Hi Apple team,
Game Mode was introduced in iOS 18. To activate Game Mode, an app must include specific key-value pairs in its *.plist and be categorized as a "Game" on the App Store.
My app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voidlink/id6747717070) works primarily as a self-hosted game streaming (PC->iPhone/iPad) client. Game Mode provides clear benefits in terms of latency and frame rate stability, but it can currently only be activated when running via Xcode or TestFlight.
I am an individual iOS developer based in China, where an additional government license is required for apps to be listed under the "Game" category on the App Store. Obtaining such a license is very difficult for independent developers, so my app has been categorized under "Utilities" instead.(If move the app to game category, it will disappear from Chinese App Store immediately)
Expectation / Suggestion:
Please consider making Game Mode available as a local, user-controllable option on iOS18/26+, such as through a system “App Pool” where users can choose which apps to enable Game Mode for, regardless of App Store category.
This would greatly benefit use cases like streaming clients, benchmarking tools, and remote play utilities, without requiring developers to reclassify their apps as “Games” on App Store.
