Siri Remote support no longer mandatory as Apple changes tvOS dev rules

Siri Remote support is no longer mandatory for Apple TV games, after Apple quietly reversed its stance.

The Cupertino giant laid out its tvOS development rules late last year, forbidding creators from making third-party controller support a requirement.

The company then told developers that Siri Remote (Apple TV remote) support was an absolute necessity. 

"Your game must support the Apple TV remote. Your game may not require the use of a controller," read the tvOS App Programming Guide.

However, updated documents now show Apple has given tvOS devs the freedom to implement the best possible control scheme.

"When designing a tvOS game, you may require the use of an MFi game controller, but where possible you should also support the Siri Remote," Apple wrote in an updated controller guide. 

The change in tack means developers can now make controller support mandatory and do away with Siri Remote support altogether if they wish. 

Of course, it also means that some games could become unplayable without a third-party controller, forcing keen players to drop cash on a compatible device. 

You can check out the revised rules in the complete Game Controller Programming Guide.