortnite players who don't have a currently supported device for the popular battle royale.

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Xbox Cloud Gaming provides iOS users with Fortnite on devices

Since the game was removed from the App Store, users have tried to find any way to get the game back on their devices. NVIDIA Geforce emerged as a possible option but wasn't very popular.

It's still not back in a legitimate sense, but this latest method does seem to be the best one yet. Xbox Cloud Gaming is Microsoft's attempt to get Xbox gaming on more than just the Xbox.

There are quite a few different games available through this service, including NBA 2K22, Sea of Thieves, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Minecraft Dungeons. However, Fortnite, which is free-to-play, will be the first free game on the service.

Every device can access this service since it essentially runs as a website. That means that all those games above can now be "mobile," even if they don't have a mobile app.

This includes Apple devices, despite their animosity towards Epic Games (which goes both ways). Even though it is accessible, it's still difficult to access, thanks to Apple's policies.

On iOS, the current store policy limits loopers to running Xbox Cloud Gaming through Safari and is not available through an app download. However, there is one way to make it a little bit easier.

On Safari, users can make home screen shortcuts to any website. They can find the Fortnite page on Xbox Cloud Gaming and create a shortcut to it that will appear just like an app.

Xbox Cloud Gaming (Image via Microsoft)

It's not a terrific or even easy-to-use option. Older, slower devices will likely have trouble running the game. Still, it's currently the best option for a gaming demographic that has been without the game for a long time.