"Microsoft xCloud brings over 100 Xbox games to iPhone, PCs, Android, now rolling out"

Microsoft’s xCloud gaming is now available on iPhone, iPad, Macs, MacBooks, and PCs for everyone. On Monday, Microsoft announced that its Cloud Gaming service has begun rolling out to compatible devices, and this means that anyone with a device that meets the hardware requirements for xCloud will be able to play Xbox games, obviously, through an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Microsoft’s xCloud Gaming has been an invite-only service since April this year until now when the software giant is rolling it out in 22 countries.

Since cloud gaming does not require specific hardware, a large number of devices are supported. You can play Xbox games -- which are a part of the Cloud Gaming category under the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription -- on Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser on PC, as well as Macs and MacBooks. But the biggest attraction here is the support for iPhone and iPad, where you will have to use the Safari browser to access xCloud. Microsoft said you will have the option of choosing from a controller or touch controls for some games. And then, there are Android phones that support Microsoft’s Cloud Gaming through Chromium-based browsers.

“With billions of active Windows 10 PCs, iOS devices and Android phones, we want you to have new opportunities to play the deepest, most immersive games whenever and wherever you choose. Simply put, we’re bringing the Xbox experience directly to the devices you use most,” said Catherine Gluckstein, Vice President & Head of Product, Xbox Cloud Gaming, in a post.

At the launch, at least 100 games are available to play and you can either use touch controls on supported devices or pair Bluetooth or USB controllers for gaming. Microsoft said that the xCloud games are powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware, which is why you will be able to stream games at 1080p at up to 60fps, but you will need a high-speed internet connection. Microsoft recommends at least 10Mbps with 5GHz frequency for playing games on xCloud. Although the streaming is capped at a maximum resolution of 1080p, Microsoft said “we’ll continue to innovate and add more features to enhance your cloud gaming experience.” This could mean that sometime in future, 4K 60fps streaming may come to xCloud.

At the time of writing, the Microsoft xCloud gaming service was not available in India, but it is possible Microsoft will bring it for Indian users in the near future, given that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available here.