Microsoft has announced that xCloud, the game streaming service that is now part of Game Pass Ultimate, is on its way to iOS.
xCloud from Microsoft on the way to iOS
Microsoft’s game streaming service – formerly known as xCloud, but now as Game Pass Ultimate, cannot be released in the same form as on Android. That’s because of restrictions imposed by Apple. That is why the company from Redmond is now looking at other options, such as a solution via a browser. Sources leave that on Business Insider know. The company is now working on a web version of xCloud, which will work on iOS and iPadOS devices. There is also still work on an app that eventually, hopefully one day, can be released on both platforms.
The plans were announced during an internal meeting, where Xbox boss Phil Spencer made comments such as: “We absolutely will end up on iOS”.
On Android it is already possible to stream Xbox games, but unfortunately not yet on iOS. Apple blocks such practices, much to the chagrin of companies like Microsoft, Google and soon too Amazon. However, Apple recently handed out a kind of hand with which it wanted to show that game streaming services are welcome on iOS, but companies have to jump through a number of hoops to get it all done. For example, every game that is offered must also be sold separately and have its own App Store page – but that is not the intention with a game streaming service.
And what’s more: if game streaming services have to approach it in this way, why do Netflix and Spotify have to offer their complete catalog separately? So it is measured with two sizes and that is quite annoying for anyone who has something to do with this. This is not what Microsoft sees as a solution, so iOS and iPadOS users have to do without xCloud for the time being.
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