Update 12/09/20: Microsoft has officially announced that its Xbox cloud gaming service will come to iOS and PC in spring 2021. This story has been updated to reflect the official announcement.
Microsoft has been stymied by Apple’s rules for the App Store, which all but prohibit the company from bringing its Xbox game streaming service to iOS devices. The company has updated the Xbox app to let you stream games from your own Xbox on the same local network, but you won’t be able to stream games from Microsoft’s cloud servers.
Ios Xcloud
- Project Xcloud, headed by Microsoft, is geared up to become the next top cloud gaming service in the cloud gaming platform, leaving Google Stadia Gaming Service behind even on beta. Currently, project Xcloud is in the preview period. It can be used by the people who are lucky enough to get an invitation as free cloud gaming services.
- Microsoft’s xCloud will soon be available for all iOS devices such iPhones, iPads, PCs and MacBooks through the web. Currently, it is in its beta period from mid-April 2021, but if you are a subscriber of Game Pass ultimate, you can easily access these games. According to Microsoft, xCloud can be accessed on pc through chrome as well as edge.
- For the past three years or so, Microsoft has been working on a cloud-gaming service which was known as Project xCloud. Late last year, Microsoft officially launched this service as a competitor to Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now, and others. But with the official launch came a rebranding, and xCloud is now known as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
With the App Store rules requiring Microsoft to list every single streaming game as a separate App Store release with its own ratings and download and icons and so on, how could Microsoft possibly end up on your iPhone or iPad?
Project xCloud testers on iOS can no longer access Microsoft’s game streaming service today. The company has confirmed to The Verge that the iOS beta test has ended yesterday, with the company. Earlier in November 2020, Xbox had announced that Project xCloud would make its way over to iOS devices, the iPad and iPhone, and released a limited beta. I actually was able to give it a try,.
Project Xcloud Macos X
The answer is: by avoiding Apple’s ecosystem in favor of the open web. Much like Amazon’s Luna gaming service, Microsoft will build a web-based solution that gamers can access on their iOS devices.
Xcloud Macos
While Apple likely views this as a victory—proof that its policies do not prevent such services from being enjoyed on its devices—it’s really just more evidence that Apple’s platform is too restrictive for some developers and services, and requiring the use of less-ideal and customer-friendly web apps, where other platforms get native apps.