It"s been a long time coming, but Microsoft has finally announced that it"s going to start beta testing Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming for PC and iOS devices on the web starting tomorrow. The service launched for Android phones last September, and for a few months, you could test Microsoft"s Project xCloud - the precursor to the full service - on iOS, but that ended up being scrapped due to Apple"s App Store policies.
Initially, the Xbox Cloud Gaming will only be available via invitation for select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Microsoft will begin sending out the invites tomorrow, and more people will be getting invites over time. Players from any of the 22 countries supported by Xbox Cloud Gaming will be eligible to be invited, so you may want to keep an eye out on your email if you want to participate.
Microsoft announced in December of last year that it would make the service available on both iOS and PCs this spring, and sure enough, it"s happening, albeit not via a dedicated app as had been spotted in the past. Instead, players will use a web browser to visit xbox.com/play and get started. To play, you can use a Bluetooth or USB controller, or touch-based controls in supported games, and you"ll be ready to go. There seems to be no mention of keyboard and mouse support, however.
Microsoft is a bit behind some of its competitors in terms of platform support, since both Stadia and GeForce Now already support PCs. Nvidia"s service also runs on iOS, as does Amazon"s Luna, which is also in preview. On the other hand, Microsoft includes a large library of games directly in Xbox Game Pass, making its service more compelling, especially after today"s news.