Microsoft had to abandon its original plans to let people play xCloud games on iPhones and iPads via an iOS app, the same way it does on Android (above photo), but is reportedly “very close” to a public preview of a web-based workaround.

1. Xcloud Macos
2. Project Xcloud Beta Ios
3. Microsoft Xcloud Ios
4. Project Xcloud Macos Update
5. Project Xcloud Macos Download
6. Xcloud Ios Invite

The reason for stopping xCloud testing on iOS is simple to guess. In most situations where third parties have tried to develop interactive applications and games for iOS or macOS, were hit by the restrictions and rigid policies of Apple. The Project xCloud test application did not escape these restrictions either.

The project shouldn’t be confused with the iOS Xbox app, which lets you stream games from your own Xbox to your phone. xCloud, in contrast, lets you stream games directly from Microsoft servers.

Microsoft employees are said to be testing the approach, with a public preview described as “very close” …

1. Project xCloud was the name of our public technology preview for cloud gaming that began in September 2019. After gathering feedback from players from around the world during the preview, we built the technology into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate so you can play 100+ Xbox games on your Android mobile phone or tablet, directly from the cloud.
2. The xCloud service will be available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS via a web browser like Safari. The service will only be available as a closed beta to start, with Microsoft expanding availability as.

Background

Microsoft’s original plan was an iOS app, and it made a TestFlight version available almost a year ago to the day.

After debuting its Project xCloud streaming game service as a preview last fall on Android [above photo], Microsoft has today launched the preview for iOS via TestFlight. The iOS preview is limited to 10,000 testers with registrations open now […]

While the preview is limited to Halo: The Master Chief Collection Microsoft eventually plans to bring all 3,500+ Xbox games to the service in the years ahead.

We found that the app showed a lot of promise, but things came to a shuddering halt when Apple’s strict App Store policies meant it was no longer feasible. Apple wanted to be able to individually approve every one of the 3,500 games available through the service.

Microsoft expressed its displeasure at Apple’s stance, but didn’t give up. We first heard in October of last year that the company had instead started working on a web-based approach, in which games are played in a browser.

xCloud games on iPhones via web browser

The Verge confirms this, and says that the company is now “very close” to a public preview.

Microsoft has started testing its xCloud game streaming through a web browser. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Xbox plans tell The Verge that employees are now testing a web version of xCloud ahead of a public preview. The service allows Xbox players to access their games through a browser, and opens up xCloud to work on devices like iPhones and iPads […]

The web version includes a simple launcher with recommendations for games, the ability to resume recently played titles, and access to all the cloud games available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Once you launch a game it will run fullscreen, and you’ll need a controller to play Xbox games streamed through the browser […]

Microsoft is planning some form of public preview of xCloud via the web in the spring, and this wider internal testing signals that the preview is getting very close.

xCloud on the web currently requires a Chrome-based browser, but support for Safari is expected.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.

I’d probably shock twelve-year-old me if I went back in time and told him that for the last thirteen years I’d been an avid user of a game console built by none other than Microsoft.¹ But here I am, on my second Xbox, and I remain pretty happy with my gaming choices over the past decade and change.

That said, I also own a Nintendo Switch, which has the benefit of being able to go wherever I do. The Xbox doesn’t match that portability…yet.

A few weeks back, I signed up for beta access to Microsoft’s new Project xCloud game streaming service, right on the heels of its availability on iOS. (Though Microsoft had announced the service would support the iPhone and iPad, earlier betas had only worked on Android.) I’ve spent a little bit of time with it over the past couple weeks, and though it’s not without its flaws, I’ve come away impressed at what Microsoft has put together, even in this early stage.

The idea behind Project xCloud is simple: use an app on your smartphone or tablet to stream console games. You’ll also need a Bluetooth-compatible Xbox controller which, thanks to iOS 13, can easily be paired with your iOS devices.² During the preview period, Microsoft doesn’t require users to own an Xbox console or the games—it’s unclear what the final finished product will require.³

While the Android version of the preview apparently supports more than 50 games, the iOS version currently only offers a “single” title: Microsoft’s own Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which includes the first six Halo games, including updated versions of Halo and Halo 2. These are obviously good showcase titles for Microsoft, given that the newest game on there, Halo 4, is from 2012, so they aren’t as graphically intensive as games being released in 2020. But they’re not without their own inherent challenges: Halo is a very twitch-oriented first-person shooter series, meaning that running into problems with latency can significantly affect gameplay—especially in multiplayer.

Xcloud Macos

I’ve spent most of my time in the single-player campaign of the original Halo‘s 2011 remaster, since it’s a game I’ve played only a little, and I’ve been mostly impressed with the performance. Though there is definitely some lag at times (especially with sound effects, weirdly), I haven’t felt that it impacted my enjoyment of the game—or, perhaps I’m more forgiving, given the title’s age.

