Microsoft Releases Xbox Cloud Gaming Private Beta for Windows 10 and iOS
Microsoft will release a beta version of its Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service for Windows 10, iOS and iPadOS on Tuesday. It is still a closed beta, although the test version should come to all Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in the coming months.
As was previously known, this concerns an Xbox Cloud Gaming beta that runs in various web browsers on Windows 10 and iOS, Microsoft reports in a blog post. The service will be available through the Xbox website, where invited Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play “more than a hundred” Xbox games via the cloud. The web version currently works through Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari, where gamers can use Bluetooth or USB controllers. Microsoft does not mention support for Firefox.
Microsoft will begin sending beta invites to a limited number of Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on Tuesday. “We are gradually sending more invites to players in all supported countries, evaluating feedback, continuing to improve the experience, and adding support for more devices,” writes Catherine Gluckstein, vice president of Microsoft’s Project xCloud.
Microsoft says it plans to make rapid improvements and make the beta available to all gamers with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription “in the coming months.” A web version of Xbox Cloud Gaming has been expected for some time; Microsoft already announced this version last year. Screenshots of the Xbox Cloud Gaming web interface appeared in February.
This web version is, among other things, necessary to use the service on iOS devices. Due to Apple’s policy for iOS apps in the App Store, Microsoft cannot release a standalone Xbox Cloud Gaming app for iOS devices. Therefore, iPhone and iPad users can stream Xbox games through Safari. Google previously released a web version of its Stadia streaming service for iOS. Xbox Cloud Gaming will eventually be integrated into the Xbox app for Windows, but users of this OS can also use the service via web browsers with the beta. The cloud gaming service has been available as a separate Android app for some time now.
Image via Microsoft