Skip to main content

Microsoft expands cloud gaming to Apple devices and Windows 10 PCs

An Xbox game playing on a smartphone with an Xbox controller.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Beginning today, Xbox Cloud Gaming will be available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users in 22 countries who play on PCs running Windows 10. Xbox Cloud Gaming will also be available to Game Pass Ultimate members who use Apple phones and tablets.

Xbox Cloud Gaming, a browser-based service, allows players to play any Xbox Game Pass games and access their saves across multiple compatible devices. It enables players who don’t own powerful PCs or consoles to play popular games on devices that normally wouldn’t support them. The service has been in open beta since April.

Play 100+ Xbox console games on PC, iPhone, and iPad

In addition to the device support, Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is now powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware, meaning that games will stream at a resolution of 1080p at up to 60 frames per second.

Microsoft says the addition of Xbox Series X hardware to its servers and data centers will enable higher-quality gameplay experiences and lower latency across all devices, but it remains to be seen whether the average user will see improvements or whether bottlenecking from internet service providers will negate any server-side improvements. Microsoft is promising to continue improving the service going forward.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users already have access to a variety of small improvements specifically for mobile gaming, including the ability to enable custom touch controls for over 50 games or use a compatible Xbox or Bluetooth controller.

It’s a bit of good timing, as Microsoft has major plans in the works for Xbox Game Pass. Several high-profile games were announced for Xbox Game Pass during and after Microsoft’s E3 presentation, making Game Pass an especially enticing deal.

Editors' Recommendations

Emily Morrow
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
Xbox’s 2023 games feel like the Series X launch lineup we never got
EMBARGO 10/4 12:01 AM PT: A camera angle up close to a Forza Motorsport race.

Even though we’re almost three years into the life span of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, it feels like this console generation is just starting for Microsoft.
It’s no secret that Xbox was slow to start up and then maintain consistency this console generation. For example, 2020 saw the company putting out a weak console launch lineup made up of ports and remasters. While 2021 had a flurry of great games, it was followed by a comparatively barren 2022. And 2023 hasn't been perfect either (due, in large part, to the flop that is Redfall), but outside of that, this year delivered the excellent Hi-Fi Rush, the grandly scaled Starfield, solid ports of two Age of Empires games and Quake II, a new Minecraft title, and a technical showpiece in Forza Motorsport.
Looking at that varied lineup, these games showcase both the potential of the Series X and the power of Xbox as a brand. Prospects for Xbox’s lineup are up heading into 2024 too, so it feels like we’re at the proper start of the Xbox Series X and S console generation ... even if it came a few years too late.
A new beginning 
Looking at the 2020 launch lineup for Xbox Series X/S, it wasn’t exactly emblematic of what the console could do. While there were some nice 4K and 60 frames per second (fps) upgrades for Xbox One games, the only new draws were a console port of Gears Tactics, the multiplayer-supporting Tetris Effect: Connected, a temporary next-gen exclusive version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and some smaller indies like The Falconeer and Bright Memory 1.0.

Most of those games were on or came to more platforms afterward and, in general, didn’t provide that strong of an argument for why players should stick around this console generation. But looking at many of the games Xbox has released this year, it finally feels like we have a bundle of good Xbox exclusives that show what the platform was always capable of.
In my review of Forza Motorsport, I note that the game feels like a launch title because it’s an impressive technical showpiece. It runs at 4K and 60 fps in performance mode, which is something not many games this generation have done. The closest comparable games are Astro’s Playroom and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PlayStation 5, which effectively demonstrated the power of Sony's console early on.
Forza Motorsport was also built as a platform that developer Turn 10 Studios can expand over time. It plans to periodically slot in new single and multiplayer content, including new cars and tracks. A game like that makes a lot of sense early on in a console’s life span in this live-service era. It’s what Microsoft tried to do with Halo Infinite, even if that didn’t pan out as expected due to a one-year delay, and with Killer Instinct on Xbox One.

Read more
Cuphead is getting a free Xbox and Windows exclusive anniversary update
Cuphead battling boss in Cuphead DLC.

Cuphead is getting a new free update to celebrate its six-year anniversary. The Xbox Anniversary Update, which is exclusive for those who own the game on Xbox consoles and Windows, includes behind-the-scenes featurettes, the full game soundtrack, and more. It launches on September 29.

Released in 2017, Cuphead was a smash hit for developer StudioMDHR thanks to the game’s unique art style. Since then the developer has supported the game with new content including last year’s Delicious Last Course DLC. While the Anniversary update doesn’t bring any new gameplay to the package, it comes loaded with extras.

Read more
The best Xbox Series X games for 2023
Key art for Starfield

After an uneven console cycle with the Xbox One, Microsoft's latest consoles are aimed at getting the ship back on course. The Xbox Series X is a next-generation powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, while the Xbox Series S is an affordable stopgap for those who are curious about trying new games.

There's no shortage of games to play on either console thanks to Xbox Game Pass, which gives players immediate access to a library of titles old and new. That built-in catalog is an extra value on top of all the new games available on the system that take advantage of its impressive technical specs. When it comes to first-party exclusives, the Series X is still growing. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 gave a good boost to the console's library following a somewhat sparse first year. More games are also on the way. Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition will bring exclusives like Starfield and the potential addition of all Activision Blizzard games would further bolster that list, but the console's real strength lies in third-party support.

Read more