Microsoft has indicated its Xbox Cloud Gaming service, also known as xCloud, is coming to Windows 10 PCs next year.
It will also be available on Apple iOS devices in Spring 2021. The company has indicated gamers can access the remotely hosted game streaming service either through a dedicated app or as a web-service.
Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming is Microsoft’s Xbox cloud gaming service. It was an Android-exclusive service ever since it launched. However, this is about to change.
App or browser, the Xbox Cloud Gaming service is coming to iOS and Windows 10 one way or another:
Microsoft launched Xbox Cloud Gaming on Android back in September. This service offered over 150 Xbox Game Pass titles playable on the majority of Android devices for free. Gamers merely needed an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to access the service.
Microsoft intends to offer the ability to play Xbox games on a PC and even iOS devices such as Apple iPhone and iPad. The company could deliver the cloud-hosted game streaming service to PC via an app. Meanwhile, iOS device users will have a browser-based solution.
Speaking about the expansion, Jerret West, CVP, Microsoft Gaming said, “In Spring 2021, we will take the next step in our journey to reach more players around the world by making cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate available on Windows PCs through the Xbox app and browser, and iOS devices through a mobile web browser.”
“By adding over a billion devices as a path to playing in the Xbox ecosystem, we envision a seamless experience for all types of players; whether it’s playing Minecraft Dungeons with your Xbox friends using touch controls on an iPhone, or jumping into a Destiny 2: Beyond Light strike on a Surface Pro when you have a break between meetings.”
“We are doing this by embracing multiple devices and providing a consistent Xbox experience wherever you log in, whether that’s on your Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Android device or – starting in Spring 2021 – your Windows PC and iOS device from the cloud.”
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Jerret West is confident the Xbox ecosystem will be available on over 1 billion new devices once Xbox Cloud Gaming launches on PCs and iOS next year. The number could climb even higher if Xbox head Phil Spencer’s plans fall into place.
Spencer hinted he intends to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to Smart TVs. Microsoft could even launch its own Xbox streaming sticks. These would essentially allow any TV with an HDMI input port to connect to the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The stick would need to be just powerful enough to run an app or web browser.
Microsoft confirms that it’s xCloud gaming service will be coming to iOS and PC in Spring 2021.
What is xCloud? It’s simply Microsoft’s cloud gaming service that enables gamers to use Microsoft’s hardware to run games in the cloudhttps://t.co/upf7EOP4Q4#microsoft #xcloud #xbox pic.twitter.com/gB8VBtCSMt— Techy Hub (@HubTechy) December 9, 2020
Any Windows 10 PC would be an easy addition to the Xbox Cloud Gaming service. But iOS devices are a different matter altogether. Apple’s own restrictions on apps in the App Store essentially block any service that acts as a multi-service aggregator.
Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s policies is a web-based solution. In other words, Microsoft will offer a website for the Xbox Cloud Gaming service that users can visit from any iOS-compatible browser.
The remotely-hosted game streaming service from Microsoft hosts virtual game sessions that are run on high-end servers that have Xbox-grade hardware. Hence, the only limitation to high-definition gaming could be the latency or lag of the internet service that gamers will use to access the service.