Since the beginning of the Magic: The Gathering Arena open beta, many payers have been asking about a mobile version of the digital TCG. While Wizards of the Coast has not been forthcoming about an MTG Arena mobile app, it seems extremely likely that one is planned for the future, and the question is really when it might come. However, for those that want to start playing Standard Magic: The Gathering on iOS devices now, there is a way to do so.
To note, the process for playing MTG Arena on iOS is very similar to the process that is used to play Magic: The Gathering Arena on Android, and players will need two things to make it happen: a PC that has Magic Arena and Steam installed on it and an iOS mobile device that has the Steam Link Beta App installed on it. With these two things in hand, fans are well on their way to playing Magic: The Gathering Arena on mobile.
The first step in this process is to add Magic: The Gathering Arena to a player's Steam library. Players should open Steam on their PC, click "Games" at the top, and then click "Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library." From there it is as simple as selecting MTG Arena from the popup and clicking "Add Selected Program."
With this done, players should move on to their iOS mobile device, from which they will open the Steam Link Beta App. This app can be downloaded from the App Store, and when opened it will prompt players to select a controller. Touch control is a suitable selection for playing MTGA.
From there, a player will select the PC running Steam from their iOS device. The mobile will then display a PIN that must be entered in a popup that appears through Steam. Once entered, a network test will occur, and the PC and iOS device will be paired after that test completes successfully.
Before clicking "Start Playing" and getting into redeeming MTGA wildcards on mobile, it is advisable to adjust a few settings. From the iOS device it is recommended to enable "Start Streaming Desktop," which can be accessed through Settings, Streaming, Advanced. From the MTG Arena app on the PC, it is recommended that Full Screen be ticked from within Graphics settings and that Quality Level be set to Medium.
Now players can simply press "Start Playing" on their iOS device, open MTGA, and get right to playing the best Magic: The Gathering Arena decks straight from mobile. While this may not be as elegant as an official MTG Arena iOS app, it should get the job done until WotC releases something itself.
Magic: The Gathering Arena is available now in open beta on PC.