Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS and PC - Spring 2021 Release

Microsoft has revealed upcoming plans for its cloud gaming platform. Beyond compatibility with Android devices, the company has affirmed its intention to broaden platform support. Microsoft will introduce its cloud gaming service to iOS devices and computers in the spring of 2021.

Initially known as Project xCloud, Microsoft’s cloud gaming solution enables gameplay of Xbox titles on devices other than Xbox consoles. The games are executed on a server within a data center in your region. Video is transmitted to your device, while your commands are sent back to the server instantaneously.

Access to Xbox cloud gaming is included with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which costs $14.99 monthly. This subscription also provides a game library, access to EA Play, and Xbox Live Gold benefits.

Regarding new devices, users will shortly be able to initiate games through Xbox cloud gaming directly from a PC. The service will be integrated into the Xbox app and accessible via a web browser.

Although Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can download games to their PCs, cloud gaming will be especially beneficial for those without a high-performance graphics card. It will be noteworthy to observe if Microsoft restricts service access to web browsers on Windows computers. Many users will likely desire access from Mac computers as well.

For iOS, Microsoft will launch cloud gaming exclusively through web browsers, a necessity due to App Store restrictions. Nvidia has already released a beta version of GeForce Now for iOS web browsers. My testing of Nvidia’s service on both an iPhone and iPad demonstrated the effectiveness of this web browser solution.

Xbox cloud gaming is currently available on Android phones and tablets through the Xbox Game Pass app. The quality of your experience will be significantly influenced by your internet connection and Wi-Fi network performance.

Proximity to a data center is also crucial for minimizing lag. Consequently, Xbox cloud gaming is presently limited to a select number of countries, primarily the U.S., Canada, South Korea, and portions of Europe.

Microsoft announced in a blog post that it is establishing additional data centers and extending service availability to new regions. Xbox cloud gaming is anticipated to become available in Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico in the near future.