Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, xCloud, may arrive on iOS devices very soon, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer. The feature, which is already available for Android users, allows Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to play their favorite Xbox games on the go.
In December 2020, Microsoft announced that xCloud would arrive on iOS devices and PC in Spring 2021. The service, officially known as Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming, allows users to stream Xbox games on their PC or mobile device, meaning that they can play their Xbox games without using their console. While players can use a wireless Xbox controller to play the games, Microsoft recently enabled touch controls on more than 50 games that are available to stream through xCloud, giving fans more ways to play.
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The xCloud service is already available for PC and Android users, and it seems that it will arrive on iOS devices sooner rather than later. Spencer confirmed the news by responding to a Twitter user who asked if the service would arrive on Apple devices soon. Spencer simply replied, “Yes,” confirming that iOS users will soon have access to the xCloud service, though he did not give an exact launch date. iOS users will need a subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to access the service once it launches. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $14.99 a month.
Many fans feared that xCloud would never arrive on iOS devices when Microsoft announced that the service would arrive on Android devices in September 2020, but did not give a date for when it would become available for iOS users. This fear only worsened after Microsoft said that it completed a TestFlight period for xCloud on iOS devices but decided that it would focus on the Android version. Some believed that Apple’s restrictive store policies, which requires that Apple receive a cut of the sales from in-app purchases, were to blame.
Fortunately for fans, Microsoft decided to pursue making xCloud available for Apple devices, and iOS users will likely have access to the feature shortly. With all the games that have been added to Xbox Game Pass, they will have a lot of titles to choose from when they want to stream on the go.
Microsoft is further bolstering the Xbox Game Pass library for mobile users by adding support for backward compatibility. The company announced last week that was adding classic Xbox and Xbox 360 titles to Xbox Game Pass, which will be available to play on mobile devices through xCloud.