I did try a little bit of Halo 3 multiplayer, something that I spent a lot of time with in its heyday, and I acquitted myself reasonably. Though I definitely experienced some lag here and there, I didn’t feel like it hurt me more significantly than my rustiness at the game, though I did find myself cranking up the look sensitivity to make the controls feel more responsive.

Graphics are a mixed bag: playing on my 10.5-inch iPad Pro, they were sometimes crystal clear, and other times—especially in outdoor scenes on Halo‘s eponymous ring—somewhat muddy and pixelated. Scenes that seemed less graphically demanding, such as driving through underground tunnels, were far clearer. It’s possible to chalk up some of this to my Internet connection or router, though my speed tests regularly register 100 Mbps downstream, which is far in excess of the 10Mbps connection Microsoft says is required. (I did occasionally get a notification saying my connection was weak.) Project xCloud does support cellular networks as well, but I’m not sure I’m willing to put my data plan through that as yet.

Speaking of usage, Project xCloud will definitely chew through your battery—but that’s no surprise, given the demands on graphics and CPU, display, and both the Internet and Bluetooth connections. Your mileage may, of course, vary, but don’t expect this to be an all-day gaming affair—or, at least, bring a charger.

Project Xcloud Beta Ios

There’s also the challenge of playing on a much smaller screen than usual, which raises questions of viewing angles and reading onscreen text. My first attempt at playing games was with my iPhone 11 Pro and I quickly understood why Microsoft recommends a clip for attaching your phone to your controller. Even propped up in a stand at the correct angle, getting close enough to the screen to see details like the HUD was a (often literal) pain.

I fared better on my 10.5-inch iPad Pro, though even there I still had trouble at times arranging it at the right height. But using the Smart Keyboard in its “stand” arrangement wasn’t too bad for playing at my desk.

Using the Xbox controller was perhaps the best part of the experience, since it required no adaptation on my part whatsoever (other than making sure Halo was using my preferred control scheme). Supposedly xCloud will allow developers to roll out custom touch controls for games, though on something like an FPS, it’s really hard to match the precision of a controller, as many iOS game developers have discovered over the years.

Microsoft Xcloud Ios

That said, I did run into some issues with the controller where buttons didn’t react immediately and then sometimes “caught up,” resulting in double shots, or in some cases, turning an automatic weapon into a semi-automatic. In the original Halo in particular, the zoom functionality of the sniper rifle, which has both a 2x and 10x level was especially unreliable, requiring me to mash the button several times to get to the higher zoom.

Out of curiosity, I did at one point try to mirror my iPad’s display to my Apple TV to see if I could use it as though it were a console, but the graphics and sound stuttered unplayably. (Again, it’s quite possibly that my setup may be part of the problem there.) I’ll be interested to see if Microsoft will consider porting the app to the Apple TV, or if that would hew too close to its Xbox business.

Project Xcloud Macos Update

Project Xcloud Macos Download

I’m not sure if I want to play an entire console game via a streaming setup, but depending on how xCloud pricing and availability work out—things that Microsoft hasn’t discussed yet—it could be an attractive option for those who don’t want to invest in yet another console. And, as an Xbox owner, the ability to pick up and play where I left off on my console while I’m on the go—one of the major selling points of the Nintendo Switch—has a lot of appeal.

And, obviously, Microsoft’s not alone in this streaming market: Google has already launched its own offering, Stadia, though initial reviews have not been unequivocally positive. It’ll be interesting to see how these two competitors build out their services in terms of not only the quality of streaming offered, but also the game libraries. Given Microsoft’s existing status in the game market, it may have to worry more about cutting into sales of its hardware—though I imagine that whatever is offered in Project xCloud will not come close to what will be available on its next-generation Xbox Series X console, due later this year. Then again, for those of us who want to catch up on a whole generation of games that we may have missed, streaming older titles may be just fine.

Xcloud Ios Invite

But for a service that is only in beta so far, Project xCloud feels remarkably solid, if still in need of improvement. It’ll be interesting to see how that progresses throughout the beta process and into the final product.

1. Also, he’d probably be wondering what the hell happened to all his hair? ↩
2. Supposedly Sony’s Dual Shock controller will be supported in the future as well. ↩
3. Confusingly, Microsoft also has a beta of a Console Streaming program that lets you stream games you own directly from your Xbox to a mobile device. It’s unclear how these two services will intersect or differ when they’re finally released. ↩

[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Twitter at @dmoren or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, The Aleph Extraction, is out now and available in fine book stores everywhere, so be sure to pick up a copy.]

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