Microsoft has stated its timeline for introducing its xCloud cloud gaming service to the iOS platform of Apple and to Windows PCs, with the company saying that beginning in spring 2021, it will support iPhone, iPad, and PC. In October, The Verge reported that Microsoft was looking to introduce xCloud to iOS some time in early 2021" with a mobile web app, but Microsoft explained the timeline in a blog post published on Wednesday. The organisation says the PC version of xCloud will be distributed via the Windows 10 Xbox app.
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| Image Credit: Dean Takahashi |
In Spring 2021, through the Xbox app and browser, and iOS devices via mobile web browser, we will take the next step in our journey to reach more players around the world by making cloud gaming available on Windows PCs as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate," writes Jerret West, Xbox marketing chief of Microsoft, in the blog post." "We envision a seamless experience for all types of players by adding over a billion devices as a path to playing in the Xbox ecosystem."
As part of the $15 a month Xbox Game Pass Supreme package from Microsoft, xCloud will also be bundled. Microsoft says that next year, like Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico, it plans to launch its cloud gaming beta via Game Pass to more markets.
Microsoft was unable to support the iPhone and iPad when it released xCloud in beta for Android in September due to restrictions Apple imposed on iOS applications and cloud providers. After Apple said such a service would need to request individual games for review, the two firms got into a public spat about whether xCloud will ever operate on the iPhone in its present form.
While Apple gave Microsoft a sort of option by allowing cloud gaming applications to run their cloud clients on iOS as long as individual games were also submitted for approval, the Xbox vendor said that such a workaround would be a "bad consumer experience" and therefore opted to concentrate on a mobile site offering.
Other providers of cloud gaming have agreed to do the same and last month, both Google and Nvidia released mobile platform versions of their respective services. Nvidia's, with its GeForce Now cloud service running in beta on iOS, is now available. By the end of the year, Google plans to launch an iOS version of its Stadia service over the mobile platform.
