‘Microsoft is working on the web version of xCloud game streaming service for iPhones and iPads’

Microsoft is probably working on a web version of its xCloud game streaming service, which is part of the Game Pass subscription, to enable streaming of games on iPhones and iPads. The app will not be allowed into Apple’s App Store and the web version should be available next year, Microsoft CEO Phil Spencer said at an internal event, according to Business Insider. The Verge has heard the same from various sources. Apple and Microsoft have not responded to the release of the information. A web version would allow users to stream games through the Microsoft service through the browser, rather than an app. Apple cannot stop the release of a website accessible via Safari or any other browser on iOS because it will not appear in the App Store. Apple does not want to allow game streaming services in the App Store, because the company wants to approve all individual games for users they can play to keep the App Store safe for users, they say. This is not necessary for films and music, so services such as Netflix and Spotify are available in the App Store. Apple’s own game service Arcade is also available on iOS, as are video streaming services from its own console. A developer has already created a browser to play via Google Stadia on iOS devices. Apple has more often favored its own services with App Store rules and thwarted competitors by the arbitrariness of those rules, according to a former CEO responsible for the App Store between 2009 and 2016